Let me tell you about one of the coolest spots in Norway – Lillehammer!
This place gained major international fame after hosting the Winter Olympic Games in 1994, and since then, it’s been a hotspot for tourists looking for a winter wonderland.
But don’t worry if you’re not into skiing, there’s still tons of fun to be had in Lillehammer.
One of the most thrilling activities for non-skiers is hitting the slopes at the Lysgårdsbakken Olympic ski jumping spot.
Trust me, I’ve tried it and the view from the top is breathtaking!
And if you’re not an adrenaline junkie, there are plenty of museums and attractions to explore.
I mean, who doesn’t love a good museum?
You can also hike on the Faberge cultural trail to check out some ancient petroglyphs.
It’s like stepping back in time!
I have to say, one of my favorite things about Lillehammer is the wooden houses built in the 19th century.
They really add to the charm of the place, especially during the winter months.
But Lillehammer isn’t just about the sights and sounds, it’s also about the activities.
Bicycling, skiing, hiking, golfing, snorkeling, diving, and mountaineering are all on the table.
And trust me, you’ll want to work up an appetite because the food here is delicious!
Now, let me tell you about my personal experience in Lillehammer.
I went on a ski trip with some buddies and we were blown away by the hospitality of the locals.
They were so welcoming and friendly, and they really went out of their way to make sure we had a great time.
We hit the slopes and took in some amazing views, but we also found time to explore the city.
We even stumbled upon a cozy little cafe and had some of the best coffee and pastries we’ve ever tasted.
All in all, Lillehammer is a must-visit spot for anyone looking for adventure, beauty, and good times.
What is the Best time to Visit Lillehammer?
Lillehammer is known for its dry climate with lots of snow still stable temperature and non windy weather is a plus there.
Representing continental climate i.
e.
cold winters and warm summers,
Lillehammer is prevailed by westerly winds.
This is why;
the city receives much rain even in winters in the western region of Norway.
Despite of heavy rain in winter in the country, the region enjoys sheltering effect of the central Norwegian Mountain Ridge.
Land can be found covered with snow during November to April.
Featuring moderate precipitation with subarctic inland climate, Lillehammer bears higher humidity in autumn and summer.
The city becomes more than a heavenly destination in summer.
Best Things to Do in Lillehammer
Brace yourselves for a wild ride through this vibrant Norwegian town, where adrenaline and laughter go hand in hand.
From Olympic-sized thrills to charming cultural experiences,
Lillehammer has got it all.
:
| Place | Rating | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Hafjell Ski Resort | 9. 5 | Hit the slopes in one of Norway’s best ski resorts, with breathtaking views and thrilling runs for all skill levels. |
| Maihaugen Open-Air Museum | 8. 7 | Step back in time and explore the rich history of Norway through well-preserved buildings and interactive exhibits. |
| Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena | 9. 2 | Feel the rush of adrenaline as you imagine yourself soaring through the air like an Olympic ski jumper. |
| Skansegata Street | 7. 9 | Stroll along this picturesque street lined with colorful wooden houses, charming shops, and cozy cafés. |
| Sigrid Undset’s Home | 8. 4 | Visit the former residence of the renowned Norwegian author and Nobel laureate, and get a glimpse into her life and work. |
| Olympic Museum | 8. 9 | Immerse yourself in the glory of the 1994 Winter Olympics with fascinating exhibits and interactive displays. |
| Norwegian Olympic Museum | 9. 1 | Discover the inspiring stories of Olympic athletes and relive the excitement of past Winter Games. |
| Lillehammer Art Museum | 7. 6 | Appreciate the beauty of Norwegian art through a diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, and contemporary works. |
| Lilleputthammer Family Park | 8. 8 | Enjoy a day of family-friendly fun with rides, shows, and activities designed for kids of all ages. |
| Norwegian Road Museum | 7. 3 | Take a journey through Norway’s transportation history and marvel at vintage cars, bicycles, and road construction equipment. |
| Nordseter | 9. 0 | Escape into the peaceful embrace of nature with scenic hiking trails, cross-country skiing, and serene mountain landscapes. |
| Lillehammer Bobsleigh and Luge Track | 9. 6 | Experience the thrill of hurtling down an Olympic bobsleigh track, reaching speeds you never thought possible. |
| Birkebeineren Ski Stadium | 8. 2 | Strap on your skis and follow in the footsteps of legendary Norse warriors on the historic Birkebeiner ski trail. |
| Lillehammer Church | 7. 8 | Marvel at the stunning architecture of this 19th-century church and soak in its serene and spiritual atmosphere. |
| Norwegian Post Museum | 7. 1 | Uncover the intriguing history of Norway’s postal service and see vintage stamps, mailboxes, and mail sorting machines. |
| Storhove Farm | 8. 5 | Experience the joys of farm life with horseback riding, feeding animals, and learning about traditional Norwegian agriculture. |
| Lillehammer Cinema | 7. 4 | Catch the latest blockbuster or indie film in this cozy cinema that offers a charming and nostalgic movie-watching experience. |
| Sjusjøen | 8. 9 | Embark on an outdoor adventure with pristine cross-country skiing trails, snowshoeing, and breathtaking natural beauty. |
Hunderfossen Familiepark
There is no lack of mind-blowing places in Lillehammer to offer you points to sit and relax.
Hunderfossen Familiepark is one among those lovely places;
children also enjoy playing and eating out here.
It’s really a nice experience to sit upon trolls in restaurants and eat delicious conventional Norwegian food but this idea is too expensive.
Still, you will not be disappointed after spending money for conventional food there for ending a fantastic day in a good way.
If you are going to the place with kids, you should definitely visit this place for the facility of funny activities for children.
Make sure that the height of your kids should be more than 48 inches so that they will enjoy all the available rides.
Staying more than one day in this park can also be a choice as you will get enough time to relax and enjoy in the place.
Trolls, folklore theme and a variety of fun activities in the park together plan a scenario for entertainment.
Lillehammer Olympic Bob and Luge Track
This really expensive track is recommended not to be missed in any cost, especially if you are in the city to explore adventure.
Riding down the Bob track is a fabulous experience if you are prepared for vibration.
This ride in Lillehammer Olympic Bob and Luge Track is definitely better than a roller coaster.
Actually, it is nothing but a rubber wheeled bobsleigh which goes down the Olympic track in a fast and fabulous manner.
Full of thrill and fun, this ride is a family oriented activity on the Olympic track while you can also find some other activities there.
Apart from wheelbob, snowboarding and rollercoaster are interesting activities to carry out here.
Despite of having mattresses for walls in the vehicle and fearless pilot, you won’t feel lack of fun and exhilaration.
The setting becomes amazing after sunset and if you are lucky enough to catch failing snow in pools of light, this will be the best moment to be added in your Norway trip.
Haakon’s Hall Sport Centre
With its 2 handball courts, 6 badminton courts, 6 volleyball courts, 2 squash courts, an aerobic hall, a weight room and 13 changing rooms, the Haakon’s Hall Sports Centre is the first choice of sports lovers in Norway.
Apart from all this, the facility of a golf centre also attracts tourists bearing great love for golf.
A fitness training center is there with lots of facilities and equipments which are suitable for muscle groups.
Playing golf in this center is really a marvelous experience as the golf simulator is there to offer you the opportunity of hitting the ball towards a film screen that projects a hole for playing.
When the ball hits the hole, the game goes on further same like the real one.
Offering a realistic experience, the golf simulator is good to play this game even if weather is not fine.
The techniques available in the sports center are explained well by the team of Hakons sports center.
Apart from this, you can enjoy playing aeroboarding and hockey there.
Also, tobogganing is something you will feel addictive for.
Amazing Places to Visit in Lillehammer Norway
Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jump Tower
Situated at the 30 minute walk from central region of the city, Lysgardsbakkene Ski Jump Tower is a great place to offer you a breathtaking view from the top.
This great site is good for getting a workout if you plan to climb up the stairs to the top.
If you are not willing to climb stairs, ski lift is also an option.
Native teenagers can be seen training on the 90k and 120k jumps here.
Taking a stroll to the place and talking to natives for exploring the history is a good idea.
The real attraction of this place can be experienced while you drive up to the ski jump park.
There are total 900 stairs and they are very steep in some places.
You can also choose driving to the uphill with a car to witness the breathtaking view from the top which is an amazing panorama of the entire Lillehammer region with beautiful Mjosa Lake.
Good car parking area, ticket office, awesome venue, cafes and the torch set at the base point of jumps;
everything is good to see.
Lillehammer Church
Lillehammer church is a beautiful building in the city and worth visiting if you are somewhere around.
As the building has been set up at 1882, people who are looking for ancient architecture will love to see this place.
This is why;
people planning a historical tour to the country should not miss adding this place in their schedule.
The pretty huge interior can be seen without any admission fee.
Situated in a mountainous region, this church has a cemetery next door.
Unlike the other featured European churches with dark and smoother architecture, Lillehammer church has a typical architecture representing a picturesque image.
If you are in search of a calm place here, nothing can be better idea than the park with a pond next to the church.
Fabrikken
It is a beautiful centre for creative and cultural initiatives in Lillehammer.
A variety of enterprises including ceramic, textiles, visual art, jewelry design, theatre, film, photo, music and architecture etc.
, this place is counted among the leading shopping centers of the city.
Even, handicraft, art and Nordic designs are offered right from the factory outlet here.
The art workshops there look awesome during the special event called as ‘culture night in the city’.
Apart from all this, a nice art piece of glass can be obtained at really high price.
Is lillehammer worth visiting?
Yes lillehammer is worth visiting especially if you have time to go to:
Nordseter
People who are fond of skiing will get an exciting opportunity in this beginning point of mountains.
The wide network of trails including the Sjusjoen and Hafjell networks, mountain plateaus, excellent ski and equipment rental services together make your skiing experience outstanding here.
In case you face bad weather, you are offered with awesome shelters from windy attacks in Nordseter.
Apart from skiing, this place is good for sightseeing.
Beautiful sunny days, crusty and powdery snow and relaxing cafes at starting points of trails make this place different from other skiing points.
Trails are well groomed, managed and different from each other to maintain interest for the place.
People of every age group can enjoy skiing here without any risk.
Those who are in search of a site to relax will be able to fulfill their wish here.
First time visitors are helped by directors extensively so that you need not to worry if you are new to skiing.
Trails are suitable for summer and winter both while walking is also an interesting activity to be carried out there.
Those who are willing for hiking will also not face disappointment here.
Lillehammer Olympic Park
Watching this Olympic park and athletes going down the course is really a thrilling experience.
There are several vantage points to watch from.
By going to the ski jump, you will be able to capture some wonderful views and elegant sites of the surrounding valley.
Driving to the top and walking down to the smaller jump take off area is something to add an adventure in your Lillehammer trip.
If you are interested only for a view, a metal staircase is there from top to bottom.
Various tourism attractions such as the Hakons Hall, Birkebeineren Ski Stadium, Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena, Luge Track, Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Kanthaugen Freestyle Arena make this place worth watching.
Summer and winter, both the seasons are good to visit there but the period in between the seasons offers you nothing to see more than an Olympic museum.
Another good fact to know about the Lillehammer Olympic Park is that most of the original venues remain opened for Olympic training all around the year.
Hiring a car to see all these venues is good idea as you will not miss anything in this way.
All the venues are free for entry and to see but the Norwegian Sports Museum require entrance pass to get in.
Jorekstad Waterpark
Being the largest waterpark in the region, the Jorekstad Waterpark offers a wide series of activities such as diving, jumping in, exercise;
sauna, Jacuzzi and sites for simply relax.
On the other hand, kids love this place for water slide and climbing wall.
Fully organized cafes are available there to extinguish your hunger.
This is one of the great places with 1350 square meters of pool area to enjoy lovely getaway in odd summer.
An outstanding area with chairs, tables and sitting regions and 2 swimming pools has become the first choice of travelers to enjoy in summer.
A swimming pool for children and the other one with diving towers makes this water park complete for water sports.
Changing rooms in this water park are also fine but require extensive facilities to be added for handicapped people.
Facilities for delicious food and drinks are there.
Food and price for activities is expensive here.
What else to do in Lillehammer?
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s home Aulestad
This exclusive house for drive is in perfect conditions and you can move towards the B.
Bjornsons home.
This well decorated house is full of painting, gifts and writings from several reputed Norwegian people.
Apart from this, a picture of Grieg playing the piano is nice to see here.
Bjornstjerne Bjornsons Home Aulestad is a good place for experiencing the beautiful atmosphere of Aulestad.
This well preserved home from 1875, is an interesting place for history lovers.
A nice café is there offering blueberry pancakes as Bjornson, the owner of the home was very fond of this dish.
Skilled guides let you know more about the poet and relevant historical events;
that’s how, it becomes a fun to walk inside the home.
A beautiful garden is also there with lots of flower beds making the place refreshing.
A poet portal down by the way will be seen to you when you start going up the avenue of Avenue to Aulestad.
Norwegian Olympic Museum
People willing to know more about the Olympics history should not miss the chance of watching the Norwegian Olympic Museum .
This place is very informative and lovable for elegant sites.
The idea of ski jump here is awesome;
tourists like to walk up and down it.
This museum holds a full lot of memoranda and tells the story of Olympic Games.
The only disappoint about this museum is that it is centered on information about the Norway Olympics only.
Thus, you can know only about the winter Norway Olympics here and nothing else.
But one thing to be sure is that if you visit to Norway to see the Olympics city, Lillehammer never leads you towards disappointment.
This lovely town worth a trip by sports lovers.
Covering each and every of the Olympic Games, the Norwegian Olympic Museum has been designed beautifully.
Exhibits are designed in a great way and leave a positive impact on viewers.
French, English, German and Norwegian are the languages used in exhibits inside the museum.
Although, displays are not very fancy but they are informative and interesting.
From the history of Olympics to the modern scenario of games, the museum tells everything about the Olympics Movement.
Norwegian Art Museum
After the 1994 Olympics venues, sports centers, water parks and family parks, something to see in Lillehammer is museums.
In this series, the Norwegian Art Museum bears great significance.
This very interesting place exhibits the connect Warhol/Munch.
Rooms are well lighted and designed beautifully here;
they are large enough to leave good impact of exhibits.
This museum is also known well for its catchy design and a lovely stone garden with waterfall situated in the premises.
Every collection has been exhibited in different hall, making the place calm and peaceful;
the staff is also friendly to help you in the best possible way.
Apart from the unique exhibition, you will like to see lots of interesting art work there.
A great painting gallery in this place represents paintings from even from the 18th and the 19th century.
The building is modern, appreciable and excellent from exterior and interior view.
The high quality exhibitions, splendid collection of historical art pieces and mind-blowing paintings of landscapes make this museum impressive.
Norwegian Post Museum
If you have some extra time during your Lillehammer trip and you love to explore even simple things about history of certain place, the Norwegian Post Museum is also a treat.
This is an informative site if you are somewhere around but not worth special visit there.
This small museum represents beautifully that how cars and trains work for transporting mails and sorting them between towns.
One more thing to add interest in your visit to this museum is pleasant story of a girl who worked here.
People who rush to the letter box in wish of finding a letter from a friend will be able to catch the real charm of this place.
Generally, nobody thinks about the people who make sure to deliver these letters to destinations timely.
The Norwegian post museum highlights every big and small thing about posts and people affiliated with them.
Showcasing the role of trains in postal services and their sorting in the route, this museum has a nice ‘mail on rail’ exhibition to offer an insight into postal services to visitors.
This is all about the exciting places to visit in Lillehammer.
