Hemsedal

Hemsedal Ski Resort

Consistently ranked as one of Norway’s top resorts, Hemsedal is home to lively après ski scene, a great mountain and for Norway, some serious ski vertical.

Nestled in an unspoilt valley three hours north of Oslo, the ski resort of Hemsedal is home to some of Norway’s best skiing. Unlike many other resorts in this Scandinavian country, the vertical of over 800m rivals many in the Alps and the runs as a result are longer and you can quickly clock up decent ski vertical. A slick lift system (more upgrades are planned in the near future) whisks skiers and boarders up to 44km of varied pistes, which include a fantastic beginner area, winding blues and unusually for this part of the world, some steep blacks.

When staying here there are two main options – you can either base yourself in the town of Hemsedal or up at the ski-in-ski-out Alpin Village. For maximum convenience stick to the latter (or if you enjoy après ski as it can get lively) but if you’re looking for restaurants and a bit more of a traditional feel, the town is best.

Our Hemsedal Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Advanced ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Après ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Hemsedal Skiing and Snowboarding

A fantastic beginner area is located at the foot of the hill, immediately above Hemsedal Alpin Lodge. Many first timers won’t progress much past here, but more confident beginners will love the long winding green that runs the entire length of the Hollvin Express chair. The resort’s high point at Totten is also accessible entirely on green terrain, a rare occurrence that makes this resort such a hit with beginners – it definitely deserves its 5* beginner rating.

For intermediates, the slopes at Tinden and Roni are excellent and the 4km long blue back to Hemsedal Sentrum is a great run on which to end the day. Unlike some other Norwegian resorts, Hemsedal is home to some decent and long steeper runs, especially the Tottenloypa (piste 6) and Sahaugloypa (piste 8) blacks, the latter of which is also illuminated for night skiing. The off piste is limited, but the touring potential in the area is massive – hire a local guide and explore.

• Total Pistes: 44km
• Green: 35%
• Blue: 32%
• Red: 24%
• Black: 9%
• Additional Ski Routes: 1.7km
• Lifts: 18
• Altitude: 620m – 1450m

Hemsedal Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Hemsedal Resort

For accommodation you have two choices. Either stay in Hemsedal Sentrum (the old town), where many of the more traditional hotels are located, or up at the Alpin Village, where a number of more recently developed hotels and apartment blocks have been built. It is possible to ski down to the former at the end of the day, but getting to the slopes requires a bus ride each morning, making the latter more convenient, especially if you have young children.

Après ski can prove very lively on busy weekends, with the hottest action at Stavkroa, but also in Hollvin and Skistua, all of which play host to DJs and pumping music for the younger crowd. Away from the pistes however, the more sedate pursuit of cross country skiing is the most popular pastime – there are some 140km of groomed cross country slopes available in the Hemsedal Valley. Other activities include snowmobiling and dog sledding.

How to get to Hemsedal

Oslo lies a three hour drive to the south of Hemsedal, whilst Bergen can be reached via an incredibly scenic four hour trip.

• Oslo airport: 3 hours
• Bergen airport: 4 hours

Hemsedal Contact Details

• Website: www.hemsedal.com
• Email: info@hemsedal.com
• Telephone: +47 32 05 50 30
• Facebook: @hemsedalcom
• Instagram: @hemsedalcom
• Twitter: @Hemsedalcom