Lake Øyungen, Norway. Situated in the north of Oslo, the water from lake Øyungen flows into lake Maridalsvannet which is Oslo's largest lake and the city's main source of drinking water. Some 80 percent of Oslo's inhabitants get their drinking water from that lake.

Grass roof cabin in Hulderheimen, Norway. A few years ago, the Norwegian mountain touring association (DNT) changed the name of this mountainous area from Gaustad Vestfjell to Hulderheimen. It is an area with rounded mountains at an altitude varying from 600 m to 1.554 m.

Colorful autumn leaves, Norway. The best time to catch the fantastic autumn colors in Norway is usually between the middle of September and the middle of October.

Lake Lomtjern, Norway. In spring, you will hear the unmistakable sound of the croaking and calling of frogs at this little lake in the forests north of Oslo. In autumn the area is a good place for picking cloudberries.

Forested wetlands, Norway. In a wetland the decomposition of organic material happens so slowly that partially decayed vegetation accumulates and forms peat bog. When dried, peat can be used as fuel. Under the right conditions, peat is the earliest stage in the formation of coal.

Colorful autumn trees at lake Lysedammen, Norway. The small characteristic peak seen in the background is called 'Hornet'. It reaches 506 meters above sea level.

Scots Pine forest, Norway. The bark of the Scots pine is quite variable, with the young bark on small branches being very thin and orange-red in colour. The bark on the trunk of mature Scots pine trees can vary from grey to reddish-brown and forms layered plates or flakes of up to 5 cm thick.

Dark clouds coming over Nordmarka, Norway. Nordmarka is the forested area just north of the Norwegian capital Oslo. With its numerous lakes it is great for canoeing and kayaking, and you can paddle all the way from Mylla in the North down to Sørkedalen or Maridalen in the South, a distance of approximately 40 km.

Mushroom on an ant hill, Norway. At the end of August and in September, mushroom and berry picking are very popular. Wild cranberries, blueberries, cloudberries and many sorts of mushrooms are plentiful in the forests and mountains of Scandinavia.

Spiderweb in the forest, Norway. More than 555 species of spiders are found in Norway. Some spiders are protected against frost by antifreeze agents in their body fluid, which prevents the growth of ice crystals at temperatures down to -7°C.

Cirrus clouds over the forested wetlands of Hedmark, Norway. The forested county of Hedmark lies in the eastern part of the country, bordering to Sweden. With only 7 inhabitants per square kilometer it is one of the least populated counties in Norway.

Coniferous woodland with Scots pines, Norway. The Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) is a species native to Europe and Asia. The bark is thick and scaly with a grey-brown color on the lower part of the trunk and an orange color on the upper part. They grow 35 to 45 tall and have a lifespan of normally 150 to 300 years.

Misty hills in Hedmark, Norway. About 27 percent of Norway is covered in forest, which is little compared to its neighboring countries. Sweden and Finland have respectively 60 and 66 percent of forested area.

Water lilies on lake Lysedammen, Norway. The Lysedammen lakes are easily accessible and are therefore popular for camping, bathing and fishing. The lakes have a thriving trout population.

Enchanted forest, Norway. Thanks to a policy of restoring the forest resources, Norway has twice as much forest today as one hundred years ago, and the amount of forest is still increasing significantly every year. The most important tree species are Norway spruce (47%), Scots pine (33%) and Birch (18%).