Akerselva (Aker River) is the main river running through Oslo. It starts at Maridalsvannet (Lake Maridal), the drinking source of Oslo, and runs out into the fjord just next to the Opera House.

Also read: 6 FREE Activities to do in Oslo

A popular river in Oslo

Like a lot of other locals I often go for hikes a long the river. It’s a great recreational area and many of the buildings by the river carry a lot of history. This is were the industrial revolution in Norway started.

However, on my last walk my attention did not go to the buildings, but to the river itself, running wilder than I had ever seen before.

Due to a lot of rainfall in September/October, the lakes up in the forest of Oslo needs to be drained to a lower water level to avoid flooding later in the fall. A normal water flow in Akerselva is about 5000 liters of water per second (1320 gallons). Now it has increased to 20.000 liters per second! (5200 gallons). It’s become quite an impressive sight, with people flocking to the river to witness the spectacular force of the waterfalls.

I grabbed my camera and shot some photos and put together a video. I hope you’ll enjoy them. Let me know if you are ever in Oslo and we can do a walk by the river together 🙂

All the best,