Lillehammer

"The decision is Lilly Hammer". Juan Antonio Samaranch and the International Olympic Committee chose Lillehammer as the arena for the 1994 Winter Olympics. Lillehammer the gateway to Gudbrandsdalen Valley. A charming small town on the shores of Lake Mjøsa. Due to the XVII Olympic Winter Games in 1994, the town now can offer a number of unique facilities spanning from sports facilities, cultural institutions, restaurants etc. and accommodation. In addition to the many cultural activities, you can visit the Olympic arenas, take walks, boat trips, shop and attend a number of local events. Lillehammer municipality has approximately 25.780 inhabitants and covers a area of 477,4 km2. In the hart of Norway, you will find beutiful scenery and a number of oppornitues for enjoyment and activities. Pure air and water you can take for granted. There are plenty of natural gems. Whether you travel alone or in a group with a guide - you will experience peace and harmony.

Lillehammer and the Gudbrandsdal valley offer plenty of contrasts. History, traditions and old building techniques survive side by side with a modern lifestyle. Mountains and valleys, town and village, old and new. You can travel from one to the other and put together a travel package suited for your own specific tastes. The area has a long history of satisfied visitors. Tourists have been coming to the region for more than a hundred years. During the XVII Winter Olympic Games the world realised what the area stands for distinction and quality.

MJØSA

Mjøsa is Norways biggest lake. Approximately 100 km long and almost 500 metres deep. The Lake starts at Lillehammer in north, and ends with Minnesund in the south.

SKIBLADNER

"The white swan of Mjøsa" was built in 1856. Skibladner is the world's oldest paddle steamer still in regular service. Originally intended as an extension of the railway which ended at Eidsvoll, it has plied the blue waters of the lake on its route to Hamar, Gjøvik and Lillehammer during all of the ensuing 140 years. Even the old steam engine from 1880 is still working! With expert help Skibladner has been painstakingly restored to its original splendour and is now a floating museum. It offers its passengers an unforgettable voyage along Norway's largest lake with views of the rolling hills and well-kept farms on the shores.

The food on board is excellent: the standard menu consists of fresh salmon and a strawberry dessert. The boat calls in at a number of landing-stages with good rail connections, so that passengers can choose the route that suits them. In regular service to and from Gjøvik, Hamar, Moelv and Lillehammer. Sailing season are mid May to mid September.

STORGATA STREET

Storgata, the main street in Lillehammer with its low wooden buildings, is a spectacle in its own right. The pavement cafes are popular stops for both tourists and locals. Lillehammer belongs to the so-called "planned cities", and on 7 August 1827, the Norwegian government founded the city by official decree. The actual dividing up of the city into lots did not take place until 1828, however, and Road Inspector C. Buchholz´s plan and building bye-laws were adopted by Royal Resolution on 7 July 1828. The building bye-laws stipulated criteria for construction, as well as for the width of streets and sidewalks. Among the stipulations was a rule that the corner of buildings had to be "rounded" and at least about 10 feet wide. The result of this stipulation is easily visible in Lillehammer today.

MAIHAUGEN

The city's biggest attraction is the Sandvig Collection at Maihaugen, which ranks as the largest open-air museum in Europe and houses 185 buildings plus more than 40.000 objects. Maihaugen presents a rural society through churces, homes, farmyards and tools from the Gudbrandsdalen valley which extends north from Lillehammer. Traditional farming methods and handicrafts are also on show. Lillehammer Museum of Art hosts a permanent exhibition of Norwegian art, as well as arranging various exhibitions of contemporary art. Oppland Artist's Centre, the Lillehammer Art Society, Gallery Gullbakke, Gallery NK, Gallery Brodtkorp, Maihaugen, and the Banken House of Culture, are just some of the possible stops on an art lover's round trip of the town. And at the Metropolitan University, a short distance north of the town centre, you can see the collection of international art that was left to the college after the Olympics. The spring and summer seasons offer a wide variety of musical and theatrical experiences. The Norwegian festival of literature, the "Sigrid Undset Festival, in May, and several theatrical performances / pageants at Maihaugen throughout the summer, are just some of the many cultural events in the city.

Garmo Stave Church was finally disassembled in 1882 and sold to Anders Sandvig, who brought it to Lillehammer, but it was not re-erected at Maihaugen before in 1920-1921. The original placement was Garmo in Gudbrandsdal.

The Stave Churches are constructions of high quality, richly decorated with carvings. In virtually all of them the door frames are decorated from top to bottom with carvings. This tradition of rich ornamentation appears to go back to the animal carvings of the Viking age. The dragons are lovingly executed and transformed into long-limbed creatures of fantasy, here and there entwined with tendrils of vine, with winding stems and serrated leaves. The elaborate designs are executed with supreme artistic skill. The stave church doorways are, therefore, among the most distinctive works of art to be found in Norway. However, it is difficult to connect them with the Christian gospel. Guided tours are provided in several languages.

History never ends, it carries on forever. And we are a part of history. At Maihaugen, they make sure that our generation and the next will learn how we and our forefathers lived. With the help of their collection of old and gradually more recent buildings and farms, we can experience the past and the present - and also steal a look into the future.

During the summer, the farms and cottages are "inhabited" and the same applies to the Olsen building at the urban collection. In this way, visitors will see how people lived and worked in times gone by. Maihaugen also offers a number of interesting exhibitions, such as the historical exhibition entitled "In time, the land was ours", and an exhibition of traditional folk art.

HUNDERFOSSEN FAMILY PARK

The Hunderfossen Family Park is only a 10-minute drive from Lillehammer. The entire family can enjoy the magical world of Ivo Caprino, the cute animals at the petting farm, water-splashing excitement on the family rafting ride and the rush of heights at the new High-attitude park.

LILLEPUTTHAMMER

Lilleputthammer is an adventure park for young and old, but where most of the activities are designed for children 1 - 8 years. Here you find a miniature copy of the famous main street - Storgata - in Lillehammer as it was back in the year 1930, built to a scale of 1:4. The following children´s activities are offered among the charming small wooden buildings: train, electric-powered cars, mini farris wheel, Ola´s frog leap, mini rollercoaster ride, climbing tower and obstcle course, bumper boats, huge jumping cushion, trampolines and other playground facilities.

Inside the houses the kids can draw, paint, build things and watch a film. In the Children’s Book City, they can listen to plays and readings among exciting books and fun magazines. Further down the street at Øverlikiosken you can even purchase some old-fashioned candy.

For adults, Lilleputthammer offers a look back into history - the 1930s to be precise. Both the buildings, the content and the colours have been copied as authentic as possible from that period. In Lilleputthammer there are 44 shops, 2 hotels, 3 cafes, 2 bakeries, a police station and a cinema. Here you will find everything from J. Bøhmers Isenkramforretning (ice cream) and Th. Julins Broderiforretning (embroidery) to Pølsemaker Johansen (sausage factory).

THE NATIONAL OLYMPIC MUSEUM

In Håkons Hall, is the city´s newest museum. It has a total of 6,000 exhibits, and brings to life the entire history of the Olympics (776 BC - 2000 AD). There is a dedicated Lillehammer ´94 department with a colourful presentation of the Final Report of the ´94 Olympics. The Olympic Room displays extracts from the collections of Jan Staubo, Hans Rode and Johan Jørgen Holst, and includes Norwegian Sporting History's Gallery of Honour, etc.

THE OLYMPIC PARK

When you are in the Olympic Park, you should also visit the Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena with ski lift and ski jumping tower (spectacular panorama view of Lillehammer and surrounding area). This ski jumping facility has become a symbol of the 1994 Lillehammer Games, and consists of two jumping hills K-90 and K-120.

THE NORWEGIAN ROAD MUSEUM

At Hunderfossen, north of Lillehammer, we find the norwegian Road Museum. Pay a visit and be convinced that the history of Norwegian roads can be both exiting and interesting. There are indoor exhibitions at the museum, and outside, there is a 75 acre open air museum with buildings and machines on display.

LILLEHAMMER MUSEUM OF ART

One of the country's leading art museums. The museum arranges special exhibitions but also has a permanent collection of high quality art. Both contemporary and historical works are represented at the museum and the collection includes works by artists like J. C. Dahl, Tidemand, Gude, Werenskiold, Krohg, Thaulow, the students of Matisse, Weidemann, Nerdrum, Rickhard, Borchgrevink and Ransve. The museum is situated in Lillehammer town centre and the premises were drawn by the architects Snøhetta Arkitektur og Landskap Ltd.

THE GLASSBLOWERS CABIN

Downtown you will find the Glassblower's Cabin in Mesna Senter. Demonstrations of the traditional art of glassblowing. Products on sale. Free admission.

LILLEHAMMER CHURCH

Lillehammer Church is a distinctive sight in the heart of the city. It was inaugurated in 1882 and restored in 1959. During renovation, the church was given a new altar piece, carved and painted by Maja Refsum Nygård-Nilsen. The church is also embellished with a Weidemann painting that was received as a gift on the its 110th anniversary. Why not consider a moment of peaceful deliberation on one of the pews in Lillehammer Church?

NORDSETER and SJUSJØEN

Are you the kind of person who likes to be in high places? Not necessarily as a mountaineer, but perhaps you think that a walk in the mountains sounds tempting and refreshing? Then you should pay a visit to Nordseter or Sjusjøen, both of which are traditional, long-standing highland farming hamlets that have gradually been developed into modern mountain tourist resorts. They are both 850 metres above sea level, and are the perfect starting point for mountain hikes.

From Nordseter, you can walk to Mount Neverfjell, 1089 metres above sea level, and behold the Jotunheimen and Rondane mountain ranges. If you want to continue your hike, you can walk to Pellestova for waffles and cocoa. And if you want to walk from the mountains to the town, you can wander down Gropmarka and back to Lillehammer through constantly shifting terrain. With Sjusjøen as your starting point, you might like to set off on a day's walk through easy going mountain terrain, a walk that will take you over "the three summits" - a marvellous walk across Mount Snorvillen, Mostefjell and Sollifjell.

Alternatively, you might like to visit the most popular destination among hikers here, Mount Lunkefjell, 1012 metres above sea level. These are just some of the many wonderful mountain walks you can enjoy with the help of Shanks's mare.

SJUSJØEN SUMMERLAND

Sjusjøen Summerland can also offer a heated swimming pool with water chutes, so you can take a dip here even if the summer isn't exactly a tropical one. If you don't want to get into the water, you can always have a ride on it. The water sports centre rents out various different types of boats, including pedal boats. There is also a children's playground at Sjusjøen Summerland.

BANKEN CULTURAL CENTRE

Magnificent century-old building. The interior is richly decorated with turn-of-the-century art. Concerts, theatre, etc.

HUNDERFOSSEN FAMILYPARK

Once upon a time here was a small country where people lived their busy lives and had almost forgotten the existence of trolls. At Hunderfossen just north of Lillehammer you can be sure to meet the largest Troll in the world, 14 metres high while sitting.

BATHING RESORT

The new bathing resort at Jorekstad (5 km north of Lillehammer) is tempting with its heated pool, play pool, 43 metres long water chute, steam bath and ordinary saunas, together with a 25 metres pool.

FISHING

When it comes to fish, the Gudbrandsdalslågen is one of most abundant rivers in Norway. The "Hunder" trout is probably the grandest fish to catch, but you are hardly likely to turn your nose up at a perch, a grayling, a gwyniad or a pike once they bite on your hook. At Nordseter, we find fishing lakes like Nevelvann, Reinsvann and Melsjøen, and at Sjusjøen we find Sjusjøenvannet lake, Kroksjøen, Aksjøen and Melsjøen. Tight lines to one and all !

GOLF

Lillehammer Golf Park lies in Håkonshallen 2 km from Lillehammer and contains Lillehammer Golfclub a golf course with 6 holes and a variation of difficulties, Lillehammer Olympia Park which have golfsimulators.