Hotels in Lillehammer

Lillehammer: Norway's Winter Olympics City on Lake Mjøsa

Lillehammer sits on the northern shore of Lake Mjøsa, 180 km north of Oslo via the E6 motorway. The city earned global attention in February 1994 when it hosted the XVII Winter Olympic Games — the venues remain in active use three decades later. Håkons Hall hosts ice hockey and concerts; the Lysgårdsbakkene ski jump towers above the wooden-painted town centre and is visible from most hotel windows. The open-air museum Maihaugen, founded in 1887, preserves 200 traditional Norwegian buildings and draws visitors year-round.

Where to Stay

Hotels concentrate along Storgata, the main pedestrian street, and near the Olympic Park to the northwest. Budget travellers find options at the foot of the ski jump area; full-service hotels with lake views cluster around the railway station. The Lillehammer Hotel, operating since 1890, anchors the upper end of the market on Turistvegen.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Direct trains from Oslo S run hourly; journey time is approximately 2 hours 10 minutes.
• Season: Ski slopes at Hafjell (15 km north) open late November through April; summer hiking on Nansen Trail peaks July–August.
• Pack: Temperatures drop below −10 °C in January — bring insulated layers even for short walks between venues.