Åmot: Discover trails, winter sports and culture

Åmot offers a range of ways to shape your trip: the municipality has trails and winter sports, as well as school history and experiences by the lake. Many of the destinations described here are in Rena or Nordre Osen. Many of the destinations described are in Rena or Nordre Osen, places within the wider destination of Åmot. When looking for a holiday apartment, it is therefore worth first considering which excursions you want to focus on.

Rena: trails, winter sports and history

Rena is home to several different attractions. Rena station is on the Røros Line. The Glommastien loops around Rena and follows the Glomma for about three kilometres; along the way, there are several places to swim and take a break. Åmot Municipality maintains the trail all year round. This means Rena offers both a short riverside route and longer trails in the region.

Rena Alpin og Skisenter has two lifts and six runs for different age groups and ability levels. The longest run is 1,700 metres and goes via Fjellheisen; the 300-metre Bamsebakken run goes via Bamseheisen. Their lengths make it easy to distinguish between the runs. The ski centre also serves as a starting point for cross-country skiing trips. From the top station of Fjellheisen, routes continue towards Skramstadsætra and Engulsfjellet.

For a longer hike, Birkebeinerstien is on a different scale: the trail between Rena and Lillehammer is just over 68 kilometres long, is estimated to take three days, and includes a total elevation gain of 1,563 metres. These figures describe the entire route, which extends beyond the municipality. For planning purposes, it is useful to compare it with the approximately three-kilometre-long Glommastien: one is a short trail along the Glomma, the other a multi-day hike covering a considerably greater distance.

Rena also offers a specific place to experience culture. Skolemuseet i Åmot is housed in a historic wooden building near the college. The building has been in continuous use for teaching since 1905 and was designed by Henrik Bull. At the museum, visitors can experience a historic classroom with learning materials, lunch boxes and school bags, try out the old-fashioned blackboard and chalk, and look at exercise books from earlier times. The museum also presents the school’s history and its standing at both national and local levels. Visits are possible during opening hours or by arrangement.

Rena’s centre is also home to Åmot kirke, a cruciform church dating from 1901 that was consecrated in 1902. The church was designed by Henrik Bull. The altarpiece and pulpit add an older historical note: both were carved by Peter Kasterud of Fåberg in 1775.

More trails in the wider destination of Åmot

Østerdalsleden is one of Norway’s officially recognised pilgrimage routes and has an eastern and a western branch in Åmot Municipality. The western branch starts at Pilegrimskjæret and Nesvangen in Rena, where the Glomma and Renaelva rivers meet. Nesvangen is designated as the municipality’s millennium site. Natur- og kulturleden passes through areas of natural and cultural-historical interest; the trails are particularly suitable for hiking or horse riding, and large sections can also be cycled.

There are cycling routes of varying lengths: Elgtråkket runs for 320 kilometres between Rena and Røros. The Åstadalen cycling route is 27 kilometres long and is considered an easy route without the steepest climbs. A 23-kilometre circular route leads to Østersjøen; at Løpsjøen, you can experience a particularly rich variety of birdlife. These differences can help you decide whether you are looking for a long-distance connection, a route described as easy, or a circular tour with opportunities to observe nature.

Lakeside scenery in Nordre Osen

Another focus is Osensjøen. At Osmundsand in Nordre Osen, a white, gently sloping beach stretches for one kilometre; the lake covers 43.64 square kilometres. You can fish and canoe there. This offers a clear thematic comparison when choosing a holiday apartment: Rena brings together trails, skiing and culture, among other things, while Osmundsand focuses on the lake and activities on the water.

Sørlistøa Fløtermuseum, in the wider destination of Åmot, tells the story of timber rafting. It preserves objects, boats, buildings and facilities from that era. The preserved tugboat MSTrysilknut is moored at the museum and makes trips on Osensjøen in summer; check the current timetable before visiting. Together with the trails around Rena and the municipality’s cycling options, this gives you a choice of different types of excursion to guide your trip planning and search for a holiday apartment in Åmot.

Discover more destinations: Blikberget, Rena, Nordre Osen

Return to the overview of destinations: Åmot.