They say that Norwegians are born immediately with skis on their feet. Winter in Norway is long, there are a lot of mountains , more snow. It is no coincidence that it was here in the XVIII century. The first skiing competitions in the world took place. The best ski resorts in Norway from October to April-May invite those who wish to ride on the best routes in Europe. Where to go? The choice can be made by reading the article.
Ski resorts in Norway
Why do Europeans choose Norwegian ski resorts that are not cheap? There are several reasons. This is a variety of slopes suitable for experienced athletes as well as beginners or children. There are ski schools at all resorts; kids can be left in kindergartens or clubs. They ride on the slopes of the best ski resorts in Norway, not only on skis, but also on snowboards, sleighs, tubing, and beans. Equally important is the high level of safety on the tracks. Picturesque mountain landscapes, excellent service in hotels and restaurants, exciting entertainment for adult children, developed infrastructure have made Norway the recognized leader in skiing in Europe.
Many tourists choose Norway because of road availability, because almost all resorts are located near Oslo, which means that you can get by with one flight.
Important! In Norway, a tourist who does not make snow on the tracks receives material compensation.
The most famous ski resorts in Norway are Trysil, Geilo, Lillehammer cluster, Hemsedal.
Skis + mountains = Geilo
As a ski resort, the village began to develop from the middle of the XIX century. The first Norwegian slalom competitions were held on the slopes of Geilo in 1935.
The town is located 240 km from Oslo.
3 ski areas - Taubane, Slaatta, Geilolia - are located on the slopes of the mountains, descending into the valley. There is a bus between them. The highest point of Geilo is 1178 m, the vertical drop is 378 m.
17 lifts, 35 km of slopes of varying difficulty, a ski school, plenty of winter activities for all tastes - no one is bored in Geilo. Colorful restaurants (and there are 17) and hotels of various price categories offer vacationers an equally high level of service. Special attention is paid to classes with children in Geilo: for kids, there is its own ski school with a lift and a game complex.
Hemsedal: description of the slopes
It is worth driving a little more than 200 km from Oslo - and you get to the famous Hemsedal (Norway). The ski resort is located at an altitude of 1050 m; it regularly hosts slalom World Cup competitions.
Snowboarders, skiers, ski jumping and downhill enthusiasts have something to do in Hemsedal, where 47 tracks with a total length of 40 km are equipped, and the longest run is 6 km. Hemsedal was nicknamed the Scandinavian Alps for a reason, here they descend from the peaks of Rogin and Tinden (height 1450 m), the difference is 810 m.
18 lifts without queues raise vacationers, almost 30 thousand people can go per hour. There are illuminated tracks, and 2 for the mogul. In four fan parks, fans rest. 11 magnificent ski jumps are considered the best in Europe. For fans of cross-country skiing, 210 km of tracks have been laid.
What else to do in Hemsedal
The extraordinary beauty of the Hemsedal mountain landscapes gave rise to one of the favorite entertainments of tourists - skiing in the snowy expanses at dawn.
Among the ski resorts in Norway, Hemsedal receives the most enthusiastic reviews to a large extent due to the attention of the staff to the children. The largest ski area in the country, 70 thousand square meters, is arranged for kids, where there was a place for slalom and ski jumping. And in the children's park "Trollia" children from three months can have fun.
A huge indoor gym with exercise equipment, tennis courts, solariums, saunas welcomes guests all year round. Sledding, paragliding, fjord excursions, 26 restaurants and bars, 2 nightclubs - all this is only a small part of the entertainment offered.
How to ride in Trysil
Not far from the Swedish border, 160 km from Oslo is Trysil - here is the longest skiing season, snow falls from October to May. They begin to ride at an altitude of 1132 m, going down to the level of 351 m above sea level.
Trysil (Norway) is a premium ski resort, as the numbers prove:
- 67 pistes stretched for 71 km, and pistes of varying difficulty were laid nearby so that family members - experienced skiers and beginners - could ride together;
- more than 5 km - the longest descent;
- 6 km of tracks are illuminated at night, three times a week you can ride at night with a flaming torch;
- 30 different lifts serve more than 35 thousand people per hour;
- 2 mogulnye tracks;
- 100 km are laid for cross-country skiing, it is possible to ski outside established routes;
- 2 parks for snowboarders.
4 ski areas of varying degrees of difficulty allow you to relax in a variety of ways.
What else is Trysil good
Extreme sportsmen gather in Trysil to try their hand at Route 22 in the largest snow park. On professional slopes for halfpipe, beginners master the skill, and experienced snowboarders demonstrate miracles of dexterity.
Many bars, pubs, restaurants are ready to feed the rest of the guests of the resort. In Trysil you can try all the traditional Norwegian entertainment: riding deer and dogs, curling, ice bowling and more.
"Olympic" Lillehammer: slopes and tracks
Located 180 km from Oslo on the shores of Lake Miesa, Lillehammer became known to the world in 1984 as the venue for the Winter Olympics. Like all ski resorts in Norway, in the photo the Lillehammer cluster looks respectable.
Ride in Lillehammer from November to April along the routes stretching 117 km. Beginners should take into account that there is a significant difference in altitude in this Norwegian region: the mountains start at 195 m and rise to an altitude of 1030 m above sea level. Many people come to Lillehammer specifically to drive in several ski centers at once, because then the length of the tracks will be 350 km.
Skiers are served by 45 different ski lifts. 88 mountain slopes are marked: 21 blue tracks, 28 red and 39 black.
Now Lillehammer in Norway is a world-famous ski resort uniting 5 towns in one valley. Sheikampen, Golo, Shushoen, Quitfiel and Hafiel are located near Lillehammer, you can visit them one at a time, getting to the ski area by bus.
Cluster Resorts Lillehammer
What are the good ski resorts in Norway, included in the Lillehammer cluster?
All that people go to the mountains for in winter is abundant in Sheikampen: 270 km of cross-country tracks, 17 ski slopes, separate children's ski areas and plenty of entertainment.
Golo is located on the shore of the lake, so vacationers are offered ice fishing, snow rafting and kiting, tobogganing, dog and deer riding. However, there are also 15 descents of varying difficulty.
Shushoen attracts fans of running on the plains.
In Kvitfjelya, it is also the White Mountain, many ski slopes (21), immediately there is a descent built for the Olympics-84. Cross-country ski runs stretch around the town for 600 km.
There is an Olympic bobsleigh track in Hafjel; 300 km of running roads are laid along the valley.
Winter activities in Lillehammer
All ski resorts in Norway, Lillehammer, including in the winter, become the venue for numerous festivals, concerts, exhibitions.
You can have a rest in Lillehammer in different ways, but in order to get the full impression of the Norwegian resort, you should visit:
- Olympic Museum. 7 thousand exhibits will tell about the history of the Olympic movement since ancient times.
- Olympic Park. Only here you can feel like a real athlete, racing at a speed of 100 km / h on a professional bobsled track or jumping from a springboard using a simulator.
- Hunderfossen Winter Park introduces Norwegian legends. The keeper of the park is a huge troll, with which tourists like to be photographed. There are many attractions here, among them such original ones as bowling on ice, snowboarding and more.
- Park Mayhaugen. The park has over 200 houses representing the lifestyle in ancient Norway.
- Remarkable emotions leave visiting a husky kennel, riding a dog or a safari with moose.
- Finally, ice fishing, rafting in the snow, sledging, snowshoeing, rope park, golf and horse riding - this and much more make the vacation unforgettable.
Norway - ski country
There are such ski resorts and slopes of Norway that attract attention with their unusualness, for example, snow in the summer. Such resorts are located on mountain glaciers.
Stryn is located on the severe Jostedalsbreen glacier. In summer, from a height of more than 1,500 m above sea level, a beautiful view of the fjords, flowering valleys and waterfalls opens. The length of the slopes is 10 km.
And on the Juvbreen Glacier is Gallhepiggen - Norway's northernmost ski resort. The slopes are laid from the top of the glacier to the mountain lake.
If skiing is boring, vacationers are offered excursions to the glacier and the fjords, parachuting and other extreme activities.
Narvik is located already beyond the Arctic Circle, where you can ride while admiring the aurora. Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, even in winter the air temperature in Narvik rarely drops below -10 0 . 13 tracks that allow you to go down from a height of 1003 m to 125 m above sea level, several ski lifts, a snowboard park and cross-country tracks attract many tourists to Narvik.
Russian tourists are gradually becoming frequent guests in the Norwegian ski resorts, feeling the charm of winter entertainment in Norwegian and the quality of the services provided.