District: Hol
County: Buskerud
Mountain district: Hallingdal

Altitude: 800 metres above sea level
Hallingskarvet Mountain Plateau: 1,933 metres above sea level
Nearest cities: Oslo (245 kilometres) and Bergen (239 kilometres)
Airport: Fagernes (1 hour and 45 minutes by car from Geilo)
The Bergen Railway: Geilo station in the village centre, approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes from Oslo and Bergen

About Geilo

Geilo has a population of 2,500 inhabitants and is situated in the middle of Norway's two main cities, Oslo and Bergen.

Geilo has developed into a popular destination – winter, spring, summer and autumn.

Here you will find a varied selection of restaurants, shops and activities and a wealth of accommodation opportunities. It is also only a short distance to the fjords of Western Norway, and the journey by train from Geilo station is an experience in itself.

History

It is over one hundred years since Geilo welcomed its first ski tourists. As early as 1867, the first English tourist, Lord Garvagh from London, came to the area around Hallingskarvet. In 1880 his son had the well-known Lordehytta built at Folarskaret on Hallingskarvet.

Modern ski tourism began in 1935 when one of the country’s first slalom races was organised at Geilo. That was the beginning of the exciting development which has brought about today’s modern, all-round sports resort.

Some of the greatest events which have marked the development of Geilo have been the opening of the Bergen Railway in 1909, the establishment of an active ski school in the 1950s, the first chair lift - Geilo Taubane – which opened in 1954 and Norway’s first piste preparation machine in 1972.

Geilo’s first hotel, Gjeilo Hotell (now Norlandia Geilo Hotel), was established in 1880. Later came Haugs Hotel and in 1909 – the same year as the opening of the Bergen Railway – Dr. Holms Hotell.