Sustainable destination

The Lillehammer & Gudbrandsdalen region is a sustainable destination. We are investing in our hosts to ensure the very best visitor experiences for you. 

We are making efforts to ensure that you, as our guest, will find healthier and more local specialities on the menu. We are working to preserve our cultural heritage and to share our history in new, creative ways. We take serious steps to protect architecture, vulnerable environments, and wildlife to avoid damage to the unique, idyllic setting that you have come here to experience. The region is an all-year-round destination, and this helps generate permanent employment opportunities and increased profitability for local businesses.

This area, stretching from Lillehammer in the south to far north in Gudbrandsdalen in the heart of Norway, offers dramatic scenery, idyllic villages, unique gems, local culinary experiences, and wonderful traditions.

In Gudbrandsdalen, you are amid the people who inspired Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, and the spectacular open-air theatre performance “Peer Gynt at Gålå” is staged annually. Sigrid Undset and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson also drew inspiration from the area, and this is where Asbjørnsen and Moe’s collected many of their Norwegian folk tales. At Maihaugen in Lillehammer, you get an insight into Gudbrandsdalen’s history from the 1800s to the present day through travelling-theatre performances and exciting exhibitions. It is our aim to preserve our cultural heritage and to share our history in new, creative ways.

There is a plethora of manor farm hotels and other accommodation in spectacular settings in the area, and finding a restaurant with locally produced food on the menu is not difficult – game from the mountains, fish from our clean rivers and lakes, or cheese from our mountain dairy farms. If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, a trip down Sjoa – one of Norway's most popular white-water rafting rivers – may be the thing for you. We aim provide you with the very best experiences, and to ensure that you, as our guest, will find healthier and more local specialities on the menu

Due to its location, Lillehammer is often referred to as the gateway to Gudbrandsdalen. When hosting the Winter Olympics in 1994, the town captured the heart of many, and with several of the Olympic arenas are still in use and open to the public it is a true winter sport enthusiast’s paradise. During the winter season, you can enjoy 2300 km of the country's best cross-country ski trails, five of Norway's best alpine centres, including Hafjell and Kvitfjell, and – if you are brave enough – a trip down the bobsleigh and luge track by Hunderfossen at 100 km/h.

In the charming and historic Lillehammer town centre, there is a modern shopping precinct with numerous speciality retailers. There is also a wide selection of museums and cultural attractions. In Lillehammer itself, you can visit Maihaugen, the Norwegian Olympic Museum, and Lillehammer Art Museum. Outside of the town centre, both adults and children will have a good time at Hunderfossen Family Park, at the Children’s Farm, and at Lilleputthammer Family Park. Make time for a trip with Skibladner, the paddle steamer that has carried passengers, post, and goods between the towns surrounding Mjøsa since 1856.

Explore Lillehammer and Gudbrandsdalen on skis, by bicycle, by dog-sled, on horseback, in a canoe, or by foot, and discover charming old mountain farms and picturesque lakes complete with jumping trout. Just like in Peer Gynt's time, you will see reindeer roaming the hills and the mighty elk hiding behind the trees. The region is easy to reach by public transport. We aim to protect vulnerable environments and wildlife to avoid damage to the idyllic and peaceful setting that you are here to experience.

In Lillehammer & Gudbrandsdalen, we are committed to sustainable tourism, and we hope that you will make use of the cultural attractions and outdoor adventures on offer. Many of our local businesses have been awarded environmental certification, and several are currently working towards this.

Welcome to Lillehammer and Gudbrandsdalen