Discover Stange: Trails, Mjøsa and culture
Accommodation in Stange
Stange combines extensive trail networks with landscapes along Mjøsa, natural areas and distinctive cultural sites. You can focus your trip on active days, wildlife encounters or history—or combine these interests. When choosing a holiday rental, it helps to consider in advance which experiences you want to focus on: trails and nature, time by the water or visits to cultural sites.
Trail networks and pilgrimage routes
Stange has more than 500 kilometres of marked trails. Two different pilgrimage routes also pass through the municipality: the Rondanestien runs through Stange on its route between Oslo and Hjerkinn. The national pilgrimage route Pilegrimsleden leads from Oslo to Nidaros, enters the municipality at Lysjøen and continues to Stange kirke. This gives you a clear route to follow when planning your trip, without conflating the two trails.
Another option is Ottestadstien, a 16-kilometre trail network leading to the shore of Lake Mjøsa. Along the way, it passes the Norsk Utvandrermuseum at Åkershagan. If you enjoy combining nature with a museum visit, you can take both interests into account when planning your day. Ilsengstiene offers a trail network of more than 25 kilometres, passing through wetlands with abundant birdlife. The different trail networks give you specific options if hiking and wildlife observation are your main interests.
Mjøsa, wetlands and cultural landscapes
Stange has swimming spots along Mjøsa as well as at smaller lakes and ponds. This means there are options for days by the water beyond the large lake. The Våletjern nature reserve offers a different natural highlight: it is protected to preserve a naturally nutrient-rich pond with a diverse range of plant and bird life, as well as a peatland complex. Stange Vestbygd has been selected as one of the most valuable cultural landscapes in Innlandet. Water, wetlands and cultural landscapes thus offer different themes around which you can plan your outings.
For hikers and pilgrims, Pilegrimsbua offers practical facilities: a shelter, toilets, Wi-Fi, a fire pit and firewood, as well as information, drinking water and a place to dispose of waste. These facilities provide useful guidance for anyone planning time outdoors; however, they say nothing about the amenities of a holiday rental.
History and vibrant cultural sites
At the mouth of Fjetrebekken, on the eastern shore of Mjøsa, Atlungstad Brenneri is located in the municipality of Stange. Several farms in Stange founded it in 1855 to process the area’s growing surplus of potatoes. The distillery is still in operation and is used for spirits production and educational purposes. The site thus combines its history with continued use.
Stange kirke has a rich collection of furnishings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Among its notable items is a large pulpit from the 1630s. In Vallset, Kvennstugua is an open-air museum and local history museum with Sunday refreshments. It is situated at the former site of the Søndre Amundrud mill and sawmill. Together with the Norsk Utvandrermuseum, the municipality offers a range of opportunities to explore regional history and culture.
Wildlife encounters and planning your trip
Tangen Dyrepark is home to more than 200 animals from around 30 Nordic and exotic species. Children can take part in feeding the animals, get close to them and learn about them in a natural setting. During the Lemurbesøk experience, visitors can enter the enclosure and see the lemurs Ronja, Luna, Bellatrix, Ginny, Draco and Langballe up close. For families, this is a specific alternative to a day focused mainly on trails, culture or water.
Cyclists can also include Stange in their plans: Stange railway station is a stop that takes them to or from the Mjøstråkk cycling route. The municipality is about an hour from Oslo and can be reached by train, bus or car. The Gylne Gutuer cycling race starts and finishes in the centre of Stange.
For information about individual places, visit the local pages: Stange, Espa, Ottestad and Tangen.
For the broader travel overview: Hedmark.
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