Lillehammer
Lillehammer () is a town and municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. In 2020, the population of the town of Lillehammer was 28,493. The city centre is a late nineteenth-century concentration of wooden houses, which enjoys a picturesque location overlooking the northern part of lake Mjøsa and the river Lågen, surrounded by mountains. Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics and 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. Populated places. Lillehammer Municipality is further subdivided into the following populated places (i.e.: neighborhoods, quarters, villages , localities, settlements, communities, hamlets, etc.): Name. The municipality (originally the parish) was named after the old Hamar (Norse "Hamarr") farm, since the first church was built there. The name is identical with the word "hamarr" (rocky hill). To distinguish it from the nearby town and bishopric, both called Hamar, it began to be called "little Hamar": "Lilþlæ Hamar" and "Litlihamarr", and finally Lillehammer. It is also mentioned in the Old Norse sagas as "Litlikaupangr" ("Little Trading Place"). Coat-of-arms. The coat-of-arms was granted in 1898 and shows a birkebeiner, carrying a spear and a shield, who is  skiing down a mountainside. It symbolizes the historical importance of when the Birkebeiners carried the to-be-King Haakon from Lillehammer to Rena on skis. History. The area has been settled since the Norwegian Iron Age. It is also mentioned as a site for Thing assembly in 1390. Lillehammer had a lively market by the 1800s and obtained rights as a market town on 7 August 1827. There were 50 registered residents within its boundaries then. The town of Lillehammer was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The rural municipality of Fåberg was merged into the municipality of  Lillehammer on 1 January 1964. In 1973, Mossad killed a Moroccan waiter, having mistaken him for Palestinian terrorist Ali Hassan Salameh, which became known as the "Lillehammer affair". Lillehammer is known as a typical venue for winter sporting events; it was host city of the 1994 Winter Olympics, and the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics, and was part of a joint bid with applicant host city Oslo to host events part of the 2022 Winter Olympics until Oslo withdrew its bid on 1 October 2014. Lillehammer is home to the largest literature festival in the Nordic countries and, in 2017, was  designated as a UNESCO City of Literature. Education. A number of schools are located in Lillehammer, including the Hammartun Primary and Lower Secondary School, Søre Ål Primary School and Kringsjå Primary and Lower Secondary School. Lillehammer Public High School consists of two branches, North and South, both situated near the city center. The private High school Norwegian College of Elite Sports, NTG, also has a branch in Lillehammer. The Lillehammer campus of Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences is situated just north of the town itself. Lillehammer is also the home of the Nansen Academy - the Norwegian Humanistic Academy. The  Nansen Academy is an educational institution for adult students with varied political, religious, and cultural backgrounds. The Academy was founded on the core principles of humanism and aims at strengthening the knowledge of these principles. The 14th World Scout Jamboree was held from 29 July to 7 August 1975 and was hosted by Norway at Lillehammer. Geography. Lillehammer is situated in the lower part of Gudbrandsdal, at the northern head of lake Mjøsa, and is located to the south of the municipality of Øyer, to the southeast of Gausdal, northeast of Nordre Land, and to the north of Gjøvik, all  in Oppland county. To the southeast, it is bordered by Ringsaker municipality in Hedmark county. To the northwest is the mountain Spåtind. Climate. Lillehammer has a humid continental climate ("Dfb"), with the Scandinavian mountain chain to the west and north limiting oceanic influences. The record high of was recorded in June 1970. The record low of was recorded in December 1978 and January 1979, and the same low was recorded in January 1987. There has been no overnight air frost in August since 1978 (the record low for that month being -0.6 °C (30.9 °F), a sufficient temperature  for air frost), and the coldest recorded temperature after 2000 is in January 2010. The current weather station Lillehammer-Sætherengen became operational in 1982; extremes are also from two earlier weather stations in Lillehammer. Economy. The basis for the city's commerce is its position as the northernmost point of the lake Mjøsa and as the gateway for the Gudbrandsdal region, through which the historical highway to Trondheim passes. The Mesna river has provided the basis for several small industries through the years, but Lillehammer is now all but industry-less. Transport. One of the major Norwegian rail lines, the  Dovre Line, runs from Hamar to the north through Lillehammer on its way up the Gudbrandsdal, to terminate in Trondheim. European route E6 passes through Lillehammer. Attractions. In addition to the Olympic site, Lillehammer offers a number of other tourist attractions: The official tourist information for the Lillehammer-region provides more information about activities and attractions in the region Twin towns – sister cities. Lillehammer is twinned with: Friendly cities. Lillehammer has also friendly relations with: