Gausdal: Nature, Culture and Special Discoveries

Gausdal combines nature experiences with striking landscapes and cultural sites. Langsua National Park offers opportunities for year-round excursions on foot, by bike and on skis. There are also the giant potholes in Helvete Nature Park, a visitor centre covering the history of Gausdal Vestfjell, and activities in Skeikampen. The experiences you want to prioritise can therefore also shape your choice of location for a holiday home.

Nature between the national park and giant potholes

Langsua National Park lies partly within Gausdal. Its year-round opportunities for hiking, cycling and ski trips appeal to travellers who like to spend their days outdoors. One specific starting point for a hike is the information point in Holsbru: from there, you can walk directly along the Dokkelva or through the forest. The two routes described offer different impressions, without requiring you to settle on just one kind of landscape experience.

The landscape of Helvete Nature Park is shaped by giant potholes formed ten thousand years ago. They are considered the largest in Northern Europe. The potholes are part of the Helvete Nature Reserve, established in 2013 and covering a total area of 1,134 decares. Gausdal is thus home to both striking natural formations and a clearly defined protected area. If you are interested in the region’s natural history, you can make this place a focus of your travel plans.

Activities in Skeikampen

Skeikampen offers specific points of reference for planning a winter sports holiday. The alpine centre has 9 lifts, 2 conveyor belts and 21 downhill runs with a total length of 21 kilometres. Cross-country skiers have 200 kilometres of groomed trails in Skeikampen. These figures give an idea of the variety of winter sports options at this destination; they distinguish the alpine centre’s downhill runs from the cross-country trails.

Skeikampen also offers a range of activities outside winter. It is home to the highest 18-hole golf course in the Nordic region. The surrounding area also has kilometres of well-marked routes for summit hikes, forest walks and circular trails. If you are choosing your holiday home primarily around your planned activities, you can consider these options as a focus in their own right, alongside Gausdal’s excursion and cultural destinations.

Mountain road and cultural history

Peer Gynt Vegen is a 60-kilometre mountain road through the Norwegian mountain landscape. Skeikampen lies at its southern end. This location offers a specific point of reference for a trip where the drive through the mountains plays a part. You can treat the mountain road as a distinct part of your travel plans and decide separately whether nature experiences, winter sports or cultural sites should take priority.

Kittilbu Utmarksmuseum explores the history of human use of Gausdal Vestfjell since the Stone Age. The museum is an accredited visitor centre for Langsua National Park. It therefore brings together two themes that define Gausdal: the nature of the national park and the long history of human use of the mountain region.

Follebu Church offers a different cultural and historical highlight. The rectangular, whitewashed stone church was probably built in the 13th century. Aulestad, meanwhile, is one of Norway’s best-preserved artists’ homes. Children can take part in activities in the barn and explore the garden’s secrets. So, alongside nature and sports, Gausdal also offers specific ways to add culture to your trip.

Topptrimmen is an annual initiative in Gausdal. Its aim is to get as many people as possible out into the natural and cultural landscape. The initiative’s goal complements the individual destinations described here with a broader invitation to explore the landscape and culture together.

Choose the right location for your holiday home

When choosing a holiday home in Gausdal, it is worth deciding first what you want to focus on during your trip. Langsua and the information point in Holsbru are associated with hiking and other nature activities; Skeikampen combines winter sports, nearby trails and golf. Kittilbu, Follebu and Aulestad offer different cultural highlights.

More places at the same level: Espedalen, Svingvoll, Vestre Gausdal, Østre Gausdal, Svatsum, Follebu.

Back to the main travel overview: Gausdal.