Otta

Otta is the base camp for may excursions and it is very much in the middle of just about anywhere on the sites mentioned here. It is located in the nortern part of Gudbranddal valley and where the green tinted River Otta joins in to River Gudbrandsdalslågen. Also it is the crossroads from north and southbound Highway E6 to the highway west towards Stryn. It is located in a valley while having the massive Mountains of Rondarne in east. Besides Lillehammer it is the only city in the Gudbranddalen, though with a population of merely 2000 people, it serves as focal point for community service for the township of Sel. Otta offers exellent services for travel, as it is a major stop for the Intercity trains, bus lines and taxi has been relocated in one terminal, which was formely the railway station.

Otta Camping
It is the location where I stay during my trips in Norway. The neat cabins are spacious, prices are just right, next to rapids of River Otta and the site is located just 1000 yards from the town.

Otta Camping


Due the location by a river Otta is known for being a cold spot due the humid air. But the surroundings are inspirational for allmost any type of tourism. As I mentioned early the location is perfect. You got Rondarne virtually next door, Dovre Mountains within one hour drive, Jotumheim some 100 kilometers away. There are quite alot of varieties on locations from hotels to camping sites.



otta feels like bing a much larger town than 2000 souls, and provides quite amaizing variety of stores hotes and gas stations. I guess it is due the compressed size of the town nestled in a narrow valleys of the rivers. But I feel one of the main attractions is the Rondane which is located just east of the town and the first kilometers offers a very great panorama of the town as seen in my photos. One afternoon past time I have is to walk the whole 4 per cent grade and it is a quite a work out. While at the top a few minutes break and walk back to the town.



A few kilometers north of Otta is the village of Selsverket which I read somewhere was the location of the Otta before the railorad came to the area. According this Norwegian State RR, decided to locate the statio n with its yards on the current location and this opened up more business at the current site of the town and the Selsverket remained as a sleepy village. Never the less it offers a camping site, a church built in 1742, which survided a flood as the Storfossen flooded and killed few people. Right on the opposite side of the white church is a water fall as the River Ulas runs in to the Gudbrandsdallågen. br>

(Vågåmo) (Gudbrandsdal) (Dombas) (Rondarne)
For more info.