Maihaugen


In the southeastern part of Norway, on the shores of the huge Miesa Lake, one of the most beautiful European cities is Lillehammer . In the vicinity there is a picturesque open-air museum, Maihaugen. It contains a large number of buildings that tell about the life and life of the Norwegian people in times of different eras.

History of the creation of Maihaugen

The creator of this unique museum is Anders Sandvig, born in 1863. Even in his youth, he had problems with the lungs, and doctors advised him to move to Lillehammer. Here, thanks to the mild climate, the young man effectively overcame tuberculosis and began to study in parallel the local antiquities. Over time, he came to the conclusion that the culture of this part of Norway is gradually forgotten, and decided to open a museum in the open air Mayhaugen.

Initially Sandwig bought up original village buildings and houses. Later, representatives of local authorities gave him a place where he began to place his acquisitions. Anders Sandvig was named director of the Maihaugen museum until 1947. He retired only 85 years, and three years later he died. The grave of the creator is located on the territory of this culturally significant object.

Expositions of Mayhaugen

Currently, both permanent and temporary expositions are exhibited on the territory of the ethnographic museum with an area of ​​30 hectares. The entire collection of Mayhaugen is divided into three zones:

It is best to begin the tour with a tour of the old Norwegian village. There are peasant huts, a priest's estate and an inn with the furnishings of that era, as well as barns and cribs. The administration of Mayhaugen pays much attention to the preservation of old breeds of livestock. For him, the most comfortable conditions were created here, so cows and goats move quietly around this artificial "village".

The center of the open part of the Maihaugen Museum is the church-stave church, built around 1150. The interior of the church was restored with special care. Of course, all items were brought from different parts of Norway, but they all correspond to the style and convey the atmosphere of that era. The following exhibits of the 17th century are exhibited here:

In the Mayhaugen mansion area, one can see the changing life and architecture of Lillehammer from year to year. Cottages are also real, once they belonged to real people who left their furniture, textiles and even kitchen utensils.

Walking through the city blocks of a miniature Lillehammer, you can go to the post office - the most visited object of Mayhaugen. This exhibition reflects the three-century history of Norway's mail. Here you can get acquainted with old teletypes, telefaxes, the form of Norwegian postmen, postcards and even the harness of postal horses. During Christmas all the city buildings are decorated with illumination.

How to get to Maybach?

This open-air museum is located in one of Norway's most picturesque cities - Lillehammer. From the city center to Mayhaugen you can get on a sightseeing bus or car, following the routes Kastrudvegen, Sigrid Undsets veg or E6. The journey takes a maximum of 20 minutes.

Lillehammer itself can be reached by train, which leaves every hour from Oslo Central Station.