The cross country World Cup shifts its focus from Olympic Games to the legendary Holmenkollen Ski Festival this weekend – affectionately known as “the second national day” of Norway. With its iconic ski jump overlooking the city of Oslo and fjord below, the Holmenkollen venue is perhaps the most famous on the whole World Cup circuit.

It is one of the few marathon distance events on the World Cup too, with the 50 km classic this Sunday. Similar to the Swedish Vasaloppet, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this weekend, the Holmenkollen has also been hosting a 50 km marathon since 1902. Its proximity to Oslo (you can reach the venue by train in under 30 minutes from the city) also makes it perfect for spectators and is known for its trailside parties, which often start several days before the race itself.

For decades, the 50 km race was held on one long 50 km loop as an individual start race. More recently, the course has been shortened to 3 x 17 km and is now a mass start on 6 x 8.3 km loops, for better television access and excitement. Still, the original 50 km and 17 km loops are marked and groomed for adventurous skiers who would like to ski the original trails.

For visitors, the Holmenkollen trails are part of a 1200+ km Nordmarka ski area. Despite its proximity to a population of around 1 million people in and around Oslo, it is easy to get lost on the Nordmarka ski trails and find quiet trails away from the crowd.

I spent the week before the American Birkebeiner in Norway, putting the finishing touches on the Lumi Experiences Norway Birken Trip with our two local trip leaders. It has all the hallmarks of a Lumi trip, with excellent hotels within walking distance of the ski trails, huts along the trails for lunch, lift-serve sledding (well, train-serve sledding in this case) and other extras like a visit to the Norwegian Ski Museum and Holmenkollen ski jump.

As a World Cup athlete, one of my favorite memories of the Holmenkollen was the Norwegian waffles and brown cheese served by volunteers post-race. This classic dish is served at practically all the huts in the Nordmarka and is a must-try while skiing in Norway.

Interested in joining? We still have space available on the 2023 Norway Birken Trip and are offering $300 off all 2023 trips until March 31. We would love to have you along and share the Holmenkollen experience!

See you on the trail,
Garrott