Sunday walk, Akerselva from Maridalen

Yesterday I posted about Christmas. A wrong message to the world.
Today we had +11C, clear high sky, beautiful autumn colors and perfect weather for walking along Oslo´s main waterway Akerselva. The entire river is about 8.2 kilometres long, and has a difference in altitude of approximately 149 meters. The river starts at Lake "Maridalsvannet", the most important water reservoar for Oslo.From the water reservoar the river moves slowly like a smile-wrinkle, but the altitude variations make the waterfalls down to the fjord very spectacular.In the "new" city at Nydalen (previously Christiania Spigerverk) artificial waterfalls are constructed for strenghtening the combination of modern buildings and traditional waterways.
Further down the beauty of Lower Voyen Fall at Graah´s Spinning Factory and HønseLovisas House, had to be part of this blogpost.Turning west and away from the beauty along the riverside we pass Damstredet at Fredensborg on our way back home.
Damstredet was mostly built from 1810 to 1860, as part of the expansion of Oslo that begun at this time. The first house, Solberg, was erected in 1756 by sculptor Ole Meyer. His nephew, sculptor Andreas Hansen Meyer, took over in 1767, while his son Ole, also sculptor, erected another building in 1838. His friend, author and poet Henrik Wergeland, then newly wed, moved in and spent two of his most productive years here, until moving to Grotten in 1841.
The monumental building of Deichman Library (Norway´s lagest public library at Hammersborg makes the photo report from our Sunday walk complete. The Library will move to Bjørvika close to Oslo Opera House within a few years.

More photos from Akerselva can be found at our riverside walk September 2009