Otta: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Gudbrandsdalen is the long valley that has carried the road and the railway from Oslo to Trondheim for centuries, and armies and pilgrims used it too. Around Otta it holds three stories every Norwegian child knows: a Scottish army ambushed in 1612, a medieval heroine of a Nobel-winning novel, and a hunter who became Peer Gynt. A fourth, darker one belongs to April 1940, when British and Norwegian troops fought the German advance up the valley. This route links them in one day by car, about 100 km, north to Sel and then south down the valley to Vinstra.
Live camera
All cameras in town (3) ▾
A short history of Otta
Otta is a small town in the Gudbrandsdalen valley, where the Otta River flows into the Lågen. On 26 August 1612, near Kringen nearby, local farmers ambushed Scottish mercenaries passing through the valley on their way to fight for Sweden, and killed most of them. The town grew up around the railway station, and today it is a starting point for Rondane National Park, which in 1962 was declared Norway's first national park.
The ten best sights in Otta
-
1Pillarguri
The mountain over Otta; a steep path climbs to the top in about two hours
2KringenThe site of the 1612 ambush, just south of town; the memorial is by the old road
-
3Mysuseter
The cluster of summer farms and cabins at the edge of Rondane; the main way into the park
4RondvassbuThe mountain lodge by the lake Rondvatnet; walk in from the Spranget parking
5Rondane National ParkBare round peaks, wild reindeer and lichen plateaus; keep dogs leashed, the reindeer are shy
6HøvringenA high mountain village on the west side of Rondane, with easy walks from the road
-
7Go Rafting Sjoa
Rafting base on the Sjoa river; family trips go on the calmer stretches
-
8Heidal church
A dark log church among old farms, 20 minutes west
9BjølstadOne of Heidal's old farm courtyards of dark log houses; look from the road, it is private
-
10Jørundgard
The medieval farm built for the Kristin Lavransdatter film; summer opening only
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Otta →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 Otta:
Free walking tours in Otta
Stories of the valley
Gudbrandsdalen is the long valley that has carried the road and the railway from Oslo to Trondheim for centuries, and armies and pilgrims used it too. Around Otta it holds three stories every Norwegian child knows: a Scottish army ambushed in 1612, a medieval heroine of a Nobel-winning novel, and a hunter who became Peer Gynt. A fourth, darker one belongs to April 1940, when British and Norwegian troops fought the German advance up the valley. This route links them in one day by car, about 100 km, north to Sel and then south down the valley to Vinstra.
- Jørundgard · In Sigrid Undset's novel Kristin Lavransdatter, Kristin grows up at Jørundgard in Sel. Undset won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928, and the medieval farm built here for Liv Ullmann's 1995 film was kept as a museum.
- Pillarguri · The mountain carries the name of the girl in the Kringen legend, who is said to have climbed it and blown a horn to signal the farmers below. The horn she blew is placed in 1612, at the ambush at Kringen below.
- Kringen · On 26 August 1612 a force of Scottish mercenaries marching to join the Swedish army was ambushed here by local farmers, between the steep slope and the river. Most of the Scots were killed, along with their officer George Sinclair, and a memorial marks the spot.
- Gudbrandsdal War Museum · In late April 1940 British and Norwegian troops fought the German advance at Kvam, one of the first battles between British and German soldiers in the Second World War. The museum collects the weapons, uniforms and letters of the fighting in the valley.
- Kvam church · The old church of Kvam burned during the battle in 1940, along with much of the village. The new church was built after the war, and British soldiers who fell in the battle are buried in the churchyard.
- Vinstra · Local tradition says the real Per Gynt was a hunter from the Hågå farm above Vinstra, whose tall tales Asbjørnsen collected and Ibsen turned into his play in 1867. Each summer the play is staged outdoors by Lake Gålå, with Grieg's music.
Rondane, the first national park
Rondane became Norway's first national park in 1962. It is a high, dry range of rounded peaks above 2,000 metres, with grey lichen plateaus where some of Europe's last wild mountain reindeer still roam. Two roads climb into it from Otta: east to Mysuseter, the main gateway, and north-west to the lodges of Smuksjøseter and Høvringen. This route takes both, with a walk to the lake lodge at Rondvassbu in the middle. A full day; the walk in and out is about 12 km on a flat track, and the summit of Rondslottet is a separate, long hike.
- Mysuseter · The road from Otta climbs some 700 metres in a few kilometres to reach Mysuseter, at about 1,000 metres. A seter is a summer mountain farm, where families once took their cattle each summer to graze and to make butter and cheese.
- Rondvassbu · The lodge stands at the south end of Rondvatnet, a narrow lake squeezed between the highest peaks of the range. It is run by the Norwegian Trekking Association and is the base for the climbs to Rondslottet and Storronden.
- Rondslottet · At 2,178 metres Rondslottet, the Ronde castle, is the highest peak in Rondane. On a clear day the view from the top reaches as far as Dovrefjell to the north.
- Rondane National Park · Wild reindeer have roamed these mountains since the ice age, and Rondane's herds are among the last of the original wild mountain reindeer of Europe. Protecting them was one of the reasons the park was created, so keep to the paths and keep dogs on a leash.
- Smuksjøseter · Like many lodges in Rondane, Smuksjøseter grew out of an old summer farm by a mountain lake. The dairy maids who once lived here all summer gave way to walkers and skiers in the 20th century.
- Høvringen · Høvringen sits at about 1,000 metres on the western edge of Rondane, a village of old summer farms turned mountain lodges. From here easy paths lead out onto the open plateau and its views of the peaks.
Two rivers: the Sjoa and the Otta
Otta stands where the river Otta, coming from the glaciers of Jotunheimen and Lom, flows into the Gudbrandsdalslågen. Just south, the Sjoa comes down from the lakes of Jotunheimen through Heidal, one of the best rafting rivers in Norway. This loop follows the Sjoa up through the old farms of Heidal to its gorge, crosses to Vågå and goes on to Lom's stave church, then comes home down the Otta valley. A full day by car, about 180 km; the rafting needs a booking and half a day of its own.
- Sjoa · The village is named after the river, which joins the Gudbrandsdalslågen here after its run from Jotunheimen. The water is cold meltwater even in July, and it rises fast after warm days.
- Go Rafting Sjoa · The Sjoa drains Gjende and the other lakes of Jotunheimen, so it carries a strong flow all summer. Its rapids made it one of the best-known rafting rivers in Norway.
- Heidal church · Heidal's log church from 1752 burned to the ground in 1933. The parish rebuilt it as a copy, using the old drawings, and it was consecrated again a few years later.
- Ridderspranget · The name means the knight's leap. A legend tells of a knight who escaped his pursuers by jumping across the gorge here, where the Sjoa has cut a channel only a few metres wide.
- Vågå church · The log church was built in the 1620s on the site of a medieval stave church, and parts of the older church were reused in it. The poet Edvard Storm, born in Vågå in 1749, wrote the song that made the Kringen ambush famous.
- Lom stave church · Lom's stave church dates from the 12th century and was enlarged in the 17th, which makes it one of the largest stave churches in Norway. Dragon heads still stand on its roof ridges, as on the Viking ships.
Getting to Otta and getting around
- Otta station · Dovre Line trains to Oslo and Trondheim stop here; the station is the gateway for hikers to Rondane
- Otta bus station (skysstasjon) · Buses west to Lom and the fjords leave from here; check seasonal timetables
Cheap eats in Otta
Gudbrandsdalen is dairy country, the home of brown cheese, and its mountain lodges still serve waffles with sour cream and jam to walkers. Norway is expensive, so the bakery, the butcher and the supermarket are the way to eat well for less, and a picnic in Rondane costs a fraction of a lodge meal. In Otta itself the choice is small but central, all within a few minutes of the station.
- Kiwi Otta · Picnic and a block of brown cheese, about 100-200 NOK
- Dølakjøtt · Local cured meats and sausages for the road, about 100-250 NOK
- Ødegaarden Bakeri · Bread, cinnamon buns and coffee, about 40-120 NOK
- Pillarguri Cafe · Simple café meals on Storgata, about 150-250 NOK
- Kafé Kos · Coffee and cakes in the centre, about 60-150 NOK
- Mysuseter · Café at the park entrance; waffles and coffee about 50-150 NOK
Holy places in Otta
- Heidal church · Log church rebuilt as a copy after the 1933 fire
- Kvam church · Post-war church near the 1940 battlefield
- Lom stave church · 12th-century stave church with dragon heads
- Vågå church · 17th-century log church on a stave-church site
- Sel church · Parish church by the river just north of Otta
- Nord-Sel church · Small church near Jørundgard, in Kristin's parish
- Sødorp church · The church of Vinstra, in Peer Gynt country
Nature and day trips near Otta
- Rondane National Park · Round peaks, lichen plateaus and wild reindeer
- Ridderspranget · The knight's leap over a narrow gorge
- Rondvassbu · Lake lodge under the highest peaks
- Rondslottet · Rondane's highest peak, 2,178 m
- Pillarguri · Otta's own mountain, steep but short
- Høvringen · Easy plateau walks from a mountain village
- Formokampen · A hill above Sel with a view over the valley
Things to do in Otta with kids
- Pillarguri · A short, steep family climb with a legend on top
- Jørundgard · Walk into a medieval farm from a film
- Go Rafting Sjoa · Family rafting on the calmer stretches, in summer
- Kringen · The battle story on the spot where it happened
- Høvringen · Gentle walks and wide views for small legs
Where to eat in Otta
- Vertshuset Sinclair · Inn and restaurant at Kvam, named after the Scottish officer
- Peer Gynt Hotel & Spiseri · Dinner in Vinstra, in Peer Gynt country
- Rondane Høyfjellshotell · Mountain hotel dinner at Mysuseter, at the park entrance
- Smuksjøseter fjellstue · Lodge dinner by a mountain lake; book ahead
- Rondablikk · Mountain hotel restaurant on Kvamsfjellet, with views to Rondane
- Villa Italiano · Pizza and pasta in the centre of Otta
Frequently asked questions about Otta
What is there to see in Otta?
The top sights in Otta are Pillarguri, Kringen and Mysuseter. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Otta?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Otta without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Otta?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Otta, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Stories of the valley.
How do you get to Otta and get around?
The main ways are Otta station and Otta bus station (skysstasjon). Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Otta, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Otta 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 Otta for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.