Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jumping Arena
Lysgårdsbakkene is the town's monumental landmark. From the open air terrace in the Ski Jumping Tower, you can enjoy a spectacular panorama view of Lillehammer, Lake Mjøsa and the hill's amphitheatre. This is a popular stop for taking pictures, and you can see ski jumpers in action from this vantage point both summer and winter. You can take the chairlift up and down again, and get a taste of what the ski jumpers are feeling on the way down the hill. Or walk the 954 steps to the top of the hill if you are in good shape. A kiosk at the site sells souvenirs and other items. Learn more about the Lillehammer Olympic park.
The Norwegian Olympic Museum
This is the only museum in Northern Europe presenting the history of the Olympic Games from their origin in ancient Greece in the year 776 BC up to the present day. The museum is Norway's largest and most important sports museum and is responsible for managing a national cultural treasure that has fascinated Norwegians for more than 100 years. The collection counts more than 7,000 Olympic items in all.
The Norwegian Olympic Museum is divided into a Historical Section, Lillehammer '94 and the Olympic Room, which houses the Norwegian Sports Honorary Gallery.
Maihaugen Open Air Museum
The open air museum gives an insight into what living and working in Norway over the past 500 years was like. "The Rural Collection" presents the Gudbrandsdalen Valley as a whole. Here you will find a grand farm house, cotter's home, stave church, vicarage, a settler's farm, a summer farm and small fishing shacks. "The Town" represents an inland town, town houses from Lillehammer, pharmacy, hairdresser, bakery, shops, post office, flats and backyards. "The Residential Area" consists of detached houses dating from different decades of the 20th century. Various exhibitions can also be found in the main building. Maihaugen Open Air Museum also has a shop and a café.
Aulestad and Bjerkebæk
Aulestad is one of the best preserved artist's homes in Norway. The Nobel laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson lived here with his family from 1875 until his death in 1910. In 1935, Aulestad became a museum.
Bjerkebæk was the home of Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset, who lived here from 1919 until she died in 1949. This was where she wrote her novels about the medieval characters Kristin Lavransdatter (1920-1922) and Olav Audunssøn (1925-1927). Her work ranges from contemporary and historical novels to short stories and articles.
Lillehammer Art Museum
In the centre of Lillehammer you will find Lillehammer Art Museum, one of Norway's leading visual arts museums, with an extensive collection of works by significant Norwegian artists.
The permanent collection includes paintings and drawings by J. C. Dahl, Hans Gude, Adolph Tidemand, Erik Werenskiold, Eilif Peterssen, Christian Krogh, Frits Thaulow, Edvard Munch and others. The museum, which was named "Museum of the Year" in 2008, served as a cultural venue when the XVII Olympic Winter Games were held in Lillehammer in 1994.
Ringebu Stave Church
Ringebu Stave Church was built c. 1220. It is one of a total of 28 stave churches surviving to this day, and is one of the largest.
The Norwegian Road Museum
The museum makes for an interesting outing the whole family, with 2,000 square metres of indoor exhibitions and a vast open air museum presenting the history of roads, the people who built them and those who travelled on them. The Norwegian Road Museum also offers an exciting tour of a tunnel bored 240 metres into the rock at the Norwegian Rock Blasting Museum. Free entry to both museums.
The Norwegian Automobile and Vehicle Museum
The Norwegian Automobile and Vehicle Museum comprises a display of Norwegian automobile history, from the early 1900s re-built Oldsmobile, called "Oldsfossum", up to the "Troll", the last Norwegian-produced car in the 1950s. A number of horse-drawn vehicles are also exhibited, among them sledges, gigs, carioles and carts.
Gudbrandsdal War Memorial Exhibition
The Gudbrandsdal War Memorial Exhibitions is based on historical events that took place in April 1940, shortly after the landing of German troops in Norway. The exhibition provides a unique insight into the acts of war, occupation and defence in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley.
Kittilbu Museum
Kittilbu Museum provides an insight into how the natural resources of Gausdal Vestfjell have been used from the Stone Age until modern times. The museum enjoys a beautiful location in the picturesque hamlet of Kittilbu. Langsua National Park is within easy reach. Guided trips to the national park are arranged on a weekly basis.
Heritage farms in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley
A number of heritage farms in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley offer culture, traditional food and adventures year round. The event Gardmillom ("from farm til farm") is held every summer (Christmas Gardmillom also takes place every December). This is an initiative where people are invited to share meals, take part in different cultural activities, get a peek into farm life, and join in celebrations and fun, all based on old traditions.
Mjøsa - Norway's largest lake
Lake Mjøsa is the largest lake in Norway, and one of the deepest in Europe. From its southernmost point at Minnesund in Eidsvoll to its northernmost point in Lillehammer, it is 117 kilometres long. At its widest, near the town of Hamar, it is 15 kilometres wide. Lake Mjøsa has a surface of 336 square kilometres, and a maximum depth of 443 metres. It borders three counties (Oppland, Akershus and Hedmark) and seven municipalities. The total length of the shoreline is 273 kilometres. Most of Mjøsa's shores are dominated by rolling agricultural landscape - some of the most fertile grainlands in Norway can be found here. The area is also of great importance for recreation, for local people as well as tourists.
Skibladner - the world's oldest paddle steamer
Norway's largest lake is at its most scenic from the deck of "Mjøsa's white swan", Skibladner, built in 1856. Since then Skibladner has faithfully transported passengers, post and cargo between the villages and towns around Lake Mjøsa.