Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Although it's not strictly in the fjord country, it's included here because it's a
“gateway” there en route from Oslo to Bergen. The Geilo area boasts 130km (81
miles) of marked cross-country skiing tracks.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
From Flåm, motorists return to Aurland to connect with
Route 50. It runs southeast through the towns of Steine, Storestølen, Hovet, and
Hagafoss. In Hagafoss connect with Route 7 going southwest into Geilo. If
you're dependent on public transportation, forget about the meager long-dis-
tance bus service and opt for the train connections via Oslo or Bergen. From
Oslo, the fare is 385NOK ($55) per person one-way, and the trip takes 3
1
⁄
2
hours; from Bergen, it's 350NOK ($50) one-way and takes 3 hours.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Turistinformasjonen
office is at Vesleslåt-
teveien 13 in the town center (
&
32-09-59-00
). It's open June to August daily
from 9am to 9pm; September to May, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm, Sat-
urday 8:30am to 3pm. The town doesn't use street addresses, but everything is
laid out easily enough to find. Also visit www.geilo.no for information.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Geilo is both a summer and a winter destination, although its claim to fame is
as a skiing resort, the main season lasting from January to March. If you plan on
doing a lot of skiing, it's best to purchase the
Vinterlandkoret Ski Pass
at the
tourist office. This pass, costing 220NOK ($31) per day or 900NOK ($128) per
week, is good for all five ski centers in the area as well as the network of slopes
in such nearby resorts as Ål, Uvdal, and Hemesdal.
Of the five different ski centers, our most preferred is
Geilo Skiheiser
(
&
32-
09-59-20
), with 24km (15 miles) of slopes, many as good as those in the Swiss
Alps, plus 130km (81 miles) of cross-country trails along with 18 lifts and a “ski-
board” tunnel.
The favorite area for families is
Vestlia
(
&
32-09-55-10
), west of Ustedals-
fjord. Other ski centers are found at
Havsdalsenternet
(
&
32-09-17-77
),
which Norwegian young people have adopted as their favorite;
Sloatta
(
&
32-
09-02-02
), with its wide range of alpine and cross-country trails (though not as
good as those of Geilo Skiheiser, above); and, finally,
Halstensgård
(
&
32-09-
10-20
), which we suggest you skip unless you're here for a long time and want
to ski every trail.
In all, Geilo, Norway's most popular winter resort, offers 18 lifts and 33 runs.
All the ski centers are linked by a free shuttle bus service. Cross-country skiers
will find a total of 220km (137 miles) of marked trails through forests, hills and
moors to
Hardangervidda,
Europe's largest mountain plateau (see “Eidfjord:
Western Gateway to Hardangervidda,” earlier in this chapter.)
In summer, mountain tracking is the passion. Some of the greatest hikes in
central Norway are open to you, and the Geilo tourist office is most helpful in
offering expert guidance and furnishing maps. There is a network of marked
routes and pathways established since ancient days. Geilo cable cars take you to
the top of the resort at 1,060m (3,477 ft.) above sea level. From that vantage
point, marked trails split off in many directions.
When you get tired of hiking, you can always take up canoeing, cycling, or
horseback riding. To go rafting and canoeing, call
Dagali Rafting
(
&
32-09-
38-20
), which organizes trips in the Dagali and Sjoa areas around Geilo.
Depending on the day of the week, trips begin at 250NOK ($36), going up to
