Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Impressions
Skiing is the most Norwegian of all our sports, and a glorious sport it is;
if any merits being called the sport of sports, this is surely the one.
—Explorer Fridtjof Nansen after crossing the interior
of Greenland on skis in 1880
Even though our personal favorite is Geilo because we like its smaller-scale win-
ter charm, no other resort in Norway can compete with all the multifarious offer-
ings of Lillehammer. Facilities here are more wide ranging and better organized
than in Voss or Geilo. Lillehammer might lack charm, but it more than makes up
for that with experienced instructors in its ski schools, with its lifts and smooth
alpine slopes, and with the sheer vast geographic shape of the resort, the starting
point for 402km (250 miles) of prepared, illuminated cross-country tracks.
North of Lillehammer is the Gudbrandsdal valley surrounded by extensive
cross-country areas linked by two long-distance trails: “Troll løype” to the east
and “Peer Gynt løype” to the west. Skiers of all abilities enjoy this area, and
downhillers find several good ski centers. This region, including
Gålå
and
Fefor,
is especially well served by mountain hotels.
For those traveling with their own car, the
Telemark
area is easily accessible
from Haugesund or Kristiansand (3-5 hr.).
Gaustablikk,
near the town of
Rjukan, is the best all-around center, with several lifts and downhill runs of all
standards, plus many kilometers of cross-country trails to suit all abilities.
Although the skiing is good here, our inclination is to leave this area for the
Norwegians themselves, as it lacks much in après-ski life, restaurants, and hotels,
and perhaps would be of less interest to the international visitor intent on visit-
ing a ski resort.
Voss
is well known and easily reached from Bergen in about 90 minutes by car
or train, but the location near the west coast suffers from unreliable weather, par-
ticularly early and late in the season. It is well worth considering for a short break
though, or if you want to combine skiing with a winter visit to the fjord area.
Next to Geilo, this nonetheless remains one of our favorite ski resorts in Nor-
way. Even though it's trying hard, Voss still has a long way to go before it over-
takes either Geilo or Lillehammer. Nonetheless, it offers ski lifts, chairlifts, and
an aerial cableway that can carry skiers up to 788m (2,625 ft.). We are especially
fond of Mjølfjell, reached by going up the Raundalen Valley. This area offers
some of the best cross-country skiing in Norway. Voss also emphasizes Norwe-
gian folklore more than either Geilo or Lillehammer, if that's what you're craving.
Skiing in the summer months is also possible. For information about summer
skiing, get in touch with
Stryn Sommerskisenter
(
&
57-87-40-40;
www.
strynefjellet.com). The largest mainland glacier in Europe is at Jostedalsbreen,
near Stryn.
2 Fishing
With a quarter of Norway's coastline at your disposal, nearly 14,000km (8,699
miles), you obviously have plenty of opportunities for sea fishing.
Norway has long been famous for its salmon and trout fishing. The country
boasts more than 100 salmon rivers flowing into fjords. The best months for
salmon are June and July, and the season extends into August. Sea-trout fishing
