Lillehammer: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In February 1994 this small town hosted the Winter Olympics, and many still call them the best Winter Games ever held, for the snow, the crowds and the cold blue days. Almost every venue is still in use, most of them within a short drive of the centre. The route takes the jump and the arenas in the morning and the valley venues at Hunderfossen and Hafjell after lunch, about 40 km in all. In summer it is a walking day in light clothes; in winter dress for minus fifteen.
A short history of Lillehammer
Lillehammer sits at the northern end of Lake Mjøsa, at the mouth of the Gudbrandsdalen valley, and received town status only in 1827. In 1887 the dentist Anders Sandvig began collecting old wooden houses from the valley, and his collection grew into the Maihaugen museum, one of the largest open-air museums of buildings in Europe. The writer Sigrid Undset, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928, lived here in a house called Bjerkebæk. In 1973 Mossad agents shot dead a Moroccan waiter, Ahmed Bouchikhi, after mistakenly identifying him as one of the leaders of "Black September", and six of them were arrested in Norway. In 1994 the town hosted the Winter Olympics.
The ten best sights in Lillehammer
1MaihaugenNorway's great open-air museum, close to 200 old buildings on a hill above town; give it half a day
2Garmo Stave ChurchA medieval stave church moved into Maihaugen; inside the museum ticket
3Norwegian Olympic MuseumEvery Olympic Games from 1896 to today, in the Maihaugen building
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4Bjerkebæk
Sigrid Undset's home and garden, ten minutes' walk from the centre; summer and guided visits
5AulestadBjørnstjerne Bjørnson's farm in Gausdal, 20 minutes west, kept as he left it
6Lillehammer Art MuseumNorwegian painting from the 1800s on, on the main square
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7Norwegian Road Museum
How roads, tunnels and bridges were forced through this country, at Hunderfossen
8Ringebu Stave ChurchOne of the largest stave churches still in use, 50 minutes up the valley
9DomkirkeoddenRuins of Hamar's medieval cathedral under a glass roof, by the lake
10LysgårdsbakkeneThe Olympic ski jumps above town; climb the stairs or ride the chairlift for the view over Mjøsa
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Lillehammer →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Lillehammer:
Free walking tours in Lillehammer
The 1994 Games
In February 1994 this small town hosted the Winter Olympics, and many still call them the best Winter Games ever held, for the snow, the crowds and the cold blue days. Almost every venue is still in use, most of them within a short drive of the centre. The route takes the jump and the arenas in the morning and the valley venues at Hunderfossen and Hafjell after lunch, about 40 km in all. In summer it is a walking day in light clothes; in winter dress for minus fifteen.
- Lysgårdsbakkene · The opening ceremony was held here, and the Olympic flame arrived in the hand of a ski jumper, Stein Gruben, who flew down the big hill holding the torch. He had been asked only days before, when the first choice was injured in training.
- Håkons Hall · The ice-hockey final was played here, and Sweden beat Canada on a penalty shootout. Peter Forsberg's one-handed winning goal became so famous in Sweden that it was put on a postage stamp.
- Birkebeineren Stadium · Here Norway, the great power of cross-country skiing, lost the men's relay to Italy by a fraction of a second in a sprint to the line, in front of an enormous home crowd. Norwegians still talk about that race.
- Norwegian Olympic Museum · The museum moved into the Maihaugen building in 2016 and covers every Olympics since Athens in 1896, summer and winter. The Lillehammer rooms show the torch, the pictograms and the costumes of the 1994 ceremonies.
- Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track · The track was built for the 1994 Games in the forest at Hunderfossen and is still used for international races. Visitors can ride down behind a professional pilot, on a padded raft in winter and a wheeled bob in summer.
- Hafjell · The slalom and giant slalom races of 1994 were held on these slopes, while the downhill went to Kvitfjell further up the valley. In summer the gondola carries mountain bikers instead of skiers.
Writers, farms and stave churches
Long before the Olympics, Lillehammer and its valley, Gudbrandsdalen, were where Norway came to find its own past: the old farms, the stave churches, the folk tales. Two Nobel laureates in literature made their homes here. This route starts on foot in town and then drives up the valley, about 100 km in all. Maihaugen and the writers' homes keep shorter hours outside summer, so check before you go.
- Storgata · Lillehammer received its town charter in 1827, and the main street still has many of the wooden houses built in the decades after. It has been a pedestrian street for years and is the living room of the town.
- Bjerkebæk · Sigrid Undset moved here in 1919 and wrote much of her work in these log houses; she won the Nobel Prize in 1928, largely for Kristin Lavransdatter, a novel set in medieval Gudbrandsdalen. In 1940 she fled the German occupation and returned only after the war.
- Maihaugen · The dentist Anders Sandvig came to Lillehammer in the 1880s to recover from tuberculosis, and began buying up old farm buildings and household objects as the old valley life vanished. His collection became this museum, which opened on the hill in 1904.
- Garmo Stave Church · The church stood at Garmo in the mountain district of Lom, and was taken down and rebuilt here in the 1920s. Knut Hamsun, who won the Nobel Prize in 1920, was born nearby and baptised in it.
- Aulestad · Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson bought this farm in 1875 and lived here until his death in 1910. He won the Nobel Prize in 1903, and he wrote the words of 'Ja, vi elsker', Norway's national anthem.
- Ringebu Stave Church · The church was built around 1220 and enlarged in the 1630s, when it got its tall red tower. It has served the parish without a break for about 800 years.
Down the lake Mjøsa
Lillehammer sits at the northern tip of Mjøsa, Norway's largest lake, a long ribbon of water more than 100 km from end to end. The towns on its shores, Gjøvik on the west and Hamar on the east, shared the 1994 Games and have their own history going back to the Middle Ages. This loop drives down one side and up the other, about 150 km. In summer bring a jacket for the boat: the wind on the lake is cool even on a hot day.
- Mjøsa · The lake covers about 365 square kilometres and is more than 400 m deep at its deepest, so its floor lies well below sea level. It is the drinking-water source for much of the region.
- Skibladner · Skibladner was built in 1856 and is the oldest paddle steamer in the world still running a timetable. Her home port is Gjøvik, and on summer days she crosses the lake between its towns.
- Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall · For the 1994 ice-hockey tournament Gjøvik blasted an arena out of the rock inside a hill in the middle of town. It is the largest cavern hall in the world built for the public, and it still hosts sport and concerts.
- Mjøstårnet · When it opened in 2019 this 18-storey tower in Brumunddal, about 85 m high, was the tallest timber building in the world. Its frame is made of glued laminated wood from local forests.
- Vikingskipet · The speed-skating hall was built for 1994 in the shape of an upturned Viking ship. In it the Norwegian skater Johann Olav Koss won three gold medals, each in world-record time.
- Domkirkeodden · Hamar became a bishopric in the 1150s, set up by the papal legate Nicholas Breakspear, the only Englishman ever to become pope. The ruins of his cathedral now stand inside a protective glass building.
Getting to Lillehammer and getting around
- Lillehammer Station · On the Dovre line between Oslo and Trondheim; direct trains to Oslo Airport, about two hours
- Lillehammer Bus Station · Next to the train station; local buses up to Maihaugen, the ski jump and Hunderfossen
Cheap eats in Lillehammer
Lillehammer eats like a Norwegian market town: bakeries on the main street, waffles and pancakes, and a hot dog stand for the late evening. Norway is expensive, so the bakery, the supermarket and the gatekjøkken, the local snack bar, are the cheap meals. Gudbrandsdalen is also the home of brown cheese, the sweet caramel-coloured cheese Norwegians slice onto bread and waffles.
- Lillehammer Bakeri · Cardamom buns and coffee, about 40-90 kroner
- Granum · Bakery on Storgata, a sandwich and coffee about 90-150 kroner
- Lille Pannekakehuset · Sweet and savoury pancakes, about 120-220 kroner
- Mesna gatekjøkken · Hot dogs and burgers, about 60-200 kroner
- Potetbua · Filled baked potatoes by the lake, about 100-180 kroner
- Fika kaffe- og smoothiebar · Coffee, smoothies and light food on Sigrid Undset's square, about 60-150 kroner
- Horsters bakverk og kafé · Cakes and pastries south of the centre, about 50-120 kroner
- Kiwi Storgata · Supermarket in the centre for bread, brown cheese and fruit, about 100-200 kroner
Museums in Lillehammer
- Maihaugen · Half a day; summer is best
- Norwegian Olympic Museum · Olympic history in the Maihaugen building
- Bjerkebæk · The writer's home and garden; guided visits
- Aulestad · Bjørnson's farm, 20 minutes west
- Lillehammer Art Museum · Norwegian art on the main square
- Norwegian Road Museum · Road-building history, indoors and out, at Hunderfossen
Nature and day trips near Lillehammer
- Birkebeineren trails · Forest trails for walking in summer and skiing in winter
- Nordseter · Mountain plateau above town, lakes and easy hikes; 20 minutes up
- Sjusjøen · Cabin country with lakes and gentle trails
- Mesnaelva path · A walk up the river gorge from town, with small falls
- Hafjell summit · Gondola up, then a walk to views over the valley
- Mjøsa · Norway's largest lake; shore walks below town
Things to do in Lillehammer with kids
- Hunderfossen Family Park · Open mainly in summer; a full day
- Lilleputthammer · Miniature town with small rides for little children
- Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track · For older children; book a ride time
- Lysgårdsbakkene · Ride the chairlift and look down the in-run of a real Olympic jump
- Vikingskipet · The Viking-ship hall in Hamar; children love the shape
Where to eat in Lillehammer
- Bryggerikjelleren · Dinner in a vaulted cellar in the centre; book at weekends
- Hvelvet · Restaurant on the main square
- Heim Gastropub · Pub food and local beer on Storgata
- LYNG mat og bar · Modern Norwegian dinner in the centre
- Egon Lillehammer · Family restaurant, burgers and pizza; easy with children
- Toscana · Italian on Storgata
Frequently asked questions about Lillehammer
What is there to see in Lillehammer?
The top sights in Lillehammer are Maihaugen, Garmo Stave Church and Norwegian Olympic Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Lillehammer?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Lillehammer without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Lillehammer?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Lillehammer, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The 1994 Games.
How do you get to Lillehammer and get around?
The main ways are Lillehammer Station and Lillehammer Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Lillehammer, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Lillehammer that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Lillehammer for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.