Must-see attractions in Central Norway

  • Smelthytta in Roros, Norway.

    Smelthytta

    Central Norway

    Built on the site of a former copper-smelting works that burnt down in 1975, this museum brings the town's mining heritage to life. Intricate working…

  • Snohetta viewpoint interior.

    Snøhetta Viewpoint

    Central Norway

    This arresting building of rippled timber and mirrored glass was commissioned by the Wild Reindeer Foundation as an educational centre and observation…

  • Mímisbrunnr Klimapark 2469

    Central Norway

    If you want to learn all about the wonders of ice, this impressive experience takes you closer than you ever thought possible. Guided tours take you 60m…

  • Olympic Park

    Central Norway

    After Lillehammer won its bid for the 1994 Winter Olympics, the Norwegian government ploughed more than two billion kroner into the town's infrastructure…

  • Ringebu Stave Church in Norway. Built in the first quarter of the 13th century, is one of 28 surviving stave churches and one of the largest.

    Ringebu Stave Church

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Hiker sitting on a rock in front of Gjendesee Lake in Jotunheimen National Park.

    Jotunheimen National Park

    Central Norway

    This national park, 17km southwest of Lom, is one of Norway's best wilderness destinations. It has a network of hiking trails leading to some 60 glaciers…

  • Lillehammer Art Museum, Lillehammer, Norway.

    Lillehammer Art Museum

    Central Norway

    Lillehammer's stunning metal-and-glass art museum looks like a spaceship that's landed in the middle of town. It explores Norwegian visual arts from the…

  • Muskox (Ovibos moschatus), Dovrefjell Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway

    Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park

    Central Norway

    This 4367-sq-km national park, Norway's largest continuous protected area, protects the dramatic highlands around the 2286m-high Snøhetta. It also…

  • Røros Kirke

    Central Norway

    Røros' copper industry was booming when local notables decided to finance the construction of this lovely – and large – Lutheran church in 1784, at a cost…

  • Peer Gynt Vegen

    Central Norway

    Of all the beautiful mountain roads of central Norway, one stands out for its combination of scenery and storytelling: Peer Gynt Vegen. Running for 60km…

  • Domkirkeodden

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Norsk Forestry Museum

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Breheimen National Park

    Central Norway

    One of Norway's newest national parks, Breheimen opened in 2009 and covers 1691 sq km. It's wedged between the Jotunheimen and Jostedalsbreen national…

  • Fokstumyra Marshes

    Central Norway

    These wild marshes are home to an astonishing array of bird life. Approximately 87 species nest in the area and 162 species in total have been observed…

  • Lom Stavkyrkje

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Olavsgruva Mine

    Central Norway

    For a gritty insight into Røros' mining past, head 13km north of Røros to this centuries-old mine, where ore has been extracted since the 1650s. Tours…

  • Norwegian Railway Museum

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Norwegian Olympic Museum

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Maihaugen Folk Museum

    Central Norway

    Step back into the past at this surprisingly fascinating folk museum, which has collected around 180 buildings from other parts of Norway, mostly from the…

  • Viking Ship Sports Arena

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Reinheimen National Park

    Central Norway

    Founded in 2006, this 1969-sq-km park stretches from Lom in the southeast to Åndalsnes in the northwest. It's a varied and relatively unexplored park that…

  • Aulestad

    Central Norway

    Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1903, lived on a farm at Aulestad, 18km northwest of Lillehammer. It has been lovingly…

  • Snøhetta

    Central Norway

    The park's highest mountain is Snøhetta (2286m) and it was an important trading pass in previous centuries. The mountain also features in many Norwegian…

  • Norsk Fjellmuseum

    Central Norway

    Acting as the visitor centre for Jotunheimen National Park, this worthwhile mountain museum contains mountaineering memorabilia and exhibits on natural…

  • Bjerkebæk

    Central Norway

    Bjerkebæk celebrates the life of Sigrid Undset, one of Norway's most notable authors who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Her home has been…

  • Dovre National Park

    Central Norway

    Immediately north of Rondane National park, this 289-sq-km park was established in 2003 and is famous for having almost every Norwegian flora type within…

  • Miners' Cottages (Flanderborg Gate)

    Central Norway

    Off the southwestern corner of the slag heaps, the historic smelting district with its tiny turf-roofed miners' cottages, particularly along Sleggveien,…

  • Johan Falkberget Museum

    Central Norway

    The works of Røros' favourite son, author Johan Falkberget (1879–1967), have been translated into 19 languages and cover 300 years of the region's mining…

  • Fossheim Steinsenter

    Central Norway

    The fascinating Fossheim Steinsenter combines an impressive selection of rare and beautiful rocks, minerals, fossils, gems and jewellery for sale, and a…

  • Norwegian Museum of Road History

    Central Norway

    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…

  • Lom Bygdamuseum

    Central Norway

    Behind Norsk Fjellmuseum, this museum is a collection of 19th-century farm buildings, several stabbur (elevated store houses), an old hut (it's claimed…

  • Ringebu Samlingene

    Central Norway

    Some 300m uphill to the east of the stave church are the buildings from the 1743 Ringebu Samlingene, which served as the vicarage until 1991. Guided tours…

  • Malmplassen (Ore Place)

    Central Norway

    Outside the Smelthytta entrance spreads the large open area known as the Malmplassen (Ore Place), where loads of ore were dumped and weighed on the large…

  • Slegghaugen

    Central Norway

    These slag heaps make an unlikely protected monument, but they're an important illustration of what was left after the copper smelting process. They also…

  • Glomdal Museum

    Central Norway

    This collection of 90 historic buildings from the Glomma valley is one of the better examples of Norway's numerous 'folk' museums. It's 2km west of the…

  • Harald Sohlsbergs Plass 59

    Central Norway

    For one of the loveliest turf-roofed homes you'll see, head up to the top of Kjerkgata to the house signposted as Harald Sohlsbergs Plass 59.

  • Røros Museum

    Central Norway

    Various museums around Røros, including the Smelthytta and Olavsgruva mine, are collected under this catch-all organisation.

  • Olympic Flame Tower

    Central Norway

    The tower for the Olympic flame stands near the foot of the Lygårdsbakkene Ski Jump.