Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson: Yes, We Love This Land
Ranking along with author Henrik Ibsen, 1903 Nobel prize winner for
literature Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910) has left part of his world
behind at this old farmstead at Aulestad (see listing above), which the
public can now visit in Gausdal. The author is a towering figure in the
history of Norway, having achieved fame as a poet, dramatist, novelist,
journalist, editor, public speaker, and theater director.
His immortality was ensured when his poem “Ja, vi elsker dette
landet” (“Yes, We Love This Land”) was selected as the Norwegian
national anthem.
The son of a pastor, Bjørnson grew up in a farming community, later
the setting for several of his novels. From 1857 to 1859, he became
Ibsen's successor as artistic director of the Bergen Theatre, where he
married the actress Karoline Reimers in 1858.
Later, from 1866 to 1871, he was director of the Christiania Theatre
in Oslo. While in self-imposed exile between 1860 and 1863, he wrote
some of his most enduring works. Some of his best-remembered works
today are
The Heritage of the Kurts,
written in 1884, and
In God's Way,
written in 1889.
Later in life he became an ardent socialist, working for peace and
international understanding. Although he enjoyed worldwide fame in
his life, and his plays helped to bring “social realism” to Europe, his
international reputation today pales when compared to his sometimes
friend and always rival, Ibsen.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, the author of the national anthem of Norway, lived at an
old farmstead,
Aulestad,
in Gausdal, 18km (11 miles) northwest of Lilleham-
mer, from 1875 until his death in 1910. Bjørnson purchased the farm with his
wife, Karoline. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1903. In 1934 the house
was opened as a national museum and today it is filled with Bjørnson memora-
bilia. It's signposted near the hamlet of Follebu. Aulestad (
&
61-22-41-10
) is
open in late May and September daily 11am to 2:30pm, June and August daily
10am to 3:30pm, and July daily 10am to 5:30pm. Admission is 60NOK
($8.50) adults, 30NOK ($4.25) for children under 16.
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
Most people travel the Peer Gynt Road as an excursion from Lillehammer. But
if you'd like to stay around for a few days, here are several recommended accom-
modations. These recommendations are scattered throughout the area at various
hamlets and resorts.
Dalseter Høyfjellshotell
This family-run hotel, built in 1963 but con-
siderably modernized since, is set on a hillside overlooking panoramic forests
and mountains. Next to some of the best cross-country skiing tracks in the area,
it has a homelike, friendly atmosphere. The bedrooms are outfitted in a cozy,
comfortable Norwegian regional style, with lots of heat during the Arctic win-
ters. Some of the tidy little bathrooms have a tub/shower combination; others
have only a shower. In winter, evening dance music contributes to a festive
Kids
