Dombås Things to Do Tips by Rusket

Wildlife safaris

In this area you can find a nearly intact high mountain ecosystem, with wild reindeer, wolverine, arctic fox and golden eagle. There are lots of moose in the forests, and a tribe of musk ox. Musk ox used to live here during the ice age, but died out. After a couple attempts of reinstalling them during the last century, (they were imported from Grenland) there is now a herd of almost 200. Musk ox is depicted in the coat of arms of Dovre municipality.

Warning: Keep your distance from wild reindeer and musk ox. The reideers are easily scared off, and might run kilometers if you come to close. Musk ox will scare you off, they are huge and not afraid of anything! As for other wildlife take normal precautions, and take care not to come between mother and offspring.

The musk ox in the main picture is stuffed and at display in the National Park Center :-) The two other pictures shows a moose waiting to cross the road right outside Dombås. (Sorry about the quality, the pictures were taken from inside a car.)

Wild life safaris are arranged, ask at the National Park Center or at your accomodation.

Directions: Especially Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, but also the other parks.

Website: http://www.nasjonalparkriket.no

National Park Center & Tourist information

An informative tour through norwegian flora and fauna, with troll and hulder (a wicked wood nymph). The tour ends with a very nice 15 minutes long film showing stunning scenery and wildlife.

The entrance is not any longer through the door on the picture, but through the tourist information to the right and behind. The tourist center gives you any information you need about the national parks and accomodation in the area. If you are in need of accomodation outside the opening hours, there is an automated system available from outside.

Admittance fee of the Park Center is NOK 40, and opening hours are:

01 oct - 30 apr:
Monday - Friday 09:00 - 16:00

01 may - 18 jun and 14 aug - 30 sep:
Monday - Friday 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday: 10:00 - 14:00

19 jun - 13 aug:
Monday - Saturday 09:00 - 19:00
Sunday: 11:00 - 16:00

Address: Frichgården

Directions: In the shopping center, right in the middle of Dombås.

Website: http://www.nasjonalparker.org/besokssentra/dombas/eng-dombas.asp

Dovregubbens Hall

The complex Dovregubbens Hall consists of ten old / old looking buildings, built in the traditional style of Gudbrandsdalen. It contains accomodation, a restaurant and Galleri Dovregubben. We did not need accomodation, the restaurant was closed when we got there, and so was the galleri / museum :-( Opening hours are 11 - 17. The exhibition is closed during winter, that is from October to Easter.

Galleri Dovregubben displays a permanent exhibition of the work of Rakel Onsum Berg, a well known tapestry weaver, and shows the whole process from preparation of the wool to the finished tapestry. Tapestry weaving is an old norwegian tradition. Women used to decorate their walls with them at feasts, to show others how rich they were, who could afford spending time on such a time consuming craft. The tapestries could also be used as bed spreads.

Address: Vålåsjø, 2660 Dombås

Directions: Along road E6, at the northeast of Fokstumyra / Vålåsjø, 10 miles from Dombås.

Phone: +47 61 24 29 17

Website: http://www.dovregubben.com

Selfcarrying stone bridge

This stone bridge was built in 1825 and called Vålåsjøbrua, after the lake the river comes from. There was an older bridge a bit further down called Anfinnsbrua. The original bridge was undermined by the river during a flooding, and the new one was built closer to the lake. People were used to the name Anfinnbrua, and called the new bridge the same. Anfinn is a male name, which means a man named Anfinn had something to do with the original bridge, like building it or ...

Address: Vålåsjø, 2660 Dombås

Directions: Anfinnsbrua is situated right by road E6, by the northern entrance to Dovregubbens Hall.

Bird watching at Fokstumyra

Fokstumyra is listed under the Ramsar convention due to it's importance to wetland birds. There are 75 species of nesting birds there. But plantlife is also unique. It is situated right northeast of Dombås along road E6. There is a marked trail through the reserve open for trafficking between 7 am and 11 pm. During the period 01 may - 01 aug no trafficking is allowed outside the trail. Regulations are very strict, this extract is quoted from the leaflet "Fokstumyra Naturreservat" by "Fylkesmannen i Oppland":

- All animal life is protected all year round from any form of damage, destruction or disturbance. This includes lairs, nests, eggs and chicks.
- Hunting, trapping and use of weapons are prohibited. Dogs must be kept on leads.
- Vegetation, including dead treas and bushes, are protected from all forms of damage and destruction. Plucking flowers is not allowed.
- In the period 1.5 - 1.8 trafficking in the Reserve is not allowed, except along the marked trail. Normal traffic is allowed along Nysæter road, but parking is not allowed there.
- Camping, including camper vans and tents, the placing of camouflage cover, campfires and the mooring of boats are not allowed.
- Riding, cycling, windsurfing and any kind of motorized transport is not allowed.
- Sports events, hunting tests, guided tours and other forms of organized activity are not allowed. Organized events/guided tours along the trail is allowed, but should be in agreement with the warden at Fokstugu Farm.
- Fishing and edible berry and mushroom picking are allowed, except in the period in which trafficking is not allowed.

Address: Fokstugu Gard, 2660 Dombås

Directions: Along E6, 10 km northeast of Dombås.

Phone: +47 61 24 14 97