Olbergåsen

Here, between treetops and open landscape, a new neighbourhood is taking shape – with Norway’s longest river, the Glomma, as its neighbour. Calm, wide and always in motion. Nature surrounds you, forming a quiet frame around the everyday life to be lived here. Olbergåsen is not placed in the middle of city noise. It sits slightly elevated. A little freer. With views, air and light playing the leading roles. When the sun hangs low over the river, the sky glows in warm tones. In winter, snow settles softly on rooftops and trees, giving the area a gentle stillness. Homes are being built here for different stages of life – for first-time buyers, for families who need more space, or for those seeking something new and simpler. Shared areas are designed for meeting places, for play, for small conversations over the hedge and safe steps toward a neighbour. Perhaps this is what defines Olbergåsen: A feeling of living close to nature, yet close to life.

In Olbergåsen, between the homes, a dedicated space has been created for play, laughter and small adventures. Here, sand becomes cakes, swings soar toward the sky, and bicycles circle safely on firm ground. Can you hear it? Children calling to each other. Laughter mixing with the wind in the treetops. And perhaps, as evening settles, an owl hooting from the forest edge. Benches surround the playground, placed so adults can sit, watch and chat at the same time. This is where people meet. Before dinner. After work. On weekends. Small conversations that grow into neighbourly bonds. Olbergåsen is designed with safe movement in mind. Quiet internal roads, short distances and natural meeting points allow children to move freely while maintaining a clear overview. The structure of the neighbourhood creates space – both for play and for community. For many, this place becomes more than a playground. It becomes the heart of the neighbourhood.

Lift your gaze for a moment. From Olbergåsen, the landscape opens up and light moves freely across the area. Morning sun glides over the treetops, afternoon light reflects in the Glomma, and winter casts a soft blue veil over the surroundings. Here you can follow the seasons closely – spring’s first green shoots, long summer evenings, autumn’s warm colours and winter’s quiet calm. Living here is not just about walls and a roof, but about views. Indoors, you are private – in your own rhythm, at your own pace. Outdoors, you meet nature, the light and the friendly neighbours who share the same community. Olbergåsen is being developed as a complete residential neighbourhood with around 600 homes when fully completed. Apartments, terraced houses and linked detached homes will form a varied and vibrant living environment. Different housing types allow for different life stages – brought together in one thoughtfully designed whole. Here, you get the best of two worlds: nature right outside your door, and proximity to urban facilities when you need them. With walking distance to kindergarten, school and grocery stores, everyday life becomes practical and easy – while the landscape and light offer room to breathe.

Here from the new Rånosfoss bridge, you have a good view of the area and the Glomma River. This is Norway's longest river, over 600 kilometers long, and it has shaped the landscape here for generations. The water flows calmly past, wide and heavy, but with a force that has been crucial for settlement and industry in the area. To the south lies Rånåsfoss power plant, one of the larger hydroelectric power plants in Glomma, which has produced electricity for thousands of homes since the early 20th century. The river has been both a transport route, a workplace and a food bowl. Today, it gives the area an open horizon, rich nature experiences and a sense of space, halfway between residential areas and everyday life.

Vi passerer snart Rånåsfoss bru – en av Norges første myke hengebroer. Brua åpnet i 1927 og var den gang landets lengste hengebro. Den var tidligere en viktig veiforbindelse i området, men etter at Ny Rånåsfoss bru ble åpnet i 1989, brukes den gamle brua som gang- og sykkelbru. I dag er den tatt med i Nasjonal verneplan for veger, bruer og vegrelaterte kulturminner. Her kan du gå over Glomma til fots og virkelig studere både konstruksjonen og landskapet rundt. Like ved ligger Rånåsfoss kraftverk. Anlegget har en årsproduksjon på rundt fem hundre og seksti gigawattimer – nok strøm til omtrent tretti tusen boliger. Fra brua kan du se vannet som ledes gjennom anlegget og fosser ut igjen med kraft og buldring fra de store turbinene – et møte mellom naturens energi og moderne teknologi.

We now arrive at Rånåsfoss station. The trains on the Kongsvinger Line stop here, and are an important commuter line between Oslo and Kongsvinger. From the platform, it takes just over half an hour to get to Oslo S. Sørumsand is only eight minutes away, and in the opposite direction, it takes about four quarters of an hour to get to Kongsvinger. For those of you who live on Olbergåsen, the station is just a short walk away. This provides flexibility in your everyday life, whether you are commuting to work, meeting friends in the city or continuing towards Gardermoen via Oslo. The station may be small, but it represents something big: freedom of choice. The opportunity to live quietly and greenly, and at the same time be close to the region's most important hubs.

Do you like to swim? Here is Rånåsfoss Familiebad, or simply Badern, as most people call it. An outdoor swimming facility that has been a popular gathering place since 1961. On warm summer days, the area is filled with families with children, laughter and the sound of water splashing against rocks and walls. The pool is partly built of natural stone and rock with a separate children's area that is safe and clearly visible with a lifeguard. Badern has previously been voted the finest swimming spot in Romerike. Having such a place in the local area means more than you might think. A spontaneous afternoon in the sun. The children who don't want to get out of the water. Little summer moments, and it's just minutes from your home.

Her, bare noen steinkast unna Olbergåsen, ligger idrettsplassen på Rånåsfoss. Anlagt av kraftverket i 1979, er dette en stor og åpen grusbane med to fotballmål – enkel, men full av liv. Om sommeren brukes banen til ballspill og uorganisert lek. Her møtes barn og ungdom spontant, spiller kamp til det blir mørkt og kjenner støvet fra grusen under skoene. Når vinteren kommer, forvandles plassen til skøytebane. Isen sprøytes, lysene tennes, og latteren bærer gjennom den klare kvelds¬luften. Ved siden av banen står den lille varmebua – skøytebua, hvor utstyr oppbevares og hvor man kan trekke inn for å varme fingrene. Like ved finner du grillbua, satt opp av Rånåsfoss vel. Her kan du sitte på benker rundt bålgrillen, fyre opp med medbrakt ved å treffe naboer. Det er enkelt, sosialt og populært – særlig på kalde vinterkvelder. Små steder. Store minner.

Romerike Sparebanken Arena is a modern and relatively new sports facility that has become an important gathering point in the area. The arena is run by Haga IF, which is the local sports team with long traditions and which has an extra large commitment to children and young people. Here it is not only about competition, but also about community, mastery and belonging. Inside the hall you hear the characteristic sound of balls bouncing on the floor, sneakers sliding across the parquet, cheers from the stands and the referee's whistle cutting through the room. There is a faint smell of wood, sports tape and never-so-little sweat. For many children in the area, this is the place where friendships are formed and self-confidence is built. Training several evenings a week. Matches on the weekends. Parents on the sidelines. Having such an offer close by not only provides security in childhood, but also a vibrant local environment all year round.

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a professional footballer? Here at Haga Stadium, children and young people gather several evenings a week. Football boots are laced up, teams are trained and coaches shout encouragement from the sidelines. The pitch is an important meeting place, not only for goals and points, but for friendship and mastery. The area also offers handball, gymnastics and other organised activities. The sports teams create structure in everyday life and a sense of belonging in the local community. Here children learn cooperation, discipline and the joy of being part of a team. For families, the proximity to such facilities means something very concrete: short drives, safe surroundings and an active growing-up environment. Maybe not everyone starts out as a professional. But many dreams start right here.

Hungry? Here at Auli Center you will find what you need for your daily life, grocery store, pharmacy, services and small errands all in one place. It may not be big, but that is exactly the point. A short way in. A short way out. An efficient stop on the way home from work or before dinner is to be cooked. Outside, bicycles are leaning against the wall. Inside, the smell of freshly baked bread, pizza and fresh coffee fills the air. Shopping carts are filled, neighbors meet between the shelves, and small talk goes on in the queue at the checkout. For those of you who live on Olbergåsen, this means simple logistics. Everyday life does not need to be planned far in advance. Most things are within a short distance – practical, accessible and clearly arranged. Sometimes it is precisely proximity that makes life a little easier.

Do you like fishing? The Glomma is actually a very popular fishing river. Species such as pike, perch, trout and grayling are found here, and many locals make the trip down to the riverbank with a rod and thermos. Some hunt for the big catch. Others just enjoy the calm, the sound of the water and the feeling of the line gliding through the air. But what really happens when the fish meet the power plant? A special fish ladder has been built at the Rånåsfoss power station. It makes it possible for the fish to swim past the power plant and further up the river to spawn. The fish ladder leads the fish safely past the obstacle – an important measure to preserve life in the river. This is how nature and technology meet again. Power production on one side – and a living river on the other. Perhaps it is precisely here, on a quiet evening along the banks, that you can feel why so many people enjoy Glomma.

Around Rånåsfoss and Auli, nature is always within reach. Here you will find marked hiking trails that wind through the forest and along the Glomma. The riverbank offers quiet strolls with views over the water, while the forest areas offer more sheltered paths for both jogs and Sunday walks with the family. In winter, the illuminated trail is put into use. When the snow settles, ski tracks are driven, and the evenings are filled with headlamps and the sound of skis sliding through the snow. The illuminated trail provides opportunities for activity even after darkness has fallen, and is a popular offer for both children and adults. This is everyday outdoor life in practice. A short walk after dinner. A ski trip before the weekend starts. Nature is not something you have to travel to, it starts right outside your door.

We are now driving through Auli. This is an established settlement with a quiet and clear structure. Here you will find residential areas, schools, kindergartens and grocery stores all within short distances. This makes everyday life easier – whether you are delivering to kindergarten, shopping for work or sending the children to visit friends in the neighborhood. Auli has grown over time, but has retained the small town feel. Here people greet each other. Here children meet on their way to training. Here people walk to and from the station with their backpacks over their shoulders. For those of you considering Olbergåsen, the proximity to Auli means something concrete: You live in quiet surroundings – but have everyday functions close by. Practical, clear and safe.