Urban pulse, rural peace

Centrally located along the railway and main road connecting Oslo and Trondheim—just two hours from the capital and only an hour and a half from Norway’s main airport, Gardermoen—the Lillehammer Region has the world at its doorstep.

gågata med folk

With its welcoming atmosphere and close-knit community, the Lillehammer Region offers a sense of security that’s becoming rare in many places. Here you can live in peaceful rural surroundings or the lively town center. Either way, you are just minutes away from mountains, forests, and vibrant city life in the most pitoresque pedestrian street you can ever imagine. And there's always something fun to enjoy — the calendar is brimming with sports competitions, cultural festivals, concerts, and community events, big and small.

Pure winter, no compromise

In a world where winter is becoming increasingly unpredictable and real snow is growing scarce, the Lillehammer Region stands as a remarkable exception.

 The Lillehammer Region is snow‑secure. You can be confident that when winter arrives, crisp, cold days and natural snow await right outside your doorstep. 

The region offers fantastic alpine resorts and thousands of kilometers of the world’s finest cross-country ski trails in beautiful mountain terrain, just a short drive from home. In the Lillehammer Region, you can go sledding and build snowmen with your children in the garden, and skate on maintained rinks as well as on small and large lakes. The Lillehammer Region is pure winter, no compromise.

With a passion for sport

Whether you’re an enthusiastic recreational athlete, have ambitions of a top-level sports career, or simply love sport, the Lillehammer Region is the place to live. 

Here you’ll find major annual sporting events, Olympic venues, leading expertise in sports medicine, training, and education, as well as natural conditions that can take the breath away from anyone with a passion for sport! It comes as no surprise that a significant portion of Norway’s Milan–Cortina Olympic team resides and trains in the Lillehammer region!

We promise you this: In the Lillehammer Region, you’ll be surrounded by people who share your passion for sport!

Practical information

Moving to another country requires a good deal of planning. There are many things to consider, and several formalities that need to be in place. Below, we have gathered links to information that can help make the moving process easier.

Immigration to Norway - UDI

Move to Norway - The Norwegian Tax Administration

Hub LHMR is a coworking and entrepreneurship center located in the heart of Lillehammer. Here, you become part of a friendly social environment with various events, gatherings, and activities throughout the year. You gain access to business development resources from Lillehammer-regionen Vekst, as well as guidance in law, accounting, auditing, financing, and innovation through the hub’s partners: Thallaug, Kantall, BDO, DNB, and Skåppå.

Fabrikken is one of Norway’s longest-running coworking spaces. It is a creative hub with 30 units of various sizes, from 9 to 100 square meters, suitable for offices, studios, workshops, and shops.

Lillehammer-regionen Vekst is the regional business development department, offering various services and collaboration opportunities related to business development. You may also contact us if you are in search of a job and need help getting in touch with relevant companies.

Primary schools and kindergartens in Lillehammer

Primary schools and kindergartens in Øyer

Primary schools and kindergartens in Gausdal

The Lillehammer Region – Fact Overview

  • Geography & Area

    The Lillehammer region—made up of Lillehammer, Øyer, and Gausdal—combines lakeside lowlands around Lake Mjøsa with forested valleys and expansive mountain areas and covers a total area of 2 309 km². 

    The city of Lillehammer is the regional center with a defined urban area of 11.5 km². 

  • Population 

    The Lillehammer region has a total population of approx. 40,500 inhabitants, of which 29 000 live in the municipality of Lillehammer.

  • Location

    The Lillehammer Region is situated along the main road and railiway between Oslo and Trondheim, approx. two hours from the capital and one and an hour and a half from Norway’s main airport, Gardermoen.

  • Business Overview
    The Lillehammer region has a mixed economy shaped by tourism, information technology, agriculture, and services.
    • Lillehammer is a major tourism and cultural hub, supported by hotels, restaurants, and outdoor activities, as well as a center for information technology esp. in the field of cybercecurity. It is also a university city.
    • Øyer and Gusdal combines agriculture and forestry with a strong tourism industry centered around the leading winter sports destination of Hafjell and Skeikampen.
    • There are severel coworking spaces in the region, such as HubLHMR and Fabrikken
  • Higher education

    University of Innland (INN University) - Lillehammer Campus

    Lillehammer campus is the largest campus of INN.

    Approx. 5,000 students study at the Lillehammer campus.

    INN offers BA, MA and PhD programs accross fields such as:

    - Film and TV (includes The Norwegian Film School)

    - Social sciences

    - Health and social care

    - Education

    - Economics

    - Sports, tourism and culture

    LIMPI (Lillehammer Institute of Music Production and Industries)

    LIMPI is a private, one year, intensive music program designed for aspiring artists, songwriters, and producers.