Lovely Lillehammer: A Guide to Norway’s Olympic City

Lillehammer perfectly balances Olympic heritage with a traditional Norwegian small-town atmosphere. On this walking tour, you’ll explore the cultural landmarks that have shaped the city’s identity, and learn how this picturesque destination at the northern tip of Lake Mjøsa became a centre for winter sports, arts, and local culture.

The tour starts in front of the Lillehammer Railway Station. You’ll stroll through the city centre, with its distinctive wooden architecture, and cross the Mesna River which was instrumental in the town gaining city status in 1842. Along the way, you’ll discover how Lillehammer transformed from a small trading post to an internationally recognised destination, thanks to the 1994 Winter Olympics.

As you make your way uphill, you’ll pass Nobel Prize-winning author Sigrid Undset’s home, Bjerkebæk, and explore the Olympic Park with its impressive ski jumps and sports facilities. The tour ends in the tranquil Søndre Park Aland, where you can reflect on the city’s unique blend of Olympic dimensions and small-town life.

On this hour-long Lillehammer tour, you’ll also have a chance to:

• Stroll down Storgata, Norway’s ”longest small-town street,” with its preserved wooden buildings from the 1800s, which earned it a Norwegian State Building Code Prize
• Pass by Maihaugen, one of Norway’s best-known open-air museums, showcasing traditional Norwegian architecture and culture since 1904
• See Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake, and hear about the historic Skibladner paddle steamer that’s operated since 1856
• Learn about the Norwegian Post Museum and the Norwegian Olympic Museum
• Learn about local innovations like the 1925 cheese slicer, and discover the cultural institutions that help to preserve Norwegian heritage

By the end of this tour, you’ll have the perfect introduction to Lillehammer’s unique character, where world-class sports facilities stand alongside historic wooden buildings and cultural landmarks.