First of all, it is mountain skiing. There are many ski centers in the country, the most popular of which is the capital of the 1994 Winter Olympics – Lillehammer, located 176 km away. from Oslo, on the shores of the largest lake in Norway – Mjesa in the picturesque Gudbrandsdalen valley, the birthplace of Peer Gynt. The ski center unites 4 resorts: Hafjell, Kvitfjell, Gausdal, Gala, located within a radius of 15-20 km from Lillehammer (a free bus runs between the resorts). The skiing season lasts here from November to May.
Resort Gausdal is located 38 km from Lillehammer. It is located at an altitude of 800 m above sea level. Mount Skeikampen is the highest point (1123 m above sea level). Skating for beginners and children, family holidays. There are trails for snowboarding, carving and freestyle enthusiasts. 220 km of flat trails. For children – the play complex “Badger Country” with gates, tunnels, fairy-tale characters, a toboggan slide, a skating rink and a ski school. A variety of entertainment programs are offered: karting, sledding, snow rafting.
According to TOP-MEDICAL-SCHOOLS, Resort Gala has a rich choice of activities, including ice fishing, sledding, reindeer and dog sledding, snow rafting (every Friday), ski sailing (sailing), tobogganing, outdoor swimming pool. The resort is located at an altitude of 700 m in the Gudbrandsdalen valley. Flat trails with a total length of as much as 630 km. The skiing season is from November to April.
Resort Kvifjell, which means “White Mountain”. 19 pistes of various difficulty levels are laid along Mount Kvitfjell (1025 m). Here is a winding and steep track, which was specially built for the 1994 Olympics. “Kingdom of speed” – the second name of this resort, a favorite place for sports Norwegian elite. 200 km of flat trails. The stages of the World Cup in slalom, as well as biathlon competitions are annually held here. Located 50 km from Lillehammer.
Resort Hafjell located 15 km from Lillehammer. The skiing season is from December to mid-April. The resort is suitable for both beginner skiers and those who have been skiing for years. Recommended for families with children. There is an Amusement Park – a fabulous cave “Hunderfossen”. All the trolls are gathered here, and at the entrance to it there is a huge 14-meter troll. Something like Disneyland in the Norwegian style. Most of the tracks are laid among the trees, which protects the resort from gusts of strong winds. For 75% of the tracks, artificial snow is typical, but its quality is good. 24 slopes of different difficulty levels: green – 7, blue – 8, red – 5, black – 4. The longest descent is 5 km. 300 km of flat trails. There is a park for snowboarders. In the very center of the resort is the Olympic bobsleigh track.
Hemsedal Ski Center is located 220 kilometers from Oslo (3 hours drive). There are a large number of well-prepared slopes of varying degrees of difficulty in several ski areas: 4 – black, 6 – red, 7 – blue, 8 – green – good for both beginners and advanced skiers. Their total length is 40 kilometers. The longest track is 2800 meters. There are 15 lifts. Great opportunities for snowboarding and free skiing. Hemsedal is rightly called the Scandinavian Alps. There are excellent opportunities for family holidays from November to May: dog sledding, horseback riding. Ice climbing, torch skiing, night skiing on illuminated slopes, mountain climbing, mountain slalom, snowmobile hunting are offered. In the Children’s District there is “Trollia Park” – a large set of entertainment for children from 3 months and older, there are educators. There is a special children’s slope with a playground, special tracks with 5 lifts, miniscooters with a special track.
The Geilo resort is located next to the national park on the “Hardanger” plateau. International slalom and cross-country skiing competitions are held here. Ski slopes are located on both sides of the valley and are divided into 3 ski areas: Geilo-Taubane, Vestlia and Slaatta. A single ski-pass for all slopes of the resort. There are many trails of different difficulty levels, there are 4 illuminated slopes, 3 snowboard trails, a cross-country ski trail – as much as 220 kilometers. The longest descent in Geilo is 2 km. There is a ski school. The resort has a well developed winter sports base with over 100 years of tradition. It is no coincidence that Geilo is called the “alpine town” – the first ski competition in Norway were held here in 1935. Snow lies here almost all year round. Good snow cover just for skiing is guaranteed from November to May. The resort offers snowmobile safaris, dog sledding, horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice fishing, ice skating, tobogganing, rock climbing, glacier climbing, scooter rides (16+), “five people on one pair of skis”, “biathlon-relay race on snow boots”. Lots of restaurants, bars and cafes. Children under 3 years old can be left under the supervision of a nanny in the Ski Center, special entertainment programs have been developed with skiing, dog sledding and snowmobiling, as well as swimming lessons in hotels. In February, Geilo hosts an annual children’s ski festival parade. Game complex “Troll Club”, toboggan run, playground, separate lift, free helmet rental, ski school, cafe for children, kindergarten.
