Things to do in Lillehammer & Around
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Maihaugen Folk Museum
Norway’s finest folk museum is the expansive, open-air Maihaugen Folk Museum. Rebuilt like a small village, the collection of around 180 buildings includes the transplanted Garmo stave church, traditional Gudbrandsdalen homes and shops, and 27 buildings from the farm Bjørnstad. The three main sections encompass rural and town architecture, with a further section on 20th-century architecture. The life’s work of local dentist Anders Sandvig, it also houses temporary exhibitions in the modern exhibition hall and a permanent exhibition ‘We made the road’, a fascinating journey through Norwegian history.
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Ski Jump Chairlift
The ski jump chairlift ascends to a stunning panoramic view over the town. Alternatively you can walk for free as long as the 952 steps don’t prove too daunting. The chairlift price includes entry to the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump tower, which costs Nkr15/12 on its own for an adult/child. Here you can stand atop the ramp and imagine the experience with all the pre-jump nerves.
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Norwegian Olympic Museum
The excellent Olympic museum is at the Håkons Hall ice-hockey venue. On the ground floor there is a well-presented display covering the ancient Olympic Games as well as all of the Olympic Games of the modern era, with a focus on the exploits of Norwegian athletes as well as the Lillehamer games. The exhibition is updated every two years.
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Olympiaparken
After Lillehammer won its bid for the 1994 Winter Olympics, the Norwegian government ploughed over two billion kroner into the town’s infrastructure. Most amenities remain in use and visitors can tour the main Olympic sites over a large area called the Olympiaparken.
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Lillehammer Art Museum
This art museum is not only architecturally striking, it also covers Norwegian visual arts from the early 19th century to the present. Highlights of the permanent collection include some of Norway’s finest artists (including Edvard Munch) and some local painters.
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One-Hand Clapping
This very cool little coffee shop does superb coffee (from Nkr25), as well as croissants and chocolate cake (Nkr20) to die for. The two easy chairs on the pavement are prime people-viewing spots if you’re fortunate enough to snaffle one.
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Nikkers
Known as the place where a moose has apparently walked through the wall (look outside for the full effect), it serves international cuisine and has a pleasant outdoor terrace. The ambience is somewhere between English pub and Oslo café.
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Lysgårdsbakkene Ski Jump Tower
The chairlift price includes entry to the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump tower, which costs Nkr15/12 on its own for an adult/child. Here you can stand atop the ramp and imagine the experience with all the pre-jump nerves.
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Haakons Bar
During the day Haakon’s Bar is the preserve of elbow-on-the-bar locals and very slow. After the sun sets, it kicks into action, becoming a crowded and agreeable place to drink. It can get a little raucous during the ski season.
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Bjerkebæk
Bjerkebæk celebrates the life of Sigrid Undset, one of Norway’s most celebrated authors; she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Her home has been restored with memorabilia from her life.
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Brenneriet/Bryggeriet
This pub, nightclub and disco appeals to a varied clientele from the just-legal to time-worn veterans. It’s not the classiest place in Norway, but it can be fun if your musical tastes aren’t too discerning.
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Ski Simulator
To experience the men’s downhill race (and the Olympic bobsledding course) without putting your life at risk, try the nerve-jangling simulator at the bottom of the jump.
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Handleriet Kafé
With the air of an English tea room, a wide-ranging menu of light meals and pastries and a pleasant outdoor terrace, this lovely old café just down the hill from Storgata is terrific.
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Norwegian Vehicle Museum
Tucked away behind the stream in central Lillehammer, the Norwegian Vehicle Museum is for car buffs, featuring everything from sleighs to vintage cars and motorcycles.
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Svare & Berg
Right by Lillehammer’s bubbling brook, this very cool café-bar-restaurant serves tasty light meals and great coffee. It’s a popular spot for locals.
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Tapas
For a change of scene, try this Spanish-flavoured bar, which plays Latin music, does good tapas and has a pleasant, buzzy ambience when it’s full.
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Blåmann
This recommended spot has a clean-lined interior and a trendy menu that encompasses Mexican dishes, crocodile in Sichuan sauce, kangaroo and reindeer!
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La Piccolo Italia
This good Italian place spills over onto the pavement when the weather’s warm. The food is authentically Italian and prices are reasonable.
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Elvegata 17
Lillehammer’s trendiest little bar, Elvegata 17 draws a 20-something crowd. Mellow by day, it gets livelier as the night wears on.
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Øverlie Café
Filling, inexpensive meals (eg meatballs and mashed potatoes) are the order of the day at this unpretentious pavement-side café.
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