The hill in Oslo whose viewpoint is depicted in “The Scream” is Ekeberg.
Munch’s scene shows a road or walkway overlooking the Oslofjord, with the water and islands stretching behind the distorted foreground figure. Art historians and researchers have identified the setting as a viewpoint on Ekeberg, a hill on the eastern side of Oslo.
The location adds a personal dimension to the painting. In the 1890s, Munch’s sister Laura Catherine was a patient at an asylum near the foot of Ekeberg. A nearby slaughterhouse has also been discussed as a possible source of unsettling sounds or associations, although the painting is not simply a literal landscape record.
Ekeberg is sometimes confused with other Oslo landmarks such as Holmenkollen, Vettakollen, or Frognerseteren. Those places are also associated with elevated views around Oslo, but they are not the viewpoint traditionally identified in the background of Munch’s composition.