Øystre Slidre
Municipality · Innlandet
About Øystre Slidre
Beitostølen, the Bitihorn summit hike, Hegge stave church and the Valdresflye tourist road climbing towards Jotunheimen.
What to do and where to stay in Øystre Slidre
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Hegge Stave ChurchHistory & culture
Timber felled in winter 1216/17; the tops of the nave posts are carved as a row of grotesque faces, one with an eye shut and tongue out, often called Odin.
End of the road between the Hegge farms, about 1 km north of Heggefjorden · 30–60 min · summer for the interior; outside all year
2Valdresflye National Scenic Route and Flye 1389Viewpoint
Fv 51 crosses the Valdresflye plateau at 1,389 m, Norway's second-highest mountain pass, with a 360-degree view over 2,000 m Jotunheimen peaks from the top stop.
Fv 51 north of Beitostølen, past Bygdin towards Gjende · 1–2 h drive with stops · usually early April to mid-November; closed beyond Beitostølen in winter
3Bitihorn from BåtskaretHike
A steep 3.7 km return climb of 451 m to the pointed peak above Bygdin, starting at Båtskaret, the pass where boats were once dragged through.
Båtskaret parking, Fv 51 north of Beitostølen · about 2 h (3.7 km return) · June–October
4Rock on Top of Another Rock, SteinplassenLocal oddity
Two big stone blocks balanced on each other by Swiss artists Fischli and Weiss at a Valdresflye rest stop, playing on the cairns that mark mountain paths.
Steinplassen rest area, Fv 51 on Valdresflye · 15 min · summer (rest area closed in winter)
5Birdwatching on ValdresflyeNature
Temminck's stints sit on stones by the road early in summer, shore larks nest up Fisketjernnuten, scaup use Fisketjerna and kestrels nest on Synshorn.
Along Fv 51 on Valdresflye; Fisketjerna and the marked path to Fisketjernnuten from Flye 1389 · 1–3 h · early June to mid-July, early in the day
6Beitostølen ski trails and RidderrennetActivity
A ski resort at about 900 m with hundreds of km of groomed tracks, World Cup cross-country and biathlon, and Ridderrennet, a race held since 1964 for blind skiers.
Beitostølen · half day or more · winter (November–April)
7Chapel of Lights (Lyskapellet)History & culture
Beitostølen's chapel has a golden glass mosaic by the German glass artist Harald Stephan filling the room.
Beitostølen · 20–30 min · all year (check opening)
8Dale Mill (Dale mølle)History & culture
A village mill beside Dalsfossen, in use from about 1892 to 1958, rebuilt after a fire around 1900 and restored in 1997.
Dale, turn off Fv 51 at Varpet · 20–30 min · summer
9Jotunheimvegen and Lake VinstreActivity
A 45 km summer toll road from Bygdin along Vinstre, a lake known for its trout, east over the plateaus to Skåbu.
From Bygdin on Fv 51 east to Skåbu (Nord-Fron) · 1.5–2 h drive · summer (usually opens mid-June)
Nearby, also among the best for skiing
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- RingebuInnlandetSkiing (among Norway's best)National Tourist Routes (among Norway's best)
- LillehammerInnlandetSkiing (among Norway's best)History (among Norway's best)
- ØyerInnlandetSkiing (among Norway's best)Cycling (among Norway's best)