Maridalsvannet () is a lake in
Maridalen
Maridalen is a valley in the north of Oslo, Norway, just above the suburb of Kjelsås. Considering that Maridalen is within the Oslo city limits, this area has a very low population density. The valley consists of forests, lakes and agricultural ...
,
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, Norway. It is the largest lake in the municipality of Oslo, serving as its primary drinking water supply.
The lake drains via the river
Akerselva
The Akerselva or Akerselven () is a river which flows through Oslo, Norway. It starts at Maridalsvannet in Oslomarka, and traverses the boroughs of Nordre Aker, Sagene, Grünerløkka, central Oslo and Grønland, finally ending at Paulsenkai ...
to the
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord (, ; ) is an inlet in southeastern Norway. The fjord begins at the small village of Bonn in Frogn, Frogn Municipality and stretching northwards to the city of Oslo, and then curving to the east and then south again. It then flows s ...
. The primary
inflows are
Skjærsjøelva and
Dausjøelva. The
Hammeren Hydroelectric Power Station exploits the fall from
Skjærsjøen to Maridalsvannet.
The shores of the lake and substantial areas of woods and fields around it are owned by the city of Oslo to protect the water supply. Some farms are still operated under city supervision, but others were closed down in the mid-20th century; their remains are marked by historical signs. Hiking, cycling, and cross-country ski trails run near the south side of the lake and connect to the system of trails in the forests that surround Oslo. They can be reached by a short walk from the Kjelsås trolley, bus, or train stations. Trails run alongside Akerselva from the Marridalsvannet dam to near the Oslofjord. The
Gjøvik Line
The Gjøvik Line () is a Norwegian railway line between Oslo and Gjøvik. It was originally named the North Line (''Nordbanen'') and ran between Grefsen and Røykenvik. The line was completed to Gjøvik in 1902. The Gjøvik Line was one of t ...
runs along the same shore.
[Most of the information in this paragraph comes from signs posted on the trails around the lake.]
References
Maridalen
Lakes of Oslo
{{Oslo-geo-stub