Lom is a small town in the highlands, at the gateway to Jotunheimen National Park. An ancient trade route passed through here - fish and salt carried inland, grain going to the coast. The name comes from Old Norse "ló", meaning clearing or meadow. Today it's officially a "nasjonalparklandsby" - the national park village, surrounded by Jotunheimen, Breheimen and Reinheimen.
Most shops, cafés and restaurants are in the centre called Fossbergom. The famous Lom Bakery is here - founded in 2004 by Morten Schakenda, a former master chef who switched to baking. He used traditional wood-fired ovens and handcrafted methods. Morten passed away in 2022, but the bakery continues under his family. During summer there are often long queues outside.
Right next to the bakery is the river Bøvra with the waterfall Prestfossen. The bridge with the main road passes right over it. On the other side stands Lom Stave Church, built around 1158 and one of Norway's largest. It features wooden carvings and dragon-head details from medieval times.
Fossheim Hotel has been here since 1897, when it started as a coaching inn. Still run by the Garmo family - now in the fourth generation. This is where Arne Brimi started as head chef in 1978 and built his reputation. The kitchen still focuses on local ingredients from the surrounding mountains.
Lom is a crossroads. Sognefjellsvegen connects western and eastern Norway - one of Europe's highest mountain passes at 1,400 metres with views of glaciers. Another road goes over Strynefjellet to Stryn or the Geirangerfjord. And Valdresflya connects to Valdres, branching off about 20 kilometres east. If you're travelling between Geirangerfjord and Sognefjord, driving through Lom gives you a completely different landscape.
The Norwegian Mountain Centre is the official National Park Centre for Jotunheimen - exhibitions, hiking maps and guidance. Fossheim Steinsenter has Norway's largest collection of minerals and gemstones, free to visit. Nearby is Tidsaksen, a geological walk where each metre covers 4.6 billion years of Earth's history.
For thrills, there's a zipline over Prestfossen during summer. Just outside town, Lom Open-Air Museum at Presthaugen has old wooden farmhouses, including Olavsstugu where legend says Saint Olav spent the night in the 11th century.
BrimiBue restaurant in the centre is part of "Brimiland" - we covered that separately.
Lomseggen is the local mountain at 1,289 metres, with a well-marked trail starting from the centre. From the summit you can see Jotunheimen, Reinheimen and Rondane - all the way to Galdhøpiggen.