Birkebeiner Stadium Loop Cross-Country Skiing
Test your skills on the historic cross-country trails
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Cross Country Skiing Photo: Rob Kints / Shutterstock
Essential info
- Season: November-April
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 13.8 kilometers (loop)
- Elevation Gain: 140 meters
- Duration: 1.5-2.5 hours
About Birkebeiner Stadium Loop
The Birkebeiner is one of Norway's most historic cross-country ski races starting in Rena and finishing at the Birkebeineren Ski Stadium just east, above Lillehammer. The entire race is 54 kilometers long and a test for even the world's best skiers. Rather than taking on the entire Birkebeiner route, we recommend enjoying this fun loop that starts and ends at the famous stadium.
Getting there
Car
From Oslo, head north on road Rv4 and road E6 for 166 kilometers. Take the exit toward Sjusjøen/Lillehammer/Rv216.
Head east for about 1 kilometer until turning left and following signs towards "Olympiaparken". After a half kilometer turn right onto Tomtegata towards "Olympiaparken". After a few intersections turn right onto Nordsetervegen and continue following signs towards "Birkebeineren". After a few kilometers turn right onto Sjøsetervegen and after a few hundred meters you will have arrived to the Birkebeineren Ski Stadium.
Public Transportation
From Oslo, take the NSB train from Oslo S to Lillehammer train station. There are trains departing nearly every hour. Book your train ticket here. From Lillehammer train station, there are buses departing multiple times an hour to the nearest bus stop to Birkebeineren Ski Stadium. View the times here.
From Bergen, take the Øst-Vestekspressen bus to Lillehammer. Book your bus ticket with NOR-WAY Bussekspress here. From the Train Station, there are buses departing multiple times an hour to Birkebeineren Ski Stadium. View the times here.
Trail description
From the Birkebeineren Stadium, head north for a short distance before turning east, following the marked ski tracks for 4.5 kilometers. At the 5 kilometer mark, you will turn southeast towards the highest point along the route. For the next 7 kilometers, the trail will take you west, downhill, and loop you back to the Stadium where you started the adventure.
Facts
- Download the Outtt app to view the cross country trail map. Turn on the trails by accessing Map -> Map Layers -> Cross-Country Skiing in the app.
Map
Questions or comments? Let us know.
