Justin Foulkes
Central Norway
Bleak tundra and dramatic mountain massifs at seemingly every turn, charming villages, stave churches, fascinating wildlife and arguably Norway's best hiking and white-water rafting – with so much going for it, central Norway more than matches the fjords.
Here on the roof of Norway, trails snake their way past glaciers, waterfalls and snow-bound peaks in more than a dozen national parks. Jotunheimen National Park is one of Europe's premier hiking destinations, and is bisected by one of Norway's most beautiful drives. But Rondane, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella and the desolately beautiful Hardangervidda are also superb. Within the parks' boundaries you may find wild reindeer, elk and musk ox. At the gateway to the parks, Unesco World Heritage–listed Røros, a centuries-old mining town of timber houses and turf-roofed cottages, and Lom, with its beautiful stave church, are two of inland Norway's most attractive villages.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Central Norway.
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Ringebu Stave Church
A church has existed on this site since the arrival of Christianity in the 11th century. The current version, which remains the local parish church, dates from around 1220, but was restored in the 17th century when the distinctive red tower was attached. Inside, there's a statue of St Laurence dating from around 1250, as well as some crude runic inscriptions. Entrance to the grounds themselves are free and the gate is open year-round. The church is around 2km south of town, signposted off the E6. It hosts occasional concerts of Norwegian folk music in summer.
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Domkirkeodden
West of town (1.5km), this extensive open-air museum includes 18th- and 19th-century buildings, a folk history exhibit featuring the creepy Devil's Finger (a finger cast in pewter with various spooky legends attached to it), and the ruins of the castle. But the centrepiece is Hamar's tumbledown medieval cathedral, now protected inside a stunning glass enclosure. The grounds themselves are free to visit and open all the time, and you can also peer through the glasshouse-like structure that surrounds the ruined cathedral, but to get inside this or any of the other museum exhibit buildings you'll need a ticket. It's a pleasant walk or cycle from town along the lake shore to the museum.
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Norsk Forestry Museum
Forests have been central to life in Norway since time immemorial, and this quirky museum 1km from downtown Elverum celebrates them in all their various forms. The museum's centrepiece is the Fantastic Tree, a 7.5m-high monster made of 10km of aluminium pipes, along with a huge glowing wall that shows the process of photosynthesis in action. Elsewhere around the complex there are exhibitions on forestry, wildlife, carving and other arboreal themes. If you're also planning on visiting the Glomdal Museum, the joint ticket works out cheaper.
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Lom Stavkyrkje
This delightful Norman-style stave church, in the centre of town on a rise by the water, is one of Norway's finest. Still the functioning local church, it was constructed in 1170, extended in 1634 and given its current cruciform shape with the addition of two naves in 1663. Guided tours explain the interior paintings and Jakop Sæterdalen's chancel arch and pulpit (from 1793). At night, the church is lit to fairy-tale effect. Entry to the grounds, which are open year-round, is free.
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Norwegian Railway Museum
Train spotters will have steam blowing out of their ears at the sight of this lovely railway museum, which brings together a fine collection of train-related ephemera – from engine sheds, rail carriages and steam locomotives to vintage station paraphernalia. Of equal interest are the displays exploring the extraordinary engineering feats required to carve the railways through Norway's rugged terrain. It's about 2km west of Hamar's town centre.
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Viking Ship Sports Arena
Hamar's standout landmark is this sports arena, a graceful structure with the lines of an upturned Viking ship. The building, which hosted the speed skating during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, holds 20,000 spectators, encompasses 9600 sq metres of ice and is 94.6m long. Both in scale and aesthetics, it's an impressive place. From late July to mid-August, it's open to the public for ice-skating (115kr per day).
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Norsk Fjellmuseum
Acting as the visitor centre for Jotunheimen National Park, this worthwhile mountain museum contains mountaineering memorabilia and exhibits on natural history (the woolly mammoth is a highlight) and cultural and industrial activity in the Norwegian mountains. There's also a 10-minute mountain slide show and, upstairs, a scale model of the park.
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Fossheim Steinsenter
The fascinating Fossheim Steinsenter combines an impressive selection of rare and beautiful rocks, minerals, fossils, gems and jewellery for sale, and a large museum of geological specimens from all over Norway and the world; don't miss the downstairs fossil exhibition. The knowledgeable owners of the centre are especially proud of the Norwegian national stone, thulite. It was discovered in 1820 and is now quarried in Lom; the reddish colour is derived from traces of manganese.
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Norwegian Museum of Road History
The Norwegian Museum of Road History tells the story of Norway’s battle to forge roads through its challenging geography. Up the hill and part of the same complex, the Fjellsprengnings-museet (Rock-Blasting Museum) is a 240m-long tunnel that gives you a real insight into the difficulties of building a tunnel through the Norwegian mountains. The walk, guided with lighting, models and video commentary, takes around 30 minutes.