Randsfjorden


Randsfjorden is Norway's fourth-largest lake with an area of. Its volume is estimated at just over, and its greatest depth is. The lake is above sea level. It is located in the county of Oppland and borders the municipalities of Gran, Jevnaker, Nordre Land, and Søndre Land in the districts of Land and Hadeland. It is drained by the Randselva river.
Although the term fjord usually describes a saltwater inlet, Randsfjorden is actually a freshwater lake with a narrow shape, approximately aligned on a north-south axis.
in Heimskringla, Snorri Sturluson recorded that Halfdan the Black, father of Harald Hårfagre, the first King of Norway, journeyed over the lake while returning home from a visit to Hadeland. Traveling with a horse and sleigh while the lake was supposedly frozen, he fell through the ice and drowned.
In modern times, many golf courses have been set up on the edge of the lake.
There is a car ferry connection between Horn on the east bank and Tangen on the west, which is Norway's last remaining and regularly operating car ferry connection on an inland lake. Sightseeing boat sails on Randsfjorden from Jevnaker to Odnes.

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was just Rǫnd, derived from the word rǫnd f 'stripe, edge'. The last element -fjorden is a later addition - first recorded in 1691.