Mosvatnet is a beautiful lake 2 km from the centre of Stavanger. See map here. It is extremely popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. The 3km trail leads one around the edge of the lake, passing the Rogaland Art Museum and Mosvangen campsite.
The lake lies in between Hillevåg, Eiganes and Våland and is 0,46 km² – the third biggest in Stavanger after Hålandsvatnet and Store Stokkavatn. It is 3.2 metres at its deepest point and lies 37 metres above sea level.
Mosvatnet was the source of the city’s drinking water from 1863 to 1931.
The lake and the area around is home to plenty of birds. You can feed ducks, swans, seagulls, etc, along the way.
Dog owners can find posts with biodegradable poo bags. Be sure to pick up your dog’s poo and throw it in the bin. (It is so unsightly to see bags of poo in the woods)
Along the trail you can also find a binki tree – where children hang up their pacifiers once they no longer need them. Earlier this year, a woman took down all the pacifiers claiming that the tree could not breathe properly because of them. There was a huge uproar and all the pacifiers were back on the tree in no time. Don’t mess with the binkis!
You can also find an exercise corner to work those muscles!
Mosvatnet is a really nice walk to do especially on evenings after work and on the weekends. It can take as quick as 45 minutes to walk around the lake or 3 hours if you stop to feed the birds, have a picnic, etc. There are benches for you to rest should you become tired.
You can also venture into the areas surrounding the lake, such as Vålandsskogen. You can head up to Vålandstårn and treat yourself to a splendid view over Stavanger. Open Saturdays and Sundays (in the summer).
In the winter, the lake can become an enormous ice skating rink if it gets cold enough. Don’t forget to wait for the authorities to check the ice and give the OK to ice skate!
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About Cynthia Myrnes
Cynthia is a Singaporean who has been living in Stavanger since Feb 2008 with her Norwegian husband. She works as a physiotherapist here and also owns her own petsitting service, Stavanger Petsitter, for the residents of Stavanger. In addition, she manages the Stavanger International Moms group. She loves hanging out with friends, spending time with animals, travelling and watersports such as scuba diving and wake boarding. Most of all, she is enjoying the experience of being a first time mom!
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