In addition to being a residential area, the area has been a ski recreation area since the late 19th century, with its famous ski jumping hill, the Holmenkollbakken, hosting competitions since 1892. To the north, the area borders the Marka woodlands area.
Holmenkollen has a humid continental climate transitional with maritime subarctic influenced by its elevated position above the valley consisting of Oslo's downtown. It has cooler weather than the lower elevations, especially in summer and more precipitation both in terms of rain and snow because of orographic lift. Winter temperatures are slightly colder than in lower areas, although the difference is lower that time of the year. Even so, Holmenkollen usually maintains a sizeable snowpack. In spite of the elevation, summer temperatures are comparable to sea level locations on the North Sea both in Norway and Scotland.
The name is a compound of the farm name Holmen and the finite form of kolle m 'hill, rounded mountain top'. The farm name Holmen (NorseHolmin, from originally *Holmvin) is a compound of holmr m 'bedrock' and vin f 'meadow'.
In fiction
Large parts of the plot of Jo Nesbø's mystery novel The Snowman—particularly the book's final climactic scenes—are set in Holmenkollen, both the residential area and the ski jump.
