Skjåk: National Parks, Historic Routes and Culture

The Gamle Strynefjellsvegen runs between Grotli in Skjåk and Videdalen in Stryn. The access point on the Skjåk side is at Grotli. The road is a historic attraction, with hand-built stone walls dating from the late 19th century; the tourist road across the mountain was protected in 2009. This makes it a starting point for discovering Skjåk along a route that connects construction history and landscape.

National Parks, Trails and Waterways

Breheimen National Park lies in the municipalities of Skjåk, Lom and Luster. Reinheimen National Park also shapes the area’s natural setting: it is home to a largely intact mountain ecosystem with reindeer, wolverines, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and ptarmigan. In the western parts of Skjåk, there are marked trails in the national park and along its edges. Nature trails thus offer an option in their own right, alongside the destination’s cultural and historical themes.

Lakes and rivers are also part of Skjåk’s landscape. There are about 200 lakes with trout in the municipality, as well as around 250 kilometres of rivers. For those combining their trip with nature, this offers a chance to explore the area’s waterways as well as its national parks.

Cycling and Historic Roads

Skjåk offers numerous cycling trails and routes, including options for mountain bikes, gravel bikes and road bikes. The different types of cycling provide a practical starting point for prioritising your interests when planning your trip. The Gamle Strynefjellsvegen adds a historic road attraction: its hand-built stone walls bring its construction history to life, and the route runs between Grotli in Skjåk and Videdalen in Stryn.

The road itself was protected in 2009. Its location and historic character can therefore be considered separately when planning your trip.

Art, Culture and Events

In Bismo, Galleri Mathilde is a gallery and cultural meeting place featuring local art and crafts. The gallery hosts the annual Skjåkutstilling. This exhibition is an established summer tradition and a meeting place for art and culture in Skjåk. A visit to Bismo can therefore be combined with a cultural experience that showcases both local art and a recurring summer tradition.

Countryfestivalen in Skjåk takes place annually at Skjåkøygarden. It adds a festival of its own to the area’s cultural events. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the specific dates in advance. This way, you can take the festival into account without assuming a particular event date.

Waterways and Farm Life

The Kulturstig trail at Aursjoen is a circular route with information boards about historic water channels and irrigation systems. These systems were important to agriculture in Skjåk for generations. Part of the route follows a historic water channel that still supplies farms in the valley. The walk combines information about past irrigation practices with a channel that continues to be used for agriculture.

Several farms also offer insight into the connection between agriculture and hospitality. They produce local food from their own ingredients and give visitors a glimpse of farm life—with food, stories and opportunities to meet the people who live there. If you would like to include a particular farm in your travel plans, check its specific offerings in advance.

Accommodation and Getting Oriented

Bismo is the municipal centre of Skjåk and is located on National Road 15. It has shops, accommodation and places to eat. If you want to plan for shopping and dining as well as excursions, Bismo is a practical point of reference. You can choose where to stay based on your plans for your visit.

Sota Sæter is a staffed mountain lodge in Skjåk, at the entrance to Breheimen National Park. It offers a different type of accommodation from the general options in Bismo. If you are considering staying at Sota Sæter, check current availability in advance. This gives you the choice of planning around the municipal centre or a mountain lodge at the entrance to the national park.

Discover more destinations: Bismo, Skjåk, Grotli, Nordberg, Øystre Slidr, Lunner, Sør-Aurdal, Dovre.

See the broader travel overview: Oppland.