Discover Østby: Church, Literature and Trails

In Østby, cultural landmarks meet outdoor trails and activities. The small long church, literary memorial sites and activities at Østby Arena give the place its distinctive character. The Grøna river also flows past Østby. Which of these aspects appeals to you most can help guide your choice of holiday apartment.

The church and literary memorial sites

Østby Church is a small long church, built in 1940 to a design by the state building inspectorate. A roof turret sits above its west gable. The altarpiece was created in 1949; Finn Krafft painted the Ascension of Christ, with Christ in a mandorla, an almond-shaped frame. The building’s design and the painting offer two different points of connection for a visit to the church: its architecture and the scene depicted in the altarpiece.

A memorial stone by the church commemorates the writers Einar Skjæraasen, Halvor Floden and Ole Haugen-Flermoe. Einar Skjæraasen is also associated with another named place in Østby: his Kvilsten is signposted in the western part of the village and is known by the same name as his poem. If you are interested in culture and literature, you can follow these names and places as a trail of their own through Østby.

Trails and activities at Østby Arena

In summer, there is a cycling track for children at Østby Arena. The summer cross-country ski trail there is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. This gives you two distinct options: a local cycling track for children and a summer trail explicitly suitable for both wheelchairs and pushchairs.

If you prefer to get around on foot, Østby has blue-marked hiking trails with fitness stations. They are part of the “Ti på tur Østby” programme. Stolpejakten is organised in Østby in collaboration with Trysil Municipality. You can choose between marked hiking trails and other named activities, without limiting all your experiences to the same kind of outing.

Two other facilities are located right by Østby Arena, alongside the floodlit ski trail: an ice-skating rink and a toboggan run. For another point of reference for winter sports, the Trysil Skimaraton runs from Østby to Ryskdalen and back. The activities at the arena and the named marathon route are different aspects of the local connection to winter sports.

Østby and the wider Trysil destination

The wider Trysil destination has four interconnected ski areas. SkiStar Trysil has 71 groomed slopes and 41 modern lifts. Across the destination, 500 kilometres of cross-country ski trails are also groomed, many of them suitable for skating. At Trysilfjellet, you can choose from short and long cross-country loops. These regional options are on a different scale from the specific activities named at Østby Arena; Trysil’s features are not features of Østby Arena.

The road connections can also be considered separately from the recreational activities: National Road 25 runs from Elverum via Nybergsund and Østby to Sweden, passing through Østby. Together with the Grøna river, which flows past the village, this is another part of getting your bearings in the area, not a statement about specific travel times or routes to individual activities.

Which holiday apartment suits your plans?

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first consider which themes you would like to focus on: church architecture and literary memorial sites, hiking trails and summer activities, or the arena’s activities around the ski trail, ice-skating rink and toboggan run. If the wider Trysil destination is also important to your plans, its ski areas and cross-country skiing options offer an additional regional comparison. This way, you can focus your search on the experiences that interest you, rather than assuming there is just one way to spend your holiday.

Discover more destinations: Jordet, Slettås, Plassen, Ljørdalen, Sjøenden, Trysil, Tørberget, Søre Osen.

Go to the wider travel overview: Trysil.