Lillehammer

Lillehammer is a small town in the county of Oppland in south-central Norway. The town sits at the intersection of the lake Mjøsa and Gudbrandsdalen, the great valley of East Norway.



Understand
Lillehammer is best remembered as the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, but it's also worth a visit in the summer for its beautifully preserved late 19th-century wooden houses. Since 2012, it is become famous for the Lilyhammer TV series.

Orientation
Lillehammer is on the shores of Lake Mjøsa, with the bulk of town on the east bank. From the train station it's just two blocks to Storgata, the main pedestrian shopping street in the heart of the old city center.

Lillehammer (25.000 inhabitants), considered Norway's oldest winter sports resort and host of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Lillehammer region provides you with a combination of long-standing tradition and modern activities and services. You will find excellent museums and galleries, Olympic venues, a large number of restaurants and wide selection of shops and accommodation.

The Lillehammer region is also famous for its ski terrain and excellent winter sport facilities. Nearby at Nordseter and Sjusjøen, you will find the best network of cross-country ski trails in Northern Europe, comprising 350 km. The excellent ski centre is located at Hafjell, 15 minutes away by ski bus, and offers a mountain village feel with full amenities and ski in/out accommodation.

By plane
Lillehammer does not have its own airport, but Oslo's Gardermoen is well connected by train with departures once hourly (1:40, 227 Kr each way).

By train
Lillehammer Station is along the main train line from Skien and Oslo towards Trondheim. The trip to Oslo takes about two hours and there are departures hourly.

By car
Norway's main road, the E6, runs through Lillehammer. At Oslo airport Gardermoen south of Mjøsa there are multiple options provided at the airport rental desks. However, one must plan for at least 2 hours drive. Be prepared for road construction delays and slippery roads in winter.

By bus
NOR-WAY Bussekspress and Lavprisekspressen operate bus lines to and from Oslo city centre as well as Gardermoen airport.

Get around
Central Lillehammer is best covered on foot. Buses to various regional destinations depart from outside the train station.

Olympics


Many of Lillehammer's newer sights are related to the 1994 Olympics and are located in the commemorative Olympic Park  (Olympiaparken).


 * Norwegian Olympic Museum, Håkon Hall, Olympiaparken.
 * Norwegian Olympic Museum, Håkon Hall, Olympiaparken.

Do
There are excellent skiing and other winter sports opportunities in winter, as well as some decent hiking in summer.
 * Hafjell - Lillehammer's own alpine slopes, 1994 Olympic venue
 * Kvitfjell - alpine slopes further the valley, 1994 Olympic venue
 * Sjusjøen and surroundings - excellent cross-country slopes in easy terrain

Buy
Lillehammer's main shopping street is the rather inaptly named Storgata ("Big Street"), a pedestrian street lined with wooden houses, boutiques and restaurants.

Connect
Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi.

Go next

 * Gudbrandsdalen is the great valley stretching from Lillehammer almost to Geiranger and Åndalsnes
 * Valdres - the charming uplands west of Lillehammer, next door to Jotunheimen
 * Oslo and the central south-east lowlands.

Other ski/ winter sports resorts
Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics with venues at:
 * Gjøvik
 * Hamar
 * Hafjell
 * Kvitfjell