Discover Åmot: Churches, trails and winter sports

The Glommastien loops around Rena and runs for about three kilometres along the Glomma. In Åmot, this riverside trail and historic cultural sites sit alongside pilgrim routes, longer hikes, cycling routes and winter sports. This lets you tailor your stay to your interests, preferred route length or the season.

Church art and museum visits

Åmot Church in Rena was designed by Henrik Bull and inaugurated in 1902. Built from solid logs in the Art Nouveau style, it is also known as Tømmerkatedralen (the Timber Cathedral). Its furnishings include an altar carved by Peter Kasterud of Fåberg and a pulpit carved by him in 1775.

The Sørlistøa Fløtermuseum preserves objects, boats, buildings and facilities from the timber-floating era. The preserved tugboat MSTrysilknut is moored at the museum and operates summer trips on Lake Osensjøen. As these trips run seasonally, check in advance which dates fall within your travel period.

At the school museum in the Rena school building, you can see a historic classroom with learning materials, lunch boxes and school bags. You can also try writing on a historic blackboard with chalk. Visits are possible during opening hours or by arrangement.

Trails between river, history and peaks

In addition to following the Glomma, the Glommastien offers opportunities for swimming and rest stops. Åmot Municipality maintains the trail year-round. Another route with a historical focus is the nature and cultural trail in Åmot: it follows paths and old trackways through areas of natural and cultural-historical interest.

The Østerdalsleden is also one of Norway’s officially recognised pilgrim routes. Its western branch begins at Pilegrimskjæret and Nesvangen in Rena. The Birkebeinerstien runs between Rena and Lillehammer for just over 68 kilometres; the route is designed to take three days and has a total elevation gain of 1,563 metres. Its length, planned duration and elevation gain provide concrete measures for comparing hikes.

Other hikes also vary in trail conditions: you can walk around Krismesjøen, although a short section has no trail. The route to Deifjellet leads to an open, former fire lookout hut on the summit after about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Cycling routes and winter activities

Cycling distances range from the 23-kilometre loop to Østersjøen and the 27-kilometre Åstadalen route to the 320-kilometre Elgtråkket between Rena and Røros. Åstadalen is considered an easy route without the steepest climbs. On the Østersjøen tour, you can experience a particularly rich variety of birdlife at Løpsjøen. The routes therefore differ not only in length, but also in their features.

At Osmundsand, you can fish and canoe on Lake Osensjøen. For winter sports, Rena Alpine and Ski Centre has two lifts and six runs; the longest is 1,700 metres. The ski centre is also a starting point for cross-country skiing trips towards Skramstadsætra and Engulsfjellet.

Furutangen Ski Centre has two lifts and five runs. It also features a large terrain park, snowmaking on all runs and floodlighting on several runs. Operating details at ski resorts may vary by season, so check current operations before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Åmot, Blikberget, Rena, Nordre Osen, Hamar, Os, Løten, Åsnes.

Back to the regional travel overview: Hedmark.