Lillehammer

This little town hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1994, and has a lot to offer in the summer as well. It is one of the oldest winter resort towns and boasts an idyllic city center, with most of its old wooden houses intact, as well as numerous shops and restaurants. Also make sure to visit one of Northern Europe's largest open-air museums: Maihaugen. Over 100 buildings have been transported here from the nearby Gudbrandsdal valley and these show how Norwegians have lived throughout the centuries. During the winter, there are a variety of cross-country skiing parks open, as well as the popular Hunderfossen Winter Park, and Olympic luge track. You can leave Oslo early in the morning, take the bus or train (three hours) to Lillehammer, and return to Oslo in the evening.