NORWAY

Capital: Oslo  Currency: Kroner    Language: Norwegian

Time: GMT +1   Telephone Code: 00 47

Officially known to be the Kingdom of Norway, this country is a constitutional monarchy located in Northern Europe.  Norway is bordered by Finland, Sweden and Russia with the United Kingdom lying across the North Sea. 

A crowning point of Norway facts is that it was found to be the most peaceful country in the world according to a 2007 survey conducted by the Global Peace Index.

Norway has a high latitude which creates a time from May to July where the sun never fully sets; additionally, much of the country experiences 20 hours of daylight giving Norway the title of ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’. 

However, from November to January the opposite occurs and the sun never fully rises casting much of the country into darkness most of the day.

Norway has around 39 ski resorts and offer many different types of ski holidays.  Skiing Norway is a different ski experience and many skiers find it much to their tastes.  If a serious downhill ski adventure is what you are looking for, Hemsedal is the resort for you.  Other top resorts to ski in Norway are Beitostolen, Geilo, and Lillehammer. Norway offers some really good ski deals, keep an eye out as you will find a fantastic deal.

Possibly the best ski resort in Norway, Hemsedal is surrounded by majestic peaks.  Hemseldel offers the longest run totaling nearly 4 miles downhill; additionally, the night skiing goes until 9pm allowing plenty of time on the slopes. 

With runs available for the beginner to the expert everyone has fun at Hemsedal including the kids with day care availability and nursery slopes.  

Lying on the edge of the Jotunheimen National Park, Beitostolen resort is a smaller but friendly place to ski in Norway. 

Beitostolen offers organized family activities through the day and accommodations at the base of the resort for easy access.  The slopes available tend to be gentle and family friendly as well as un-crowded.  Geilo offers family fun as well but also offers several black runs for the expert skier. 

Host to the 1994 winter Olympics, Lillehammer resort the winter activities come alive.  Test your self on the slopes at Norways oldest winter sports resort.  When skiing Lillehammer resort try the Winter Park for a range of winter activities for the whole family including a fairytale ice castle.

Lift Information

Hemsedal offers a total of 22 lifts including 4 high speed quad chairs, 1 quad chair, 1 double chair and 16 drags.  Beitostolen offers 9 lifts including 2 triple chairs, 2 double chairs and 9 drags.  Lillehammer offers 1 double chair and 3 drags.

Cross Country Skiing

Cross country skiing at Hemsedal offers over 80 miles of groomed trails that wind around the forest and the valley with and additional 50 miles of un-groomed trails that can be found on the mountain.  For the real cross country ski enthusiast, Kvitfjell has enough cross country trails to ski many times without skiing the same trail.  Kvitfjell offers nearly 500 miles of cross country trails.  

Types of Accommodations

Hemsedal village is located just a little over a mile from the resort and many of the accommodations offer bus service to the resort.  The Norlandia Skogstad Hotell is considered the best hotel; however, if you are looking for spectacular views check out the Skarsnuten perched on an outcropping of rock. 

Accommodations at Beitostolen are located in the small village and include cabins and hotels.  When skiing all resorts in Norway you will find a number of hotels and chalets for your stay all in close proximity to the resort. Ski deals are available in Norway, the accommodation is a very high standard with some of the ski deals.

Best Ways to Get There

Most of the ski resorts in Norway are in the Southern part of the country and are easy access to the main entry points of Norway.  Travel from the UK is just a 2 hour plane ride away making for easy weekend ski holidays.  .

Après Ski

Restaurants serving traditional Norwegian dishes as well as international dishes are a part of the family friendly after ski things to do when at Hemsedal.  Additionally, a mix of bars and pubs are close by offering a more up beat way to spend the night until you can get back to the slopes.  Although amongst small villages, when skiing Beitostolen or Geilo, you may be surprised by the number of things to do after your day on the slopes with restaurants, bars and shops.

Lillehamer offers many activites after your day on the slopes including lively pubs, international discos like Brenneriet, Norway’s largest nightclubs.  Restaurants and cafes are also available and after you eat you can window shop at the shops along the main street.