Kvitfjell means "white mountain" in Norwegian. This ski resort didn't exist until Norway won the bid to host the 1994 Winter Olympics. Lillehammer needed a proper downhill venue, and in 1990 construction began on this mountainside 58 kilometres north of the Olympic town.
The downhill course was designed by Bernhard Russi, the Swiss Olympic champion who has become the world's foremost designer of Olympic ski runs. The course he created here, called Olympiabakken, is considered one of his finest. It starts above the tree line, drops 838 metres over 3 kilometres, and includes jumps where racers fly the length of a football field. The "Russi Jump" is named after its creator.
The 1994 races produced drama. In the men's downhill, American Tommy Moe beat Norwegian favourite Kjetil André Aamodt by just four hundredths of a second. In the women's downhill, Germany's Katja Seizinger won gold with American Picabo Street taking silver. The course has hosted World Cup races almost every year since.
Unlike Hafjell, which got the technical events, Kvitfjell was built purely for speed. Today the resort has expanded to three mountain sides with 29 kilometres of slopes. There are runs for all levels, but the Olympic downhill remains open to the public most days. It's one of the few places where recreational skiers can test themselves on an actual World Cup course. Bring sharp edges and courage.
The resort tends to open first in Norway and close last, thanks to reliable snow and snowmaking on 80 percent of slopes. It's quieter than many Alpine resorts, with minimal queuing even in peak season. In summer, the mountains offer hiking and cycling with connections to the 90-kilometre Peer Gynt trail.