Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You can also visit 37 old workshops, displaying activities ranging from gun-
smithing to wood engraving, and a large exhibit covering Norwegian history
from 10,000
B
.
C
. to the present. The museum lies about 10 minutes on foot
from the town center or a 20-minute walk from the train station. Head up Jern-
banegata, turn right onto Anders Sandvigs Gate, and then go left up Mai-
haugvegen following the signposts. The city's concert hall is also at the museum,
and two on-site cafeterias serve Norwegian food.
Maihaugveien 1.
&
61-28-89-00.
Admission 90NOK ($13) adults, 55NOK ($7.80) children 7-15, free for
children under 6. June-Aug daily 10am-5pm; May and Sept daily 10am-5pm; Oct-Apr (indoor museum only)
Tues-Sun 11am-4pm. Bus: 007.
Norsk Kjøretøy-Historisk Museum (Museum of Norwegian Vehicle His-
tory)
Norway's only vehicle museum illustrates the development of trans-
portation from the first sledges and wagons to modern-day cars. The most
interesting, and perhaps sad, exhibitions are the cars left over from Norway's
attempt to build up an automobile-manufacturing industry. Most famous of
these is the strange “Troll Car,” a kissing cousin of Sweden's Saab. The last ones
were made in the 1950s and are viewed as collectors' vehicles today. The
museum is east of the town center; from the bus stop, head out on Elvegata.
Lilletorvet 7.
&
61-25-61-65.
Admission 40NOK ($5.70) adults, 20NOK ($2.85) children 7-14, free for chil-
dren under 6. June 15-Aug 20 daily 10am-6pm; Aug 21-June 14 Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm.
OLYMPIC SITES
The
Lillehammer Olympic Park
was the site of the 1994 games and is
today one of the major centers for sports in Norway. In
Håkons Hall
there are
facilities for fitness training, squash, badminton, football, handball, volleyball,
and other pursuits. Visitors can attend various sporting events here, especially
hockey matches but also indoor golfing events. Check with the tourist office to
see what might be in the offing at the time of your visit.
Also in the hall is
Norges Olympiske Museum (Norwegian Olympic
Museum),
Olympiaparken (
&
61-25-21-00
), the only such museum in Scan-
dinavia, with exhibitions not only about Lillehammer's role as host of the games
in 1994, but also on the entire history of the Olympics up to the present day. In
all, there are some 6,000 individual exhibits, as well as documentaries of the
games. Admission is 60NOK ($8.50) for adults and 30NOK ($4.25) for chil-
dren. It's open June to August 31 daily from 10am to 6pm. Off season it's open
Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 4pm.
Lysgårdsbakkene,
the ski jump tower (
&
61-26-46-93
), is open daily from
mid-June to mid-August 9am to 8pm, charging 15NOK ($2.15) for admission.
You can take a chairlift to the top of the big ski jump for a
panoramic view
of Olympic Park and the surrounding area. The chairlift costs 35NOK ($4.95)
for adults and 25NOK ($3.55) for children. Although you can also take the
chairlift back down, it makes a lovely stroll to walk down instead.
In the upper part of the park, the
Birkebeineren Nordic Center
(
&
61-27-
58-00
) has areas for cross-country skiing, plus a ski lodge and a cafeteria. The
Kanthaugen Freestyle Facility
(
&
61-05-42-00
) is one of the most compact
facilities of its type in the world, with hills for aerials, moguls, and “ballet.”
Skiing instruction is offered on the ballet hill.
The
Olympic Bobsled Run
(contact Lillehammer's Olympic Park,
&
61-05-
42-00
) is not in the park but at Hunderfossen, 15km (9
1
⁄
4
miles) north of the
town. This is northern Europe's only artificially refrigerated bobsled and luge
track. The track is 1,365m (4,478 ft.) long, and the height difference from start
