Introduction
Lillehammer - literally ‘Little Hammer' - is one of Norway's best known and oldest winter sports resorts, with a scenic lakeside setting and a modern town centre. The town hosted the Winter Olympics in 1994 and its legacy can be seen in its world class winter sports facilities, which include the bobsleigh track used for the Games, which intrepid travellers can take a 100kmph ride on.
Skiing is, of course, also massively popular, both the downhill and cross-country versions, with the nearby ski areas of Nordseter and Sjusjøen offering some of the best pistes and marked cross-country trails in Norway.
In summer, the mountains around Lillehammer offer good opportunities for hiking, while a gentler holiday excursion is to take a scenic cruise on the DS Skibladner. Built in 1856, it's the world's oldest paddle steamer still in scheduled service, and criss-crosses Lake Mjøsa, delivering passengers, post and cargo to lakeside villages as it has done for more than 150 years.