Gol muncipality and Golsfjellet mountain with approximately 4.700 inhabitants and a area of 532,5 km2 and lies in Buskerud. Gol is a paradise for cross-country skiers with many machine-prepared tracks in varied terrain and marked trails high up in the mountains for keen skiers. Gol and Hemsedal form together a complete skiing arena. It’s only 30 km or a 30-minute drive between the two villages, with 9 bus connections a day. Service centre for the entire region with a large number of shops, schools, accommodation, restaurants and even a liquor store. Gol are located in the heart of Norway’s mountain wilds, offering challenges and fun for everyone.
Gol can offer you many different services, whether you prefer the outdoor life, shopping or a nice evening out. The local people consider Gol as the heart of Hallingdal where most of the industrial trade and comercial buisnesses will be found. Here you will find a wide specter of local shops with a large choice in souveniers, presents and handicraft art as well as a shopping center. Here you also find a state owned Vinmonopol where you are able to buy spirits and wines.
Beautiful mountains, thriving communities and not least the short distance to the majestic fjords of Western Norway, make a vacation here an unforgettable experience. From here you can make day trips in all directions and experience spectacular mountains, glaciers and gorgeous waterfalls.
Whether you are an active, outdoors person or just want to relax and enjoy the scenery. Their faces give them away. Grown-ups don´t just come here to keep their children happy, they have just as good a time themselves. Not least, they like seeing that their children can experience unspoiled, beautiful scenery and that they can be around animals which they can hold and pet. Or how about taking a ride down a water slide in a tropical waterpark (Tropicana and Oline Spa), reeling in a mountain trout or experiencing traditional mountain diary life?
Century-old log buildings, turfed roofs, stave churches, mountain dairies, the Halling hat dance and local Hallingdal foods. Genuine experiences that stimulate all senses. Gol are living proof that old traditions can successfully co-exist with modern society. In Gol, mountain dairying with cheese making and churning are still part of community life.
The whole family is welcome to learn more about regional culture and traditions – and perhaps even take part in some of it, yourself. Few summer experiences are more highly valued by adults and children than a working mountain farm full of animals. We’re not sure who enjoys it the most – the kids or the animals.
Hallingdal is one of the major valleys of eastern Norway, on an area of 5,830 square kilometers. Hallingdal lies in the northern part of the county of Buskerud. The valley stretches from Gulsvik by Lake Krøderen to the border with Hordaland and Sogn & Fjordane.
Central to the geography is relatively flat mountain area which lies from 700 to 1100 meters above sea level. The valley is V-shaped and is drained by the Hallingdal River (Hallingdalsvassdraget) which originates in the western parts of Hardangervidda and flows eastwards later southwards through Hallingdal.
Hallingdal valley consists of six municipalities: Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol (Geilo).
GOLSFJELLET
The area Gol Mountains (Golsfjellet) is easy to reach with access to the ski tracks from both Rv 52 (Gol and Hemsedal). A well prepared network of ski track of close to 200 km links up hotels, mountain resorts and many cabin areas. Several of the accommodation businesses serve waffles, chocolate etc, and it is possible to use self-serve grill huts along the tracks. You will find lots of beautiful scenic points with views of Storefjelltoppen, Auenhaugen, Hallingskarvet and Jotunheimen. A rich variety of activities are available, including good trout fishing in rivers and lakes. In the summer Golsfjellet is good for rambling and cross country bike riding.
SHOPPING
Gol is a regional shopping centre and offers a wide selection of shops of all categories. Here you will also find specialized stores which you normally only find in the cities, including a state liquor store. Many shops are connected to the Tax-free system, which means extra savings and good bargains for foreign visitors.
GORDARIKE FAMILY and VIKINGPARK
In the activity park Gordarike you are right in the middle of the Hallingdal history with tracks from the Viking Age and the Medieval Ages. Through the re-creation of the attractions you meet a great activity park. Find peace of mind inside the Gol Stave Church. The exhibitions tell about the architecture of the stave churches and the history of the Norse gods. Visit the grave of King Hadding, the Viking village, Santa´s house, and the Hahaug trolls cave. You can climb to the top of the tower Yggdrasil or whiz down the zipline, shoot with bows and arrows and learn sword fighting in the amphitheater. Yggdrasil symbolizes the tree of life in Norse mythology, from the top of the tree you have a magnificent view over the valley. River with Vikingboats for children, small swimming area and Flintstones-electric vehicles.
GOL STAVE CHURCH
Constructed about 1200 with staves (pillars) to support the roof. Pulled down and moved from Gol in Hallingdal and re-erected in 1885 at King Oscar II´s place, Badstubråten. An exact replica is built in the Medieval park on Storøyni in Gol. The church is in use. There is also a replica of a Viking chief’s house from the 9th century, containing an exhibition of the gods of the old pagan religion. The Stave Church is now part of the Norwegian Folkmuseum, Bygdø in Oslo. Also a replica is built in the Norwegian Pavilion at the Epcot Center, Disney World, USA.
The Stave Churches are constructions of high quality, richly decorated with carvings. In virtually all of them the door frames are decorated from top to bottom with carvings. This tradition of rich ornamentation appears to go back to the animal carvings of the Viking age. The dragons are lovingly executed and transformed into long-limbed creatures of fantasy, here and there entwined with tendrils of vine, with winding stems and serrated leaves. The elaborate designs are executed with supreme artistic skill. The stave church doorways are, therefore, among the most distinctive works of art to be found in Norway. However, it is difficult to connect them with the Christian gospel.
OUTDOORS
Being able to stay at one place the entire vacation and having access to a host of activities and outdoor experiences means that you are on holiday 100%.
Driving motorcross and go-carts, climbing mountains, playing tennis, floating on air in a hangglider or plunging down a downhill slope on an off-road bike are sure to get the adrenaline flowing. But sitting by a picturesque mountain lake is also exciting. Especially when the bobber begins to vibrate and disappears into the depths with a great big fish on the end of the hook. Regardless of what your preferences are in the way of exciting challenges.
You can rent a car, a boat or a bike, go hiking through beautiful scenery, you can explore the mountains on horseback, play tennis outdoor or bowling indoor, visit a modern power station, study traditional farming, drop by the local museum at Skaga, make use of Gol´s first class sports facilities or visit Gol Stave Church. You can rent a canoe for exciting trips on Tisleia Lake, and play golf on the new 9 – hole golf course near Granheim, or visit the Huso Mountain Farm and Museum along the side road to Hemsedal. If this is not enough, some of Norway’s finest scenery and famous beauty spots are easily reached by car or bus within few hours from Gol.
SWIMMING
Tropicana and Oline Spa (located in Pers Hotel) is Norway’s largest combined indoor/outdoor water park. It has a tropical atmosphere with air and water temperatures of 30 C all year round, making it a major attraction for visitors to Pers Resort. There are fun water activities for children and adults alike! Waves, palm trees, bubbles, bathing pools, children’s jungle, mega slides and sunshine are just some of the attractions of Tropicana.
JOTUNHEIMEN
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km2 in southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest – Galdhøpiggen (2469 m). Jotunheimen straddles the border between the counties of Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. Jotunheimen contains Jotunheimen National Park, which was established in 1980 and covers an area of 1,151 km2. The Hurrungane mountain range is also inside the national park with the sharpest peaks in Jotunheimen. Adjacent to the national park border is Utladalen Nature Reserve which covers the Utladalen valley and the mountain Falketind, amongst others.
Jotunheimen is very popular with hikers and climbers, and the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association maintains a number of mountain lodges in the area, as well as marked trails that run between the lodges and others that run up to some of the peaks. The image from Gjende shows a cliff trailing down into the lake. At its base there is a popular guest house called Memurubu. The picture is taken from Gjendesheim, a starting point for hiking into the mountain range. There is a very popular trail along Besseggen that follows the edge of the mountainous range to the right, which it is named after.
There is a National Tourist Route, the Sognefjell Road, from Skjolden to Lom and another road, the RV 51, from Gol to Vågå through the special area of Valdresflya.
SKIING
The area Gol Mountains (Golsfjellet) is easy to reach with access to the ski tracks from both Rv 51 (Gol – Fagernes) and Rv 52 (Gol – Hemsedal). A well prepared network of ski track of close to 200 km links up hotels, mountain resorts and many cabin areas. Several of the accommodation businesses serve waffles, chocolate etc, and it is possible to use self-serve grill huts along the tracks. You will find lots of beautiful scenic points with views of Storefjelltoppen, Auenhaugen, Hallingskarvet and Jotunheimen. Maps of this part of the mountains can be bought at the tourist information.
ALPINE
Gol Skicenter is situated 2,5 km from the town center and consists of 2 lifts with a length of 1.600 metres, and a hightdifference of 440 meters. From 2004 there is a new children´s lift with a length of 100 meter. Here they can play with both ski and sledges. If you want more variation when skiing a short trip of 32 km to Hemsedal Skicenter will give you this opportunity. An outdoor skatingring is open all winter with free entrance. It is floodlitten every evening.
FISHING
A rich variety of activities are available, including good trout fishing in rivers and lakes.
GOLF
Both Hemsedal Golf Alpin and Hemsedal Golfclub golf course you will find at Granheim between Gol and Hemsedal by Rv 52, about 15 km north of Gol town centre, idyllically situated with powerful mountains and the well-known Hydnefossen / Brudesløret waterfall in the background. The courses have both driving ranges and equipment rental. You are most welcome to golf here regardless of your handicap. And we promise you – your strokes have never before reached such heights: the courses are situated 500 and 730 metres above sea level!