Lillehammer
Discover Lillehammer
Lillehammer is a small town in the county of Oppland in south-central Norway. Lillehammer is best remembered as the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, but it's also worth a visit in the summer for its beautifully preserved late 19th-century wooden houses. The town sits at the intersection of the lake Mjøsa and Gudbrandsdalen, the great valley of East Norway. It is home to about 30,000 people (National Population Register, 1 January 2026) Since 2012, it has become famous for the Lilyhammer TV series.
What to Experience in Lillehammer
Taste of Lillehammer...
Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics with venues at:
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsLillehammer does not have its own airport, but Oslo's Gardermoen is well connected by train with departures once hourly (1 hr 40 min. Price between 249 - 450 kr, depending on how far in advance you purchase the ticket). Lillehammer Station is along the main train line from Skien and Oslo towards Trondheim. The trip to Oslo takes about two hours and there are departures hourly. Norway's main road, the E6, runs through Lillehammer. At Oslo airport Gardermoen south of Mjøsa there are multiple options provided at the airport rental desks. However, one must plan for at least 2 hours drive. Be prepared for road construction delays and slippery roads in winter. Vy Buss operate bus lines to and from Oslo city centre as well as Oslo lufthavn Gardermoen. Vy Buss also operate buses to and from Bergen via Stryn, as well as to Trondheim. Central Lillehammer is best covered on foot. Buses to various regional destinations depart from outside the train station....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Central Lillehammer is best covered on foot. Buses to various regional destinations depart from outside the train station. Bus tickets can be purchased from Entur (available on iPhone and Android), or directly from the driver. Card payments accepted. Many of Lillehammer's newer sights are related to the 1994 Olympics and are in the commemorative Olympic Park (Olympiaparken). There are excellent skiing and other winter sports opportunities in winter. Lillehammer's main shopping street is named Storgata ("Big Street"), a pedestrian street lined with wooden houses, boutiques and restaurants. The Strandtorget shopping centre can be reached by bus or on foot. Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics with venues at:
Where to Stay
Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics with venues at:
Money & Budget
Lillehammer's main shopping street is named Storgata ("Big Street"), a pedestrian street lined with wooden houses, boutiques and restaurants. The Strandtorget shopping centre can be reached by bus or on foot. Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics with venues at:
Safety Information
Glimpses of Lillehammer
Cloudy Cityscape of Lillehammer Featuring the Church, Lillehammer Bridge over Mjøsa, Green Fields, Farms, and Pine Forest in the Background
Perfection
Waterfall in Norway, landscape
Cold winter morning
a waterfall in a forest
long-exposure photography body of water
green pine trees on snow covered ground under blue sky during daytime
A young female golden retriever poses in front of golden ears of wheat, with old log houses in an open-air museum in the background.
When I went out to fly my drone on a sunny, late winter, evening I wanted to shoot some beautiful landscape images before the last snow would be gone. But as I flew above the forest and pointed my camera down, I saw an unusal winter scenery, the trees where so colorful that it looked more like fall than winter. So my originally planned winter image instead turned into a combination of colorful autumn trees, with white winter covering the ground, and the green spring trees.
A Young Golden Retriever Stands on Her Hind Legs, Peering Intently Through an Old Window, Curiously Observing the Outside World, Following Every Movement and Action Happening Beyond the Glass
Cloudy Cityscape of Lillehammer Featuring the Church, Lillehammer Bridge over Mjøsa, Green Fields, Farms, and Pine Forest in the Background
Perfection
Waterfall in Norway, landscape