Oslo’s waterfront has never been hotter and locals are literally sweating the details. The city’s floating-sauna scene keeps expanding, now with universal access baked in. Trosten, the aluminum- and- terrazzo showpiece moored in Bjørvika, set a new bar for inclusive design and put Oslo’s year-round fjord dips on the global map. The city’s active lifestyle and low-emission habits underpin its high rank for Health (#3) and Climate Risk (#3) while a nearly 10-kilometre harbour promenade, pocket parks and quick escapes into the forested Marka sustain Oslo’s standout Green Space (#5) credentials. It all adds up to an impressive #7 ranking for Standard of Living. But this city works as hard as it plays: Oslo ranks #6 for Economic Output and #9 for Labour Force Participation. Culture? The new Museum of the Viking Age, home to the Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune ships, should open in 2027. Transit is the 2026 headline. To stitch the new Fornebubanen into the network, Oslo is undertaking its biggest metro expansion in 60 years: summer closures and a rebuilt Majorstuen hub will unlock an 8-kilometre line later this decade. The payoff is massive: faster commutes, new jobs and a surge of mixed-use development at Fornebu, all aligning with the city’s coveted workforce and bike-first mobility push. It’s all part of the National Transport Plan for 2025-2036, which includes a staggering €35-billion investment in the rail sector alone.