The 9 Best Historic Sites in Oppland, Eastern Norway

Maihaugen offers activities and experiences for the whole family. Enjoy the idyllic surroundings and experience life like in the old days. The museum has more than 200 historic houses from as far back as the 13th Century to homes of the different decades of the 1900s, including Queen Sonja’s childhood home. Grazing animals in the open-air museum. All year you can look into historical houses and visit great exhibitions, the museum shop and café. Don't miss our popular Christmas Market in November/December.

Experience the atmosphere of beautiful Aulestad! The Nobel laureate Bjornstjerne Bjornson lived here with his family from 1875. The home is one of the best preserved artist homes in Norway. The summer of 2020 visitors can unfortunately not enter the artist home due to covid-19. You are still welcome to visit the museum. Aulestad offers a great new Bjørnson-exhitition and you will meet a guide in the garden. There is a fun exploring trail for kids there as well. Approximately 18 km from Lillehammer, follow signs from the main road E6 north of Lillehammer. From E6 take highway 225 towards Gausdal, and follow the road past the center of Follebu to Aulestad. Free parking lots by the road. There are bus connection from the train station in Lillehammer.

Kauffeldtgarden is a preserved empire builiding in the middle of the city centre. It was built in the 19th century by Casper Kauffeldt, founder of Gjovik glass work, which was in operation from 1807 to 1843. The Gjovik period is considered an important part of Norwegian glass history. Today the building houses Galleri Svae - Gjovik Kunstgalleri (art gallery) as well as a small cafe with an outdoor patio.

Along the stream Leineane at Vennis you find six watermills. At the most, 13 mills were found at the Leineane, but most of them were taken by the great flood in 1860. Documents from 1729 show that at back then each farm with a waterfall used to have its own mill and that there were as many as 79 mills in Vang at that time.

Welcome to the home of one of Norway’s great female writers. NB! In 2020 the home is not open for visitors due to covid-19. Still you can visit the museum. Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset (1882–1949) lived at Bjerkebæk with her three children. Here she wrote the medieval novels for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928. Enjoy a walk in the garden, where there is also a fun exploring trail for kids. Nice exhibition on Undset’s life through her many journeys. The modern visitor centre has a nice museum shop and view to the home and a beautiful garden.

Ancient road and walking path used by Kings, villagers and pilgrims. The pathway features beautiful views of the countryside.

Haukdalen is peacefully and idyllically situated in Flatmogrenda in Lom. Quaint old buildings surround this traditional smallholding, with a garden containing many plants traditionally associated with this landscape. For many years, Haukdalen was home to Kitty Wentzel. Born in Christiania (Oslo) in 1868, she was one of Norways first women journalists. Kitty was married to the well-known artist Gustav Wentzel. At Haukdalen we can offer pleasant rambles around the complex and also give an impression of how life was for Kitty and Gustav Wentzel in Lom. There are sketches, paintings and preparatory versions of well-known paintings by Wentzel and other contemporaries, which have been owned by the Wentzel family. Gustav Wentzel and his eldest son, Jorgen, built a studio in Furuheim, which lies about 2 km further down the hill in Lia. Accommodation for up to 2 persons is available by prior arrangement. Open by appointments. Prices: entrance kr. 50,- groups kr. 40,- children under 12 - free.