Trysil

Ideas for the future

Trysil was one of the first destinations in Norway to become part of the national labelling scheme Sustainable Destination, in 2013.

This commitment involves a long-term, systematic approach to reducing the negative impacts of tourism while enhancing its social, economic, and cultural benefits.

Trysil has long been a favourite with ski tourists, but in summer many hotel beds stood empty and seasonal workers went home.

Then a group of locals came up with a brilliant idea that would attract visitors year-round, and encourage families to stay longer in this secluded area at risk of depopulation.

Norway's mountain biking hub

After an inspirational trip to the mountain biking heaven of Whistler in Canada in 2018, a group of locals in Trysil decided to start developing what has now become maybe the best mountain biking destination in Northern Europe. It's also Norway's largest mountain biking resort.

The fact that Trysil already had hotels, cabins, and restaurants worked to their advantage, as it meant they could give those businesses an economic boost by attracting more tourists outside of the ski season.

At the same time, they helped create more stable, year-round employment opportunities, bringing even more people to this mountain paradise.

Biking for the whole family

"I'm passionate about biking, both as an activity and as a way to get people outdoors. It's a place you come to just have fun without any competition, and it's lovely to see people progress and enjoy themselves. Our mantra from the very beginning has been that it should always be fun and exciting," says Olve Norderhaug, the proud manager of Trysil Bike Arena.

Responsible biking

A lot of the bigger bike parks in Europe have advanced downhill and lift-assisted trails, whilst Trysil has made sure that there are easy trails available for young children and beginners. The trails are right by the tourist centre and you can even use your own bike and helmet if you want to. Otherwise, there are plenty of rental options and you can sign up for bike courses.

"We build the trails as sustainably as possible, making sure that we don't build in areas with vulnerable nature. The plan is to keep developing the park and we've seen that it's helped bring more people to Trysil, and we haven't had a decline in our population for over a decade," explains Norderhaug.

His son, Sondre Norderhaug, grew up alongside Trysil Bike Park and has become just as passionate, if not more so, than his father about biking:

"I love the speed, the action, and not to mention the great community. I mainly do it for fun, but it would be cool if I can do it professionally one day,".

A fresh start

Becoming a year-round destination has also helped make Trysil an appealing place for younger people and families to live.

“We had been on several family ski trips to Trysil, and one Easter, as we were driving back home, we asked ourselves whether we should just move there," explains Christina Børve from Denmark.

Both Christina and her husband liked the idea of moving to a new country with their three kids, and after yet another trip to Trysil, it dawned on them that it might just be the right place to do it.

Her eldest son was 14 years old at the time and was a bit unsure about leaving his life in Copenhagen behind, but after giving it a go for a year and a half, there was no going back.

"After a year the boys started asking why would we go back? They thought that Trysil was fantastic and they'd made plenty of new friends. The nature experiences here are really something else compared to the flat landscapes in Denmark," says Børve.

Several years have passed since the move and the family still see a future in Trysil. It has been an absolute dream for their active children, who can ski throughout the winter and keep themselves entertained with mountain biking, football, and golf during the summer.

"People often think of Trysil as a winter destination, but after living here we quickly realised that there are plenty of activities in every season," says Børve.

They were welcomed into the local community and, after a few years, Børve even became the general manager at the Radisson Blu Resort in Trysil.

However, the stunning scenery and the friendly locals aren't the only things that make Trysil a good place for visitors, as some passionate individuals are working to make it even better, one step at a time.

Winter wanted

"My wife, Helen, and I had taken a year out from work to be ski bums in Canada and we had no idea what we wanted to do after that. All we knew was that we wanted to live somewhere with mountains and real winter," explains Martin Sturmhoefel, one of the people in charge of Restauranthuset Fageråsen.

After a chat with the manager of SkiStar Trysil, they were offered to run some restaurants in the area. They were excited about the idea, and reached out to their friend and former colleague, Adam Berglund, to run the kitchen.

"It was a no-brainer for me. Food is my main passion and that's what I want to work with. We've been colleagues for over a decade and we're really happy here in Trysil," explains Berglund.

Together they run Kafé Kasserolle, Pilegrimen, Spiseriet, and Fjellroa. The thing that all of these cafés and restaurants have in common, is that they're run as sustainably as possible.

The menus offer everything from tasty baked goods and international dishes to fine dining using high-quality Norwegian ingredients. Try local meats in dishes such as reindeer carpaccio or a hearty moose stew. Or enjoy juicy pan-seared scallops, savoury seaweed caviar, and rich Norwegian Arctic cod.

"We aren't experts, and in the beginning we even looked at the world's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, where number one is zero hunger. We just sat there looking at each other, and realised that we definitely needed help to take it down a notch and find the right mindset," says Sturmhoefel.

They receive a lot of help from Martin's two daughters, who each have a masters degree in Sustainability Science - Environment and decision making. They also operate by something called "best practice", which means that they share their knowledge freely with other businesses in Trysil and within SkiStar locations, seeing it as a group effort instead of a rivalry.

They've broken it down into four areas of importance, which are energy, waste, products, and stakeholders. They try and think twice about everything and implement change bit by bit.

For example, to reduce waste, they offer half portions if you don't want a whole one, for products they only have one beef dish due to its impact on the climate, and for stakeholders they care about the work environment and inclusion, making sure the working language is english so no one feels left out.

These are just some of the things that have been implemented over the years and they always value input from their employees.

"We have a few workshops with our employees each season, and almost half of our new initiatives come from them. It's a huge win for us to have employees that truly care about sustainability. We also donate 5 % of our earnings to a charity, which our staff votes for each year", explains Sturmhoefel.

Despite it feeling rather difficult in the beginning, it quickly became a habit for them to constantly think about improvements, both big and small. They also set requirements for their suppliers in the hope that it will lead to change for the better.

"People often think that it's more expensive to adhere to sustainable practices, but it's actually the opposite in the long run," says Sturmhoefel.

Trail rides and treats

In addition to biking, Trysil also offers a wide range of other fun, nature-based activities for the whole family, including a large climbing park, rafting, canoeing and fishing.

There's also more than one type of trail ride in Trysil! Trysil Hestesenter offers rides on several Norwegian horse breeds, such as the Fjord Horse and the Døla Horse, taking you through the woods and up the mountains. The centre is run by the couple Svein and Gry Eriksen, fourth-generation owners and they've been running it for three decades.

Enjoy a comfortable trail ride on a western saddle, followed by a cosy break in their saloon with locally made deserts, or experience true winter magic on a sleigh ride to a lavvo tent with a toasty fire pit.

"It's a truly unique sleigh ride with candles, a fairy-tale atmosphere, and delicious local food," says the couple.

They make all the food themselves and serve a three course meal around the fire in the lavvo tent. Try berry soup in an edible bowl, moose stew with mash (made with moose they've hunted and a secret family recipe), and apple cake with cloudberry ice-cream!

"People from abroad keep coming back for it and we've received a lot of compliments on our food", says the couple.

Stay in their cabin that has a view of the horses' field. If there's at least four of you, you can even have a homemade farmers breakfast delivered right to your door.

There are also plenty of beautiful hiking trails if you'd rather explore on foot. No matter what time of year you're in Trysil, there's something fun to do!