Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sophistication often found at alpine resorts. (Incidentally, the word
ski
is an Old
Norse word, as is
slalom.
)
Geilo
and
Hemsedal
are the best-known downhill resorts. We recommend
either area for keen downhill skiers. Geilo has the most extensive lift system, but
Hemsedal has steeper runs and more spectacular scenery. There is also good
cross-country skiing near both resorts. The huge mountain area of
Golsfjellet,
between Hemsedal, Gol, and Valdres, is excellent for cross-country skiers with
some experience. The main railway between Oslo and Bergen serves Geilo
directly and Hemsedal via a connecting bus service from Gol (3-4 hr.).
In many ways, Geilo is our favorite ski resort in Norway because you can lit-
erally step off the train and onto a ski lift. Voss, its rival, has more folklore and
better architecture. A lot of Geilo consists of large structures that evoke army
barracks. But in winter the white snow is all forgiving, and you will have arrived
at an alpine Valhalla. Our preferred slope at Geilo is the Skiheiser, with 24km
(15 miles) of some of the best skiing this side of the Swiss Alps. With 18 lifts
and 33 ski runs, Geilo is competitive with any resort in Norway, if not the bull's-
eye center of the most bustling “ski circus.”
Trysil
in eastern Norway is less well known than Geilo and Hemsedal, yet it
also offers good downhill skiing. There is a particularly fine choice of self-cater-
ing chalets and apartments here with skiable access to the lifts. Trysil is easy to
reach by a direct express bus service from Oslo airport (3 hr.). Of course, Trysil
is more of a backwater and doesn't possess the après-ski life of more established
resorts such as Voss and Geilo.
The
Valdres
area between Hemsedal and Lillehammer is famous for its
scenery of rolling forested hills with high mountains in the distance. The Aurdal
ski center has the unbeatable combination of superb cross-country terrain and
good downhill facilities. A good base for both is one of the excellent chalets at
the top of the downhill slopes. Direct bus service connects Valdres to central
Oslo (3 hr.).
The owners of ski resorts in Voss, Geilo, and Lillehammer aren't going to fall
over dead out of fear that Valdres is going to take over all their business. But
many world-class skiers are increasingly frequenting this resort to avoid the
crowds and to enjoy slopes at a more leisurely pace.
Lillehammer
has been well known since the Winter Olympics in 1994 and
the competitive facilities are world-class. The main downhill slopes are at
Haf-
jell,
15km (9
1
⁄
3
miles) north of Lillehammer. The cross-country skiing through
the gentle hills, scattered forests, and lakes of the Sjusjøen area is endless and
particularly good for beginners. Lillehammer itself is more cosmopolitan than
the other ski towns and has a wide range of shops and places to eat and drink.
The Cradle of Skiing
A 4,000-year-old rock carving from Nordland shows that Norwegians were
already using skis back then. Telemark county is regarded as the “cradle
of skiing” because Sondre Nordheim from Morgedal created an interest
for the sport there in the 1870s and 1880s. He devised a binding that
made it possible to turn and jump without losing the skis, and also
designed a ski with inwardly curved edges—the Telemark ski—that
became the prototype of all subsequent skis.
Fun Fact