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We've compiled the best of the best in Central Norway - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
About 60,000 people walk the Besseggen Ridge every year, making this one of Norway’s most popular day hikes. In Jotunheimen National Park, the mountain ridge is between Gjende and Bessvatnet, two clear alpine lakes, and the trail offers beautiful views of the landscape. The best time to visit is when the Gjendebåten boat is running from early June to early October. Park at Reinsvangen where the shuttle bus takes you to Gjendeosen and the Gjendebåten boat.
The highest mountain in Norway, Galdhøpiggen is a 2,469-meter (8,100-feet) behemoth that you can hike round-trip in just five to seven hours. The popular 5-km (3-mile) trail starts from Juvasshytta, already 1,850 meters (6,069 feet) above sea level. Guided hikes depart daily in the summer from Juvasshytta.
Europe’s largest open-air museum, Maihaugen was founded in 1887 by Anders Sandvig, an itinerant dentist who accepted odds and ends—and eventually entire buildings—from the people of Gudbrandsdalen in exchange for his services. Eventually he turned the collection over to the city of Lillehammer, which provided land for the museum. The exhibit “We Won the Land” is an inventive meander through Norway’s history. During high season craftspeople show off their skills, and there's a popular Christmas market at the end of the year.
The spectacular Ringebu Stave Church is one of the largest of the remaining 28 stave churches in Norway. The church dates back to the 1220s and was rebuilt in 1630 after the Lutheran Reformation. The eye-catching red tower was completed in 1631. In 1717, the church was painted for the first time, and at one point it was completely white. In 1921, the church was renovated and the original colors were brought back. Inside there is a statue of St. Laurentius dating from around 1250.
The country's first official national park, Rondane remains an essential destination for outdoors enthusiasts for its 10 summits towering more than 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) in the north and open moors and rolling hills in the southeast. Rondeslottet and Storronden are two of the most popular peaks in the sprawling park covering much of two counties, but there are countless trails suitable for every level of experience and fitness. Brudesløret, a waterfall known in English as the Bridal Veil, is a particularly beautiful trail running 4 km (2½ miles) from the park's Mysusæter Entrance. Also starting here is an easy trail to a viewpoint atop Ranglarhøe, a peak that rises 1,130 meters (3,707 feet).
Get up close and personal with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, the writer, politician, and theater director whose home was a 20-minute drive from Lillehammer. He lived at Aulestad with his wife, Karoline, for more than a quarter of a century until his death in 1910, and visitors get to travel back in time to see the whole house as it looked when he lived there, including the smoking room that was nicknamed “the pigsty.” Karoline was greatly inspired by their travels, and the country house is filled with art she collected from near and far.
The late Norwegian artist Ferdinand Finne created unique painted glass in this beautiful chapel.
Within walking distance of downtown Lillehammer sits Bjerkebæk, the home and studio of Norwegian artist Sigrid Undset, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1928. The charming old log houses were moved here from two different farms in Gudbrandsdalen. The interior remains as it was furnished in the 1930s by Undset herself and is filled with artifacts and books reflecting her personal taste.
The four Romanesque arches that formed part of the wall of the medieval cathedral that once stood on this spot now form the centerpiece of Cathedral Point. The impressive glass superstructure constructed over and around the ruins makes this one of the most unusual museum buildings in Europe. Also on the grounds sit 50 or so idyllic grass-roof houses from around the region that show what life was like when Hamar was a flourishing town. An organic garden has 350 different types of herbs.
A 50-minute drive south along Lake Mjøsa, Eidsvoll House is one of Norway’s most important national symbols because this was the place where the Norwegian Constitution was drawn up and signed in 1814. It is a beautiful example of neoclassical architecture. Today the museum is made up of the house itself, several ancillary buildings, and the surrounding park. There's a souvenir shop and a café with outdoor seating.
With ziplines, slacklines, and climbing webs, this park has seven courses of varying difficulty. It's a great day out for the whole family.
Shaped like an upside-down Viking ship, this impressive stadium hosted the speed-skating and figure-skating events of the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994. The best way to see the interior is to watch an event inside.
Dating back to around 1150–1200, the Hedalen Stave Church looks like it comes straight from a fairy tale. Inside is a wooden reliquary (an ornate container for relics) in the shape of a miniature church, one of just a few of this style that can still be found in Norway. The Hedal Madonna sculpture, dating back to the mid-1200s, is one of the most stunning pieces of medieval ecclesiastical art in Norway.
The world’s biggest troll sits atop a cave in this tiny amusement park. The glittering gold eventyrslottet, or fairy-tale castle, is a must-see. There’s a petting zoo for small children, plenty of rides for their older siblings, and Epcot-like exhibits about oil and gas.
Hamar's beach area by the lake of Mjøsa is located a few steps away from the city center. Here you will find the talk of the town—the most expensive diving tower in Norway, as well as a sandy beach with an artificial island, basketball courts, volleyball courts, skate facilities, a barbecue area, bathrooms, and a well-equipped playground. The beach walk is serene and scenic year-round.
One of the most important art collections in Norway is housed at the Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, a venerable institution that first opened its doors in 1927. The 1,400 works include pieces by Edvard Munch and Adolph Tidemand. The original building has been remodeled and joined by a newer building designed by Snøhetta. Sculptor Bård Breivik created a sculpture garden that sits between the two buildings.
This popular museum is a tribute to the Olympic ideal and covers the history of the games from their start in ancient Greece in 776 BC to the present day. Multimedia presentations, interactive installations, and artifacts like sailboats and skis illustrate Norwegian sporting history in the Gallery of Honor. Some of the captions are in English.
One of Europe’s first railway museums, opened in 1896, the museum documents the development of Norway’s railways. There is plenty of train memorabilia inside, while locomotives and carriages are on narrow-gauge tracks just outside. You can take a short ride on Tertittoget, the last steam locomotive built by Norway’s state railway, from mid-May to mid-August. The museum enjoys a beautiful location by Lake Mjøsa, north of Hamar.
This park might be the closest thing to actually competing in the Olympics. You can visit the ski-jump tower, ride the chairlift, or step inside the bobsled simulator at the Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jump Arena, where the 1994 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies were held. You can go tobogganing at the Kanthaugen Freestyle Arena or bobsled---or "wheelbob" in the summer---at the Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track.
This is a unique way to see the waterfall and river in Lom. A short zipline takes you soaring along the river, under the bridge, and over the Prestfoss Waterfall (hence the name). You'll see nature in a new way as Prestfossen splashes you while you zoom past.
A three-minute walk north of the Ringebu Stave Church, the 1743 Ringebu Rectory has a beautiful view toward the Gudbrandsdalslågen and the surrounding mountains. Today the rectory is a museum and a gallery consisting of six buildings; the main one is used as a gallery for the works of famous Norwegian artist Jakob Weidemann. New exhibitions are presented annually in all six buildings. There is also a large, lush garden with perennials and more than 170 rosebushes.
Røros Copper Works was open from 1937 to 1972, and Olav's Mine was the last to be worked in this area. The mine has remained more or less untouched since it was shut down, and it provides a vivid picture of the mining industry in Røros. Tours travel 50 meters (164 feet) underground into the main mine, lit by the occasional lightbulb and traversed by wooden walkways. Bring good shoes and warm clothes, as the temperatures remain a few degrees above freezing throughout the year. The mine is not wheelchair accessible.
On a beautiful peninsula jutting out into the Strondefjord, the open-air Valdres Folkemuseum covers 30 acres and includes more than 100 historic structures, many of them dating back centuries. One of the most interesting is a wooden warehouse that was originally built in the 1300s. Medieval ornaments decorate the doorposts. Inside a striking modern building, the permanent exhibition takes a fascinating look at bunader, Norwegian traditional costumes. Kids will also love the displays of folk instruments and vintage toys. It's a good idea to book the guided tours in July and August well in advance.
Considered to be one of Norway's 18 National Scenic Routes, this scenic drive goes over the mountain plateau of Valdresflye. You can stop almost wherever you like, either to photograph the beautiful landscape or go for a hike in the mountains. During the summer, several local farms sell traditional foods.
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