Lillehammer between museums and nature
Accommodation in Lillehammer
In Lillehammer, Maihaugen brings together numerous historic buildings and offers a glimpse of life 200 years ago. The open-air museum is Norway’s largest outside Oslo and includes more than 200 historic buildings from different periods. Visitors can explore what life was like two centuries ago. The buildings’ different construction periods and this specific historical perspective offer two distinct points of interest during a museum visit.
Museums and Olympic heritage
The Norwegian Olympic Museum is located at Maihaugen in Lillehammer. It presents the history of the Olympic Games, from the first Games to the present day. This means that historic buildings and a subject whose timeline extends to the present come together in the same cultural setting.
Another stop on the Olympic heritage trail is the LysgĂĄrdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena, located above central Lillehammer. It was built for the 1994 Winter Olympics. While the Norwegian Olympic Museum presents the history of the Games over a long period, the arena offers a specific connection to the 1994 Winter Olympics.
The Lillehammer Art Museum is the only art museum in Innlandet. Its collection includes more than 1,800 works, from the 19th century to the present day. The museum therefore offers an art focus alongside Maihaugen’s historical subjects and Olympic heritage. Visitors especially interested in art can also place the collection in a historical context: it ranges from works of the 19th century to contemporary works.
Places and culture in the city
Bjerkebæk was the home of Nobel Prize laureate Sigrid Undset and is a short walk from Lillehammer city centre. In summer, guided tours in English are offered there daily. Visitors can experience the house as it was in the 1930s. The tours therefore connect a specific historical period with Undset’s former home. The garden features perennial flower beds, herbs and fruit trees.
The Lillehammer Art Trail offers a different way to discover culture in the city centre: numbered signs are spread across the town, and the route is self-guided. Rather than a single museum collection, visitors encounter a series of stops throughout the urban landscape. The Norwegian Road Museum, in turn, is a museum complex comprising three institutions: the Norwegian Road Museum, the Norwegian Vehicle History Museum and the Norwegian Rock Blasting Museum.
Trails, cycling and nature
The Mesna Cultural Trail climbs about 200 metres along waterfalls and rapids to Collets bru. Panoramavegen is an approximately 20-kilometre round-trip cycling tour from Lillehammer to Brattberg farm; the route is around ten kilometres each way and offers views of Lillehammer and the southern part of Lake Mjøsa. The two routes can be distinguished by their different features: the description of the Mesna Cultural Trail focuses on the climb and the scenery along the way, while Panoramavegen is described by its approximate total distance and views.
Lillehammer has well-developed cycle paths that make it easy to reach attractions in the city and nearby areas by bike. If you want to include cycling in your travel plans, you can distinguish the longer Panoramavegen tour from these paths for reaching destinations in and near the city. Together, these descriptions offer different ideas for outdoor activities, without limiting them all to the same type of route.
The LĂĄgendeltaet Nature Reserve was established in 1990 to preserve an important and unique wetland, including its natural vegetation and wildlife, as well as its diverse birdlife. For visitors interested in wetlands or birds, it offers a distinct nature experience alongside the museums and trails. Access rules may vary; check the current conditions before visiting.
Getting there and planning your stay
The Lillehammer region is located along the E6 and can be reached by car, train or bus. This travel information applies to the region; check current timetables for your specific plans. For the Lillehammer Art Museum, public transport access is straightforward: it is just a few minutes’ walk from Lillehammer railway station and bus station.
When looking for a hotel in Lillehammer, you can start by considering what you want to focus on during your stay: art and museums, Olympic heritage, cycling or nature. Also plan around how you will travel and the places you want to visit. This helps you choose where to stay based on the actual focus of your trip.
Discover more destinations: FĂĄberg, Lillehammer, Vestre Toten, SkjĂĄk, Dovre, Vestre Slidre, Ringebu, Nord-Fron.
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