Øyer municipality in Norway has approximately 5.100 inhabitants and covers a area of 639,9 km2. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tingberg. The muncipality offering shopping, activities, restaurants and accommodation. Øyerfjellet mountain offers many touring opportunities on foot, by car or by bike on a number of charming country roads. Hafjell occasionally hosts World Cup slalom and giant slalom races and Hafjell was also a Olympic arena during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events (giant slalom and slalom); the speed events were held at Kvitfjell.
Other places we recommend you to visit in the summer are the Olympic Bobsleigh- and Lugetrack, The Norwegian Road Museum, Lilleputthammer and Children´s Farm. When you are visiting Hafjell, you have to make sure you take a trip up to the mountains or along the river to experience the beautiful scenery. You can go fishing, cycling or maybe you want to join our famous elk safari?
The Øyer mountains are known for its mountain plateaux, excellent walking terrain and good hunting- and fishing possibilities. Øyer had at one time the largest mountain dairy farming industry in the whole Gudbrandsdalen with more than 300 working dairy farms. There are still about 30 farms working in the Øyer mountains, and they are worth a look. There are well developed and marked footpath networks both down in the valley and in the Øyer mountains.
HAFJELL
Hafjell is located 15 km north of Lillehammer, and is an Olympic arena with a wide variety of runs. The skiing area in Hafjell on the sunny side of the mountain, and sheltered from wind. From the summit you can access 300 km of prepared cross-country tracks. Most of the cabins and apartments are within skiing distance of the slopes. Hafjell is easily accessible whether you are travelling via the Oslo International Airport, by boat to Oslo or by car. The car trip from Oslo takes about two and a half hours (2 hours from Oslo International Airport).
Hafjell has become Norway´s third largest alpine centre with 400 000 ski days Winter 08/09. The Hafjell Alpine Centre was built for the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, and there are slopes suitable for professional skiers, as well as families with children and pensioners.
LILLEPUTTHAMMER
Lilleputthammer is an adventure park for young and old, but where most of the activities are designed for children 1 – 8 years. Here you find a miniature copy of the famous main street – Storgata – in Lillehammer as it was back in the year 1930, built to a scale of 1:4. The following children´s activities are offered among the charming small wooden buildings: train, electric-powered cars, mini farris wheel, Ola´s frog leap, mini rollercoaster ride, climbing tower and obstcle course, bumper boats, huge jumping cushion, trampolines and other playground facilities.
Inside the houses the kids can draw, paint, build things and watch a film. In the Children´s Book City, they can listen to plays and readings among exciting books and fun magazines. Further down the street at Øverlikiosken you can even purchase some old-fashioned candy.
For adults, Lilleputthammer offers a look back into history – the 1930s to be precise. Both the buildings, the content and the colours have been copied as authentic as possible from that period. In Lilleputthammer there are 44 shops, 2 hotels, 3 cafes, 2 bakeries, a police station and a cinema. Here you will find everything from J. Bøhmers Isenkramforretning (ice cream) and Th. Julins Broderiforretning (embroidery) to Pølsemaker Johansen (sausage factory).
Gudbrandsdalen valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer and the lake Mjøsa, extending 230 kilometers toward Romsdalen. The river of Gudbrandsdalslågen (Lågen) flows through the valley, starting from Lesjaskogsvatnet and ending at Mjøsa. The Otta river flowing through Otta valley is a major tributary to Gudbrandsdalslågen.
Together with Glomma river and Østerdalen, Gudbrandsdalslågen and Gudbrandsdalen forms Norway´s largest river / valley system. Gudbrandsdalen is home to Dovre Line and the E6 road, and is the main land transport corridor through South Norway, from Oslo and central eastern lowlands to Trondheim and Møre & Romsdal.
NORDSETER and SJUSJØEN
Are you the kind of person who likes to be in high places? Not necessarily as a mountaineer, but perhaps you think that a walk in the mountains sounds tempting and refreshing? Then you should pay a visit to Nordseter or Sjusjøen, both of which are traditional, long-standing highland farming hamlets that have gradually been developed into modern mountain tourist resorts. They are both 850 metres above sea level, and are the perfect starting point for mountain hikes.
From Nordseter, you can walk to Mount Neverfjell, 1089 metres above sea level, and behold the Jotunheimen and Rondane mountain ranges. If you want to continue your hike, you can walk to Pellestova for waffles and cocoa. And if you want to walk from the mountains to the town, you can wander down Gropmarka and back to Lillehammer through constantly shifting terrain. With Sjusjøen as your starting point, you might like to set off on a day’s walk through easy going mountain terrain, a walk that will take you over “the three summits” – a marvellous walk across Mounts Snorvillen, Mostefjell and Sollifjell.
Alternatively, you might like to visit the most popular destination among hikers here, Mount Lunkefjell, 1012 metres above sea level. These are just some of the many wonderful mountain walks you can enjoy with the help of Shanks´s.
TRETTEN
Tretten is a small village located on the Losna lake, which is part of the Gudbrandsdalslågen river. The village had its own sports team Øyer-Tretten IF. The parish is named after the old farm Tretten, since the first church was built there. The farm is lying close to the river Moksa, and the first element is probably referring to the stream and the waterfalls in the river here.
SAFARI
Hafjell Hunderfossen has arranged elk safari since 1985, and we were the first one out in Norway with an activity like this. It has been very popular, and during all these years we have managed to see elk on all our safaris. In the summer the elk keeps to the grazing areas in the mountains, and at dusk you are able to see one or several elks grazing in some areas. it is at this time the elk safari is arranged in the Øyer mountains with a local guide. See the king of the forest when he is wandering in the evening. The safari includes transport, coffeebreak by a mountain lake and a local guide.
The Øyer mountains are excellent for walks, and the pleasant terrain makes it possible for the whole family to take a trip for some hours, a day or even more. The Øyer mountains consists of the mountain area between Gudbrandsdalen and Østerdalen. Total area approximately 43.000 hectare of which approximately 20.000 hectare are above the tree line.
CYCLING
Hafjell Bike Park is renowned as the best Bike Park for downhill riding in Norway and some of the bike trails have a vertical drop of 830 meters, varies in difficulty with jumps and drops for the “nut balls” and easier lines for the beginners. Since its early inception in 2001, Hafjell Bike Park has exploded into a world class Bike Park. It started with the “Wednesday Club”, a group of local riders doing shuttle runs in the area that soon became tired of blasting down the Hafjell fire-roads and craved more demanding trails.
In Feb, 2002 a meeting between Snorre Pedersen and the manager of Hafjell Alpine Centre, Geir Olsen occurred, resulting in support from Hafjell Alpine Centre, ending the Illegal trail building. Hafjell did on this trail later on host a National Downhill race in 2004. This was the start of the designing and transforming of the hills of Hafjell, and this turned it into a true paradise for the downhill enthusiasts. Altogether 14 trails are now carved into the alpine wooden landscape. Whether you prefer downhill, cross-country or trail riding, Hafjell can make your biking better through its gondola and lift accessed mountain biking experience.
The Øyer mountains are excellent for cycling the scenery is magnificent and the countryside is undulating. The mountain farm roads are suitable for cycling. It is a beautiful sight that meets you up in the mountains, and the terrain is made for cycling. You can bring the whole family with you on a cycle tour for some hours, a day or maybe more. It is possible to spend the night up in the mountains on a mountain farm or on one of DNT´s chalets.
SWIMMING
Sjusjøen Summerland can also offer a heated swimming pool with water chutes, so you can take a dip here even if the summer isn’t exactly a tropical one. If you don’t want to get into the water, you can always have a ride on it. The water sports centre rents out various different types of boats, including pedal boats. There is also a children’s playground at Sjusjøen Summerland.
HUNTING
The forests and mountains in the destination contain a variety of wild animals. The most popular animals to hunt are grouse, hare, wild reindeer and elk. To go grouse and hare hunting you have to buy a hunting permission card (at petrol stations or Øyer Mountain Board). If you want to hunt reindeer or elk you have to seek Statsskog Oppland to get a permission.
SKIING
Hafjell Alpine Centre Olympic arena during the 1994 Winter Olympics, are situated here. At the Hafjell Alpine Centre, skiers can have a blast skiing down more than 40 kilometers of slopes at varying levels of difficulty. There are a total of 31 different slopes ranging from green slopes (beginner), nine blue slopes (easy) and seven red slopes (intermediate) to four black slopes (advanced). The overall drop on the mountain is 835 metres. So whether you are a beginner or an expert, a great skiing experience awaits you here in Hafjell. The slopes are easy to get to, and the comfortable and efficient Hafjell Gondola transports visitors to the top of the mountain in a flash. Two express chairlifts help make any ski stay at Hafjell filled with as much ski fun as possible. And an additional 15 lifts allow visiting skiers to experience a wide range of varying terrain during their stay.
Hafjell Alpine Centre have 16 ski lifts provide access to a total of 40,5 km of slopes, and the longest run is 7,5 km long. The drop is 835 meters, and snowmaking facilities ensure good skiing conditions throughout winter. The snowpark has challenges for everyone, and is a favourite for those with snowboard or twin tip skis. The Kjus Run is specially designed for active skiers. The skiing area in Hafjell on the sunny side of the mountain, and sheltered from wind. From the summit you can access 300 km of prepared cross-country tracks. Most of the cabins and apartments are within skiing distance of the slopes.
FISHING
The Gudbrandsdalslågen river which runs through the valley and Hafjell Hunderfossen is one of Europe`s best fishing rivers. The Øyer mountains has many fishing lakes and rivers, and invite you to great fishing experiences in beautiful surroundings. You are allowed to fish throughout the year in the river, but during the period when the ice is melting until 20th of May you are only allowed to fly fish, and to fish trout. In Hafjell Hunderfossen you must have a permit for the river Gudbrandsdalslågen and for the Øyer Mountains. Fishing permit is sold at petrol stations, grocery stores, accomodation sites and at Øyer Tourist Office.
GOLF
Hafjell Golfclub a golf course with 9 holes and a variation of difficulties and lies approximately 15 km from Lillehammer.