Oslo Cycling — Maridalen Loop

If you cycle in Oslo, you know Maridalen. It's the loop everyone rides — runners, roller skiers, club cyclists, weekend warriors — and for good reason. Twenty kilometres of smooth asphalt around one of the most beautiful lakes in the city, with almost no cars to worry about. I don't ride it as often as some, but when I do — sometimes in combination with the climb up Grefsenkollen — it reminds me why it's such a classic.

The loop starts at the southern end of Maridalsvannet and head north along the western shore. The road hugs the lake closely here, with open views across the water to the forested hills on the far side. At Hammeren, just over three kilometres in, the old industrial buildings sit quietly by the river — a reminder that this valley was once a working landscape. The riding is gentle, with only short undulations, and the rhythm comes easily.

Around the four-kilometre mark the ruins of Margaretakirken sit in a clearing just off the road — a medieval church from the 1200s, reduced to low stone walls in a peaceful meadow. It's worth knowing it's there, even if you don't stop every time. The road continues north through farmland towards the head of the lake, where the valley widens and the terrain opens up.

The northern end of the loop is the quietest section — fewer people, deeper into the valley. You cross to the eastern shore and begin heading south on the higher road, which climbs noticeably. The eastern side is more demanding than the western — rolling hills that gain and lose height repeatedly — but the views down to the lake from up here are the reward. The maximum elevation is around 236 metres, and on a clear day you can see the whole length of Maridalsvannet stretching south.

The final kilometres bring you back down to the lake level and around to the starting point. Most regulars don't stop at one lap — three gives you sixty kilometres with almost no traffic, and the valley looks different in every light. The valley looks different in every light.