Hafjell or Hemsedal?
These two are close on 5 of 9 measures. That is the honest answer: the numbers will not choose for you, so the difference below that matters to you is the one to decide on.
Norway
Hafjell
850 m of vertical fifteen minutes from Lillehammer, built for the 1994 Olympics and still the easiest big Norwegian resort to reach from Oslo. Tree-lined most of the way down, which matters in a Nordic storm.
Worth knowing. Modest vertical for a Norwegian price.
Choose it if
Families with young kids
About £1,152 a week from London
Norway
Hemsedal
The Scandinavian Alps, as the marketing has it — 830 m of vertical, steep terrain by Nordic standards, and a strong freeride scene. Expensive once you are there, as all of Norway is.
Worth knowing. Expensive once you are there, as all of Norway is.
Choose it if
Off-piste
About £1,190 a week from London
Side by side
| Hafjell | Hemsedal | |
|---|---|---|
| Snow reliability | 51/100 | 62/100 |
| Size of the ski area | 44 km | 44 km |
| Top lift | 1050 m | 1450 m |
| Cost before travel | €1040 | €1070 |
| Families with young kids | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Snowboarders | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| A non-skiing partner | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Budget and après | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Off-piste | 5/10 | 7/10 |
Bold marks the winner. Rows where neither is bold are close enough that the difference would not change a decision. Cost excludes travel, which depends on where you leave from.
Piste kilometres, lift counts and prices are indicative and compiled from public sources — they have not yet been checked against the resort's own figures for this season. Costs are planning estimates, not quotes. Spotted one that is wrong? Tell us.