Is Paris No Longer the Greatest City in Europe? Oslo May Be Coming for the Crown

For generations, there really wasn't much of an argument. Ask travelers to name the greatest city in Europe and Paris was an easy answer. The Eiffel Tower. The Louvre. Notre-Dame. The Seine. Montmartre. The cafés, the food, the architecture and the history. Paris wasn't simply a great European city. It was the European city.

But after spending considerable time in both Paris and Oslo, I'm going to say something that may irritate a few Francophiles:

I'm not sure Paris is the greatest city in Europe anymore.

And perhaps my opinion isn't quite as crazy as it sounds. In Condé Nast Traveller's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards, Oslo ranked #2 among European cities—while Paris ranked #14.

And the city making me question it isn't London, Rome, Barcelona or Vienna.

It's Oslo.

Yes, Oslo.

The Norwegian capital that many American travelers once regarded as little more than a stopping point on the way to the fjords has quietly transformed itself into one of Europe's most interesting, attractive and enjoyable cities.

We've been taking travelers to Norway for years, and Oslo continues to surprise people who arrive expecting it to be merely the beginning of their Norwegian journey. Instead, many discover a city they wish they had more time to explore.

So let's have some fun with an Oslo vs. Paris comparison.

Mona Lisa vs. The Scream: Which Painting Really Owns Popular Culture?

Paris has the Mona Lisa.

Oslo has The Scream.

Ask someone to name the most famous painting in the world and the Mona Lisa probably still wins. But ask which painting has become more deeply embedded in modern popular culture, and suddenly Oslo has a surprisingly strong case.

Think about The Scream. You've seen it in movies, television shows, cartoons, advertisements and political satire. Andy Warhol reinterpreted it. It has appeared on magazine covers and countless consumer products. The MUNCH museum itself describes it as one of the world's most copied, caricatured and commercialized images.

There is even the enormously successful Scream movie franchise, whose imagery has become culturally associated with that terrified, open-mouthed expression.

And every time someone sends this emoji — 😱 — they're essentially using a tiny digital descendant of Edvard Munch.

The Mona Lisa is famous because everyone knows her.

The Scream is famous because everyone uses it.

That may be one of the most interesting differences between these two masterpieces. Millions of people travel to Paris to see the Mona Lisa. The Scream traveled out of Oslo and entered our everyday visual language.

Then consider the experience of actually seeing them. Visiting the Mona Lisa can involve navigating one of the world's busiest museums, joining a crowd and attempting to get a look over a sea of smartphones. In Oslo, seeing Munch's work can be a dramatically less stressful experience.

If you're planning time in the Norwegian capital, see our guide to the best things to do in Oslo. 

So here's the deliberately provocative question: Would you rather fight a crowd to photograph the world's most famous painting or comfortably stand in front of one of the most influential images of modern popular culture?

Paris has the Mona Lisa.

Oslo has The Scream.

That matchup may be closer than Paris would like to admit.

Eiffel Tower vs. Oslo Opera House

Let's get something out of the way. Nothing in Oslo is as famous as the Eiffel Tower.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower illuminated at night remains one of those travel moments that genuinely lives up to the hype. Paris wins the fame contest easily.

But perhaps there's another way to compare them.

The Eiffel Tower is largely something you go to see. Oslo's spectacular Opera House is something you can actually use.

Walk directly onto its sloping roof. Wander around. Sit down. Look across the waterfront. Watch boats moving through the Oslofjord. There isn't a velvet rope suggesting that the building belongs to someone else.

It belongs to the city.

That is one of the things I love about modern Oslo. Its architecture isn't simply designed to be admired from a distance. It invites people to participate in it.

And the Opera House doesn't stand alone. Nearby are the MUNCH museum, the remarkable Deichman Bjørvika library, restaurants, waterfront promenades, swimming areas and neighborhoods that have dramatically changed Oslo's waterfront.

Paris often feels like a magnificent city preserving its past.

Oslo feels like a great city still being built.

There is tremendous energy in that.

Rodin vs. Vigeland

Paris has Auguste Rodin.

Oslo has Gustav Vigeland.

I'm not going to tell an art historian that Vigeland was a greater sculptor than Rodin. Instead, I'll ask a different question:

Which city gives the traveler the more memorable sculpture experience?

In Paris, you can visit the wonderful Musée Rodin. In Oslo, you can simply walk into Vigeland Sculpture Park and wander among more than 200 sculptures depicting childhood, love, relationships, anger, aging and death.

There is no glass separating you from the artwork. There isn't even an admission charge.

Families picnic nearby. People walk their dogs. Joggers pass sculptures that would be major tourist attractions almost anywhere else in the world.

Vigeland Park is simultaneously an art museum, a magnificent city park and part of everyday life in Oslo.

Paris displays its art beautifully.

Oslo sometimes lets you live inside it.

Paris Has More Attractions. Oslo May Make Them Easier to Enjoy.

Nobody should seriously argue that Oslo has more major tourist attractions than Paris. Paris wins that category easily.

But visiting Paris' most famous attractions increasingly requires planning. What day should we visit? What time is our reservation? Are tickets available? How early should we arrive? How long will the security line be?

There are perfectly good reasons for all of this. Paris attracts enormous numbers of visitors and houses some of the most famous attractions on earth.

But from a traveler's point of view, sightseeing can begin to feel like a scheduling exercise.

Oslo often works differently.

You decide you want to visit a museum, so you go. You see a tram coming, so you get on. You walk along the waterfront, take a ferry, visit a park, stop for coffee or completely change your plans because something else looks interesting.

That sounds ridiculously simple.

But experienced travelers know what a luxury spontaneity has become in Europe's most popular cities.

Paris has more attractions.

Oslo may give you more freedom to enjoy the attractions it has.

Paris Metro vs. Oslo Trams

The Paris Metro is extraordinary. It carries millions of people and can get you almost anywhere you want to go in one of Europe's largest cities.

But let's separate efficient from pleasant.

Anyone who has dragged luggage through a Paris Metro station, climbed stairs, changed trains through underground passageways or stood inside a crowded train on a hot afternoon understands the distinction.

Oslo's transportation system feels different. Trams glide through the city. Buses, Metro trains and ferries form an easy-to-use public transportation network, and much of the time you're above ground and can actually see where you're going.

It feels clean, safe and manageable.

For visitors — particularly travelers in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond — that matters.

The Paris Metro gets you there.

Oslo can make getting there part of the pleasure.

Interestingly, we use public transportation in both cities on our Traveling Professor tours because we believe travelers experience cities better when they travel through them instead of watching them through the window of a big tour bus.

Our Paris Once Again small group tour uses Paris buses, Metro, trams and trains to help travelers experience the city more like locals. 

Oslo May Win the Airport Battle

Here's another category where Oslo has a serious advantage.

Arriving at Charles de Gaulle can sometimes feel like the opening challenge of a Paris vacation. CDG is enormous, transfers can be confusing, and getting from the airport to central Paris takes time.

Oslo Airport is almost the opposite experience.

Walk out of the terminal, take the train and you can arrive at Oslo Central Station in about 20 minutes. Step outside Oslo S and you're already close to the Opera House, Karl Johans gate, the waterfront and several major hotels.

That convenience affects the entire impression of a city.

Paris begins with an airport transfer.

Oslo feels as though it begins almost as soon as you step off the plane.

Norway Is Expensive. But Oslo Hotels May Surprise You.

Norway has a reputation for being expensive, and that reputation hasn't come from nowhere. Have a couple of drinks with dinner and your credit card may notice.

Hotels, however, are more complicated.

In our experience arranging hotels for groups in both cities, a good centrally located Oslo hotel can compare surprisingly well with the cost of an equivalent hotel in central Paris.

And in Oslo, “centrally located” can really mean centrally located.

Stay near Oslo Central Station and you can walk to the Opera House, MUNCH, Karl Johans gate, the waterfront, restaurants and several of Oslo's major attractions.

That's why location is such an important part of the hotels we select on our Norway small group tours. 

Less commuting means more time actually enjoying the destination.

Oslo Is Cleaner, Calmer and — Dare I Say It? — Friendlier

Now we're getting into dangerous territory.

Cleanliness and friendliness are subjective, and I expect Paris fans to challenge me on this one.

Good. That's what the comments section is for.

But walk around both cities and tell me you don't notice a difference.

Oslo feels remarkably clean, orderly and calm. In my own travels there, interactions with people tend to be friendly, straightforward and helpful.

Paris has certainly improved from the old stereotype of the dismissive Parisian waiter, and I've had many wonderful experiences with people in Paris. But Paris is a huge global city dealing with extraordinary numbers of residents and visitors. At times, it can feel intense.

Oslo simply feels easier.

Part of that is probably population. Part may be culture. Part is almost certainly the sheer difference in the number of tourists.

Whatever the explanation, the difference in the day-to-day visitor experience is noticeable.

Want to Go Swimming? Walk Downtown.

Here's a comparison I love.

Spend the morning sightseeing in Oslo and you can spend the afternoon swimming in the Oslofjord.

Places such as Sørenga, Operastranda and Tjuvholmen offer swimming right in the city. You can even combine your swim with one of Oslo's popular waterfront saunas: heat up in the sauna and then plunge into the fjord.

Paris deserves considerable credit here because swimming has now returned to designated areas of the Seine following an enormous cleanup effort. During summer 2026, Paris operated three authorized swimming locations in the Seine.

That is a remarkable accomplishment.

But in Oslo, swimming doesn't feel like a municipal novelty.

It feels like part of the city.

The beaches and swimming spots are already integrated into the waterfront and the Oslo lifestyle.

Paris has worked very hard to make its river swimmable.

Oslo simply says, “There's the fjord. Jump in.”

Paris Has the Seine. Oslo Has a Fjord.

The Seine is unquestionably one of the world's great urban rivers. It defines Paris, and walking along its banks remains one of Europe's great pleasures.

But Oslo sits directly on the Oslofjord.

You can take ferries to nearby islands, go kayaking, visit beaches, swim, take a sauna or simply sit along the waterfront and watch boats pass.

Behind the city are forested hills and hiking areas. And from Oslo, one of Europe's great scenic rail journeys begins.

This is one of the reasons we designed our Norway and the Fjords by Scenic Rail tour to travel from Oslo through the Norwegian countryside to Flåm and Bergen. 

Instead of spending day after day riding in a big tour bus, travelers experience Norway by rail, ferry and fjord.

That's the part of Oslo that Paris simply cannot duplicate.

Nature isn't an excursion from Oslo. Nature is part of Oslo.

Paris gives you one of the world's greatest cities.

Oslo gives you a great city with Norway attached to it.

And Then There Is the Summer Weather

Summer in Paris can be wonderful.

It can also be brutally hot.

Paris reached 40.9°C — about 106°F — during the June 2026 heatwave, setting a June temperature record. Imagine spending the afternoon walking through Versailles, standing outside the Eiffel Tower or riding a crowded Metro train in that heat.

Norwegian weather certainly isn't guaranteed to cooperate. It may rain. You may need a jacket.

I'll take my chances.

For travelers who enjoy walking, outdoor cafés, waterfronts and sightseeing on foot, Oslo's generally cooler summer weather can be a considerable advantage.

Give me 68 degrees and a light jacket over 98 degrees and an underground Metro station almost any day.

Before Paris Lovers Get Too Angry...

Now Paris fans can lower their pitchforks.

I'm not suggesting Oslo has more history than Paris.

It doesn't.

I'm not suggesting Oslo has more great art.

It doesn't.

And I'm certainly not suggesting Oslo can compete with Paris for restaurants, historic architecture, sidewalk cafés, fashion or sheer cultural depth.

Paris is Paris.

I've been traveling there for years, wrote The Traveling Professor's Guide to Paris, and we continue to bring small groups there. If you're going to Paris, our ideal one-week Paris itinerary provides plenty of ideas for seeing the city. 

You could spend a month in Paris and barely scratch the surface. There are moments when you turn a corner, see the Seine beneath a bridge or look toward the Eiffel Tower glowing at night and instantly understand why generations of travelers have fallen in love with the city.

Oslo cannot reproduce that.

Nor should it try.

But perhaps we're asking the wrong question.

Oslo vs. Paris: Which City Would I Rather Visit Today?

If the question is, Which European city has contributed more to art, architecture, literature, fashion, cuisine and history?, Paris wins easily.

But what if we change the question?

Where would I rather spend five days right now — Paris or Oslo?

Now the competition gets much closer.

Oslo offers smaller crowds, outstanding museums, relatively easy transportation, an excellent airport connection, waterfront neighborhoods, public ferries, parks, swimming, cooler summer weather and remarkable access to nature.

You can see major attractions without devoting half your vacation to reservations and lines. You can get around without spending much of the day underground. You can walk from a world-class art museum to the Opera House and then go swimming in a fjord.

Suddenly Oslo isn't competing with Paris on historical importance.

It's competing on quality of the actual travel experience.

And that's where this debate gets interesting.

Maybe Paris Is Europe's Greatest City. But Is Oslo Better to Visit?

Perhaps that's the real distinction.

Paris accumulated its greatness over centuries.

Oslo seems to be discovering its greatness right now.

That is what makes it so much fun. Oslo feels young, optimistic and manageable. It has embraced remarkable contemporary architecture without abandoning its relationship with nature. It offers world-class art without world-class crowds.

Meanwhile, millions of travelers continue following the traditional European checklist: Paris, London, Rome.

Maybe one of Europe's most enjoyable cities has been sitting in plain sight.

So I'll put the question to you.

If someone gave you five free nights tomorrow and told you that you could choose only one — Paris or Oslo — which would you pick?

Don't answer based on reputation.

Don't answer based on which city you're supposed to choose.

Think about where you'd actually rather spend those five days.

Paris or Oslo?

I know my answer.

And ten years ago, I never would have believed it.

Want to Experience Them for Yourself?

Fortunately, you don't really have to choose.

The Traveling Professor offers small group trips to both destinations. Explore Norway and the Fjords by Scenic Rail, including Oslo, Flåm and Bergen, or see Paris with us on our Paris Once Again small group tour.

Then you can settle the argument for yourself.

Explore Norway and the Fjords by Scenic Rail … or see Paris with us on our Paris Once Again small group tour.