Ski Holidays in Lillehammer, Norway

• Snow Conditions in Lillehammer Norway +

  Snow report issued:	22nd Feb 12
  Last snowed:	14th Feb 12
  Fresh snow depth:	3cm
  Depth at resort:	60cm
  Mountain depth:	85cm
  Piste state:
  Good (Best skiing on groomed runs, variable elsewhere)
  Weather report:
  Light clouds dotting the sky
  Temperature:	1°C
  Open lifts:	48 of 49

  View Lillehammer snow history

• Lillehammer Resort Statistics+

  Slope Direction	E
  Very Easy Runs	0
  Easy Runs	4
  Medium Runs	3
  Difficult Runs	2
  Toughest Run Name
  Skiable Vertical	250m
  Number Of Lifts	4
  Top Lift Height	980m
  Night Skiing	N
  Snowboarding Parks	0
  Half Pipes	0
  Swimming Pools	1
  Night Clubs	0
  Mountain Restaurants	1

• Lillehammer Piste Map+

  

• Lillehammer Transfer Times+

  Oslo:	4 hours
  Torp / Sandefjord:	5 hours

Lillehammer is a small city, population 25,000, located in eastern Norway, on the northern shore of Norway's largest lake, Mjøsa, and 180 kilometres (112 miles) from the capital Oslo. The resort hit world headlines in 1994 when it hosted the winter Olympic Games.

For visitors today it means that Lillehammer offers a great range of facilities on and off the slopes for residents and visitors alike, including first class winter sports facilities of all kind and a wide choice of shopping, restaurants and accommodation.

There are a number of different ski hills in the vicinity to try, all linked to the town by a bus service. Hafjell is the largest and best known, located at the entrance of the Gudbrandsdalen valley, 15km (9 miles) north of Lillehammer. The Olympic venue now has 30 and 15 lifts including a recently installed gondola, with 80% of the trails covered by snow making.

Sjusjøen is smaller and a little further away (20km/13 miles) but still worthy of a visit, it has nine runs served by four lifts including a high speed six seater chair.

A third area, Nordseter, is closer at only 12km (seven miles) away, but has only one drag lift and primarily serves cross-country skiers with hundreds of miles of trails.

Sjusjøen and Hafjell along with three other more distant regional centres - Gålå, Kvitfjell and Skeikampen – offer a joint lift pass, the Lillehammer Ski Resorts Ski Pass, which is valid in all five resorts.

Together they offer a total of 43 lifts serving 88 slopes with a total length of 113km (790 miles) and 1500km of cross country trails.

• Skiing for Beginners+

  Although you have a choice of places to learn to ski, most will opt to take group lessons with the Hafjell Ski School. This provides the option of a private lesson, group tuition or even the chance to learn to ski as a family if you are in a family group and are all first timers together.
  
  Sjusjøen is another good choice for first timers, albeit with slightly more limited facilities – but then you don't need more than a gentle slope and a good teacher, which the ski area provides.
  
  The mountain offers a safe and quiet environment where it is easy to stay in touch with friends and family during the day.

• Intermediate Skiing+

  Intermediates will most likely want to make full use of the Lillehammer area pass and visit the different ski areas the town offers.
  
  With Hafjell having most of the terrain it's probably the biggest attraction. The third biggest ski area in Norway with the Olympic trail network now extended to 30 runs, seven kilometres of them floodlit for night skiing, the area is best known for its fast long cruisers.
  
  Sjusjøen may also be worthy of a day or two of your precious holiday time though; a six-seater express chairlift there whisks you to the top, 960 metres above sea level, in just three minutes. The ski area's altitude makes it a popular early season choice as it often receives the lightest, fluffiest snow in the first months of the winter.

• Advanced+

  Advanced terrain is limited around Lillehammer but each ski area does have a few steep runs.
  
  At Sjusjøen it's the kilometer long Skogshenget run, whilst Skeikampen has the slightly longer Vinkelbakken.
  
  Gålå's steep Svart run at 1.5km is the longest black in the area.
  
  At Hafjell three of the trails, including the 4km (2.5 mile) long Kringelåsløypa, which drops 750m in its vertical length, are rated intermediate / advanced.
  
  Kvitfjell also has a reputation for some of the most challenging terrain in the region.

• Snowboarding at Lillehammer+

  Hafjell has an excellent snowboard sector featuring a "really big" big jump, a 100m half-pipe with a 29 degree inclination, as well as a separate quarter-pipe, fun-box and slide.
  
  Skeikampen, one of the resorts on the Lillehammer pass, has made a special effort for snowboarders with a new terrain park designed by one of Norway's leading park designers.
  
  Kvitfjell has three big jumps, three quarterpipes, a halfpipe and boardercross.

• Other Activities And Facilities at Lillehammer+

  Lillehammer's size means there's much more to do here than at many resorts. The small city has galleries, cinema, library, five museums and its entire Olympic heritage to explore.
  
  The Jorekstad Recreational Swimming Pool has 1350 square metres of pool area where you can work out, jump, exercise in the water, dive, take a sauna or relax in the Jacuzzi, there are long chutes for the children to race down.
  
  Alternative outdoor snow activities available include sleigh rides, snow shoeing, dog sledding and there are hundreds and hundreds of miles of cross country ski trails. There's ice fishing.
  
  More unusual attractions include moose safaris and a miniature version of Lillehammer's main street as it was in the 1930s, Lilleputthammer, for children to explore.
  
  The Olympic bob-and-luge track in Hunderfossen near Lillehammer is a popular and unusual attraction, with special bobs for tourists to enjoy the high speed sliding experience. Traditional and hi-tec tobogganing on regular slopes is also popular at Kanthaugen where sledges can be hired.
  
  The area also has snowmobiling, a high rope course (which can be tackled at night if you wish, with headlamps in your helmet) and a Laserland fun park. There's a 20m high indoor climbing wall in Hakon's Hall.
  
  Lillehammer is also good for shopping, thanks to its size, with the main shops centred on the pedestrianised Storgata main street as well as the Strandtorget mall.

• Apres Ski And Dining Out+

  Lillehammer has more than 40 bars and restaurants with a great choice of cuisine styles including Chinese, Turkish, Spanish and Italian as well as traditional Norwegian establishments.
  
  As with all of Scandinavia the prices are high, especially for alcoholic drinks. There are half a dozen dedicated bars and nightclubs including the popular Longhorn Sportsbar in the Radisson SAS hotel and the Victor and Victoria or Brenneriet night clubs.

• Ski Holidays in Lillehammer suitable for Families+

  Lillehammer's wide ranging attractions make it a good choice for families. At Hafjell the new children's area is fenced in and staffed by "ski nannies" who take care of and instruct the resort's smallest guests, from age three.
  
  The park has a magic carpet conveyor lift and there are three mascots, a rabbit, a fox and a bear. These animals symbolise the levels of difficulty inside the area. When the children have advanced from rabbit to bear, they are not supposed to hibernate, but move on to steeper terrain with further challenges.
  Alternatively at Sjusjoen kids have free use of the beginner's lift and there's also a play area which is free to use.
  
  Kvitfjell, another of the resorts on the Lillehammer area pass, has a children's own ski area with easy-to-ride magic carpet. That takes children to the top of the local Tussebakken hill where there soft animals, arches, jumps and tunnels, all used as fun teaching tools for children when they are learning how to ski.
  
  There's also a small cabin, Bamsebo, designed especially for young skiers to rest and watch movies, play, or read a book.