Oslomarka Webcam – Explore Oslo’s Ski Trails and Forests

The Oslomarka Webcam carries Marka LIVE, a broadcast that rotates through cameras at ski stadiums, trailheads and forest lodges in the woods around Oslo, Norway. Each view holds for roughly 20 seconds before the program cuts to the next, so a few minutes of watching moves from a stadium with a blue snow cannon and a dark-roofed hut to a gravel arena edged by spruce, a fog-filled clearing and a lake seen through birches. Norway Live produces the stream with Skiforeningen, the association that grooms the forest’s ski tracks, and with Hafslund as a partner. It has been on air since January 2023 and runs all year, for skiers in winter and hikers the rest of the time.

About Oslomarka

Oslomarka, usually just called Marka, is the forest that wraps around Oslo’s built-up area: spruce and birch ridges, lakes and old farm clearings. It covers about 1,700 square kilometers (656 square miles). Only around 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) of that lies inside Oslo municipality, and the rest stretches into Asker, Baerum, Hole, Ringerike, Jevnaker, Lunner, Nittedal and other neighbors. Locals split it into named forests, among them Nordmarka, Ostmarka, Krokskogen, Lillomarka, Vestmarka and Baerumsmarka. The Marka Act, in force since 1 September 2009, fixes a legal boundary between city and forest and stops new development inside it.

Skiforeningen, known in English as the Association for the Promotion of Skiing, was founded in 1883 and is responsible for roughly 2,200 kilometers (1,370 miles) of ski trails in Oslomarka and the surrounding area. When the snow melts, its crews move on to marking paths and cycle routes and looking after cabins. The cameras on this stream belong to the association’s webcam network, and Marka LIVE draws on views from Sorkedalen, Brovoll, Kikut, Skullerud, Fossum, Solli in Asker and the national arena at Holmenkollen.

The Holmenkollen camera is mounted in the ski jump tower, the Kikut camera sits on the roof ridge of Kikutstua and looks down the slope toward the lake Bjornsjoen, and the Brovoll camera is on the roof of the Brovoll ski lodge. At Skullerud, one of the main gateways to Ostmarka, the camera faces the stadium, while the Fossum camera looks across its stadium to the ski jump. Not every view is deep forest. Several cameras stand where Marka meets farmland and suburbs, and one shot in the rotation looks along a paved path past an open field to a large industrial hall with arched roofs. A quick look tells you whether there is snow on the ground, fog in the valleys or rain on the paths.

Weather and Climate in Oslomarka

Winter is ski season. At Blindern, Oslo’s main weather station, January averages a high of 0 C (32 F) and a low of -5 C (23 F), and snow falls mostly from December through March. Much of Marka sits higher than the city center, so the forest tends to stay colder and hold its snow longer, and the stadiums on camera fill with groomed tracks. Spring brings the melt: April averages 11 C (52 F) by day and 2 C (36 F) at night, and the stadiums go from white to slush to brown grass.

Summer is the greenest stretch, with July highs of 23 C (73 F) and lows of 13 C (56 F) at Blindern, and the stadiums become open fields crossed by walkers and cyclists. Autumn is when the cameras tend to show the most atmosphere. October averages 10 C (49 F) by day and 4 C (39 F) at night, birches turn yellow against dark spruce, and low cloud can settle in the valleys and hide the hilltops behind the stadiums. Oslo receives about 835 millimeters (33 inches) of precipitation a year, so wet days come in every season.

Things to Do Near Oslomarka

Holmenkollen is the easiest place to start. The national ski arena and its ski jump, whose tower holds one of the stream’s cameras, sit above the city on the edge of Nordmarka and are a short metro ride from the center. Sognsvann, a lake on the southern edge of Nordmarka, is the other classic starting point, with paths and ski tracks heading toward the lodges deeper in the woods. Kikutstua, above Bjornsjoen, is one of those.

On the east side, Skullerud leads into Ostmarka, the forest east of the city. To the west, Brovoll ski lodge sits on Krokskogen, and the stadiums at Fossum and at Solli farm in Asker are two more camera sites with trails leading away from them. For downhill rather than cross-country skiing, Skimore runs alpine slopes, and Norway Live broadcasts the Skimore resorts on separate streams.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more Norwegian snow and city views, and another forested mountain on a city’s doorstep, try these.

• Oslo Webcam
• Hafjell Webcam
• Grouse Mountain Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Oslomarka Webcam?

A rotation of Skiforeningen cameras around Oslo, each shown for about 20 seconds: ski stadiums with huts, light poles and snow cannons, gravel arena floors at the edge of spruce forest, misty clearings, a lake below a wooded slope and a trailhead beside open farmland. In winter the same views show snow and groomed tracks.

Where is Oslomarka located?

Oslomarka is the forest belt around Oslo, the capital of Norway. About 300 of its roughly 1,700 square kilometers (116 of 656 square miles) lie inside Oslo municipality, and the rest extends into neighboring municipalities such as Asker, Baerum, Nittedal, Lunner and Ringerike.

Why does the Marka LIVE stream keep switching cameras?

Marka LIVE is a program rather than a single camera. Norway Live cycles through cameras at different trailheads and stadiums, so one stream gives an overview of conditions across Marka. If a view you want has just passed, it comes round again within a few minutes.

Does the webcam show Nordmarka?

Yes. Holmenkollen sits on the edge of Nordmarka, and Kikutstua, whose camera looks down toward the lake Bjornsjoen, lies inside it. Sorkedalen, another camera site, is in the same part of Marka.

Does the Oslomarka Webcam show downtown Oslo or the airport?

No. The program is built around Skiforeningen’s trail cameras, so the views are of forest, lakes, ski stadiums and trailheads rather than streets. Downtown Oslo is not the subject of any of them, and Oslo Airport at Gardermoen does not appear at all.

Is Skimore Oslo on this webcam?

No. Marka LIVE covers Skiforeningen’s trail and stadium cameras. Norway Live broadcasts the Skimore alpine slopes on separate streams.

What is the weather like in Oslomarka?

At Oslo’s Blindern station, January averages 0 C (32 F) by day and -5 C (23 F) at night, while July averages 23 C (73 F) and 13 C (56 F). The forest lies higher than the city, so it often holds snow for longer, and fog and drizzle are common in autumn.

Is Oslomarka good for hiking?

Yes. Once the snow is gone, Skiforeningen marks paths and cycle routes through the forest, and trailheads such as Sognsvann, Holmenkollen and Skullerud lead straight into it. The webcam shows whether the paths are still under snow before you go.

Source: Norway Live