Holmenkollen Ski Arena (Oslo)

...the underground train up to Holmenkollen which proved to be really straightforward. The underground system works just like any other in a European capital city and the lines are numbered rather than coloured (like they are in London).

There was an underground station pretty near our hotel, but there were also more further into the city centre and the route was pretty simple. As well as being (essentially) free, the train ride also ...
...There are plans to demolish Holmenkollen within the next few years for a ski competition in 2011, and they had the designs for the new jump which was pretty interesting. Although it seems a shame it's being demolished, the models demonstrating how it had changed over the past century made you realise how much it had changed since it had first been constructed anyway. This demolition would be the most drastic thing to happen to it since the Olympics ... more

This December my boyfriend and I decided to go on holiday to Norway. We stayed in the capital, Oslo, and had a lovely week experiencing Christmas Oslo. While we were there we saw quite a few attractions and museums. Not least of which was the ski jump at Holmenkollen.

The ski jump was one of the places around Oslo that was on the top of our list to see. We had heard that the ski jump was famously built for the Olympic Games in the fifties and that it was worth a look, so we looked up how to get to it from the city centre.

Getting There

Although the ski jump isn't exactly out of the way, it's not within walking distance like most attractions in Oslo are. Baring this in mind we timed our visit there with the days over which we had purchased an Oslo Pass. The Oslo Pass was 300 NOK (about £28) for 48 hours and didn't start until you had it stamped at the first place you went to. The pass gave discounts on attractions, free entrance to some, and (most useful in this instance) free public transport. We decided to take the underground train up to Holmenkollen which proved to be really straightforward. The underground system works just like any other in a European capital city and the lines are numbered rather than coloured (like they are in London).

There was an underground station pretty near our hotel, but there were also more further into the city centre and the route was pretty simple. As well as being (essentially) free, the train ride also didn't stay underground for long. In fact once we were out of the city centre we emerged from the dark and into a winter wonderland of white frost and icy snow. It was really pretty and very efficient.

The stations were well sign posted, but we found our directional problems began once we'd disembarked from the train. When we left the station we followed huge signs towards the ski jump, but, being a cloudy day, the visibility was very poor. Soon the signs petered out and I think on a normal day you'd just look for the ski jump, but we couldn't see anything but white, so we guessed and walked up towards a hotel… slowly losing the people following us as we went… Then out of the white appeared a sign for the ski jump and slowly out of the mist its massive shape began to emerge.

It transpired that there was a spray running on the jump itself to maintain the snow on the jump itself, but this had blown towards us on our route up to the tower, so once we passed the spray we could see way more and had some really pretty views.

Admission

We visited in December and the brochure we read before hand told us that there was free access to the Plaza in winter months. We weren't exactly sure what this meant, but it soon transpired that this was the flat bit next to the ski jump at the bottom and we saw loads of people skiing on it. There was also free access to the viewing platform half way up the ski jump (which is the level we approached the ski jump at). The Oslo Pass allowed us free entrance to the ski museum, but if you hadn't purchased this, or if you were driving, or were part of one of the many coach parties we saw there, then this fact us very useful. You don't really need to go in the ski museum to make the most of the ski jump; it's really impressive from the outside, and in the winter months the snow and frost make the surrounding countryside look really magical.

The ski museum within the ski jump was apparently founded in the 1920s, built it has recently been updated with new exhibits. It was a nice refuge from the cold and had some useful toilets, but the displays themselves weren't amazing. One thing I did like though were the models of the ski jump between when it was first set up and the present day. There are plans to demolish Holmenkollen within the next few years for a ski competition in 2011, and they had the designs for the new jump which was pretty interesting. Although it seems a shame it's being demolished, the models demonstrating how it had changed over the past century made you realise how much it had changed since it had first been constructed anyway. This demolition would be the most drastic thing to happen to it since the Olympics in the 1950s, but the new designs looked really impressive.

I can't remember exactly how much the ski museum cost, but I think it was about 70 NOK (about £6.50). This seemed a little expensive for the content of the displays, but what it included that you couldn't get anywhere else was entrance to the ski tower itself.

The Ski Tower

There was a lift within the museum that took you up to about midway up the jump (where the support column is on the photos I've added to this review) and when you got out of this there were 2 little port-hole-like windows where you could view the surrounding trees. If you wanted to go right to the top of the jump then you had to climb two further flights of metals mesh stairs up into the glass room at the top where the skiers would ordinarily jump from.

The views from the windows were pleasant, but I thought I'd be brave and go right to the top. This isn't an activity I'd advise for anyone with a fear of heights or with small children. The stairs and handrail are quite steep and very cold and the room at the top is quite claustrophobic as it's so small and complete with windows that are openable (eek!). The tower is 60m up, so there's quite a drop! I have to admit I had a bit of a panic attack being up so high, but my boyfriend took some snaps of the views and then we went down again. If I did this again I think I wouldn't take on the stairs as they weren't a very pleasant experience. The sights themselves were very pretty though. Also I'd suggest going on a day with good visibility as some of the windows were iced up and hard to see through.

The Shop and Other Amenities

As I mentioned earlier the museum has male and female toilets which are perfectly adequate. The end of the museum also brings you to a shop which is full of ski-related presents, postcards and similar. There is also a ski simulator, but we decided not to go on this as it seemed rather expensive and not very exciting.

After viewing the ski jump from the most obvious approaches and visiting the ski museum (and MAYBE climbing the tower itself) I'd advise a walk around the site. Being so far out from Oslo city centre the grounds are much colder and the views are wonderful. We walked down to watch the skiing on the plaza and saw tress covered in frost inches thick. Walking round the site also offers better views of the ski jump. Check out my photos at the end of this review to see what it looks like from the initial approach and also in its entirety.

Overall

I'd definitely recommend this attraction to anyone who visits Oslo. In the winter months its worth seeing for the snow, frost and general Christmassy-ness, and in the summer months it's certainly worth a visit for the views. If you don't visit the museum then this attraction is a bargain, but if you have an Oslo pass then I'd certainly make the most of it! Also if you are a skiing enthusiast then you might appreciate the content of the displays more than I did. On the whole this is a really interesting and attractive place to visit. Definitely check it out and don't forget to have a look at my photos with this review!

Thanks for reading!

©tac20 

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