Maihaugen

Maihaugen grew out of the collection of Anders Sandvig, a dentist who from the 1880s bought up buildings and objects from Gudbrandsdalen that were being discarded, and it now holds around two hundred structures on a hillside above Lillehammer. Three parts organise it: the rural section with farms, summer farms and the Garmo stave church of about 1200, moved here in pieces; the town section reproducing a Gudbrandsdal market town with a pharmacy, workshops and shops; and the residential area, a run of houses built between 1900 and 2000 showing how ordinary Norwegian homes changed decade by decade, ending with a house from 2000. Staff in period dress work the buildings in summer.

History

Anders Sandvig began his collection in his own backyard; in 1901 the town council offered him a permanent site, and in 1904 Lillehammer set aside the area known as Maihaugen and bought his collection, formally the Sandvig Collections. Garmo Stave Church, sold to Sandvig in 1882, was re-erected here in 1920-1921, and the Maihaugsalen concert hall opened in September 1967 (Wikipedia, Maihaugen).

What's there

• The Garmo stave church - a medieval church moved and rebuilt on the site.
• The rural section - farms and summer farms from Gudbrandsdalen.
• The town section - a reproduced market town with working premises.
• The residential row - houses from 1900 to 2000 showing changing domestic life.

When to go

June to August, when the buildings are open, staffed and demonstrating; outside summer the indoor exhibitions run but most buildings are closed. Winter brings a Christmas market and sledging on the site.

Before you go

Winter visits get much less for the ticket. The site is large and hilly, involving several kilometres of walking. Guided content is concentrated in the summer season.

Nearby

Lillehammer's centre and the Olympic ski jump are close; Lake Mjosa lies below the town.

Key facts