Hadeland occupies the area north of the hills of Nordmarka close to the Norwegian capital Oslo.

Their woods are home to a variety of flora and fauna, and host a number of species of birds, deer, moose, and other wildlife.

Populations of trout, char, bass, and other freshwater fish have dwindled in the inland lakes and streams, but restocking efforts are now made.

"[5][4] A number of Stone Age sites have been discovered around the Randsfjorden and over 200 artifacts - including jewelry, tools, and weapons - have been unearthed.

By the end of the Bronze Age, agriculture had evolved and archaeological evidence points to the division of land into family or clan-based farms.

According to the Icelandic sagas early Viking Age chieftains enjoyed hunting and entertaining their entourages in the forests and on the lakes in this area.

The Hadeland Folkemuseum is built around a Viking burial mound at Granavollen which according to folklore contains the torso of King Halvdan.

The Black Death arrived in Norway in the mid 14th century, and it is estimated that two-thirds of the population of Hadeland was wiped out.