When hiking around in this region you will discover many caves. Having a close look during your hike will even let you find artifacts like cans, bottles and even ammunition of the first world war. This is because this area was the front line of the Italian and Austro-Hungarian war. Ossario del Pasubio tells the story and the museum next doors gives a very detailed view on the history.

The Ossario del Pasubio

The Ossario del Pasubio, translated in English as the Pasubio Monastery, has it’s origins in 1917.  The idea was to build a chapel. A monument dedicated to the fallen in the First World War.

Construction started in 1920 at an altitude of 1217 meters. The position was chosen because of it’s beautiful views over the valley and because it allows you to see the shape of the monastery from across the Vicenza plain.

Construction was hard due to the cold, hostile winters and collection of funds. On August 29, 1926 the monastery was inaugurated. It consist out of two parts. The ossuary and the chapel. You find the ossuary in the tower stand and it includes a central crypt and two concentric galleries. In the central crypt the remains of 70 decorated soldiers are kept while in the galleries the remains of another 5146 Italian and 40 Austro-Hungarians are stored. The bones of the fallen are visible which gives it a chilling touch.

The chapel can be reached by entering the tower on the south. Using stairs to the top, you’ll find the small chapel. The inside of the tower is decorated with beautiful frescoes and artistic stained glass.

The 1^st army museum

The museo 1^a armata completes the story that the monastery is trying to tell. In this museum you will find exhibitions explaining the war itself. It’s a modern museum giving a neutral insight with various levels of perception. It displays memorabilia, images, 3D reconstructions and multimedia outlets.

Events at Ossario del Pasubio

Every year on the last Sunday of June there is a celebration in memory of the fallen. This is also in memory of the anniversary of the bloodiest battle fought on the nearby massive on July the second, 1916.

Combining your visit with the outdoors

The monastery and museum are very interesting to visit but truly stand out by the fact it’s can easily be combined with a wonderful hike. You can plan in a visit during the hike. At the Ossario del Pasubio you find a little bar for refreshments.

Personally I’d recommend to park at Pian de Fugazze and hike around Monte Cornetto. There are several signed post paths either taking you around or even to the top of Monte Cornetto. Note that this hike will take you a couple of hours and making your way up to the top requires fitness.

If you want to skip the hike, take a nice 2 km walk. Walk the road from Pian de Fugazze to the Ossario del Pasubio and be surprised by the views at arrival!

How to get there

You can reach the Ossario de Pasubio using the SS46 from both Rovereto and Schio. This drive itself gives you very nice views over the valley and mountains. From Pian Delle Fugazze, the top of the pass, it’s a small 2 km to Ossiario del Pasubio.

More information on the tower, museum and events can be found on the Ossario del Pasubio website. (Italian only)

Oslo and it’s surroundings are beautiful, but any Norwegian from that area will tell you that if you want to see the ‘real’ Norway, you have to at least drive for 2 hours up north. And so you can find a husky sledding experience close to Oslo, but I set out to go to a ski resort called Geilo on a 4 hour drive from Oslo.

While this may seem like a long drive, and it is, it’s worth it. Passing huge lakes and gorgeous mountains all covered in snow, there is not a moment this trip gets dull.

Sledding with Fagerlund Husky

While there are a couple of husky sledding providers in and around Geilo, I find Fagerlund Husky to be very responsive and flexible upon reservation. Upon arrival in Geilo, we have been picked up by a very friendly staff member of Fagerlund Husky. After a 15 minute drive, we arrive at a small camp with fireplace and tent.

After a small introduction and a friendly chat, we get into the tent to change some of our clothing. While the weather is really sunny today, the wind and snow will make it very cold and therefore good clothing is a necessity. Fagerlund Husky provides us with some decent winter clothing.

Keep calm and control your huskies!

Sledding the huskies on a frozen lake is absolutely amazing. But what if I tell you that you won’t just be sitting in the sleigh relaxing and enjoying the spectacular sights? What if I tell you that you will actually be the one that controls the huskies and sleigh?!

Yes, this may seem a little scary, but rest assured, it’s absolutely not hard to do. In our trip we took two laps around the lake. A little stop half way makes it possible to change position from relaxing in the sleigh to controlling the huskies.

When sleighing, all you have to do is keep your distance with the sled in front of you. You can do this using the ‘soft’ brake in which you stand on a mat. This will cause drag and slow you down a little. The huskies are strong and eager though so you once in a while will have to use the ‘hand brake’. This one will gently but certainly get you to a full stop. Steering the sled when turning? You don’t have to do much. It pretty much goes by itself.

A husky sledding experience to never forget

For me, this sure is in the top of the list of best experiences ever. A true ‘bucket-list’ check! It is as awesome as you’d imagine when you see these kind of adventures on TV. In fact, after some time it can be hard to image you actually did it!

And if reading this article didn’t convince you to go try it out, then check out the video below. If that doesn’t get you excited… well… I guess you’re not a fan of snow and/or dogs in the first place.

Go on your own husky sledding adventure

Want to try it yourself? If you have the opportunity, don’t doubt. It’s a lifetime experience I would recommend to anyone of all ages.

I went with the very helpful and friendly Norwegians at Fagerlund Husky. They offer several tours, varying in length and location. For personal advise, you can contact them by phone. Bookings and availability can be found here.

Using a toboggan, a traditional and simple sled that is used for transportation in the past, you can now have a lot of winter fun on the Korketrekkeren. Literally translated as “the corkscrew”, this track runs between Frognerseteren and Midtstuen and is operated by the municipality.

You can use the track free of charge as it’s maintained by the municipality. Opening hours? Well, that really depends on the snow conditions. In the winter of 2017, it took up until the beginning of February before there was enough snow.

The speed of the track depends very much on the freshness of the snow. When the snow is fresh and powdery, it goes faster than when the snow is heavy and wet. The track gets at it’s craziest when it’s icy. In icy conditions it can actually be too fast and dangerous.

Want to try it out? Head out to Frognerseteren (reachable by metro) and lend a sleigh (kjelke) and helmet from the akeforeningen. It’s not possible to rent a sleigh when they consider the conditions not to be suitable. If you are not sure about the conditions, you can contact them by phone (see website for details)

History

The track used to be a road and was made into a luge track in the 1880’s. In fact, a bobsleigh track was built from the same starting point for the 1952 winter Olympics. As this was a temporary, artificial track with curves being constructed in snow and then frozen hard to ice, the bobsleigh track nowadays is by far gone.

There have been occasional proposals to build a permanent bobsleigh track but the selection of Lillehammer to be the host of the 1994 winter Olympics host stopped this debate.

That it’s not just slow fun becomes clear in the fact that in 2007, there were two serious accidents on the hill and it was subsequently closed by the police. The municipality then renovated the hill, removing poles and polstering dangerous edges.

Sleigh the Korketrekkeren on ice?!

I have been out there… a sunny day in the beginning of February. It was crowded and the track was icy. The result was absolutely crazy. The speed, the lack of control, it was hilarious and perhaps a little dangerous. One thing is for sure, you’ll know you live!

Winter joy at Holmenkollen

Vinterglede, as this exhibition is called in Norwegain, is all about the winter joy. Opened in June 2007 on the 1st floor, you can see the many variations of joy the winter and snow brings. Meet great Norwegian skiers from all ages and get a glimpse of the development of the Holmenkollen ski jump over the last century. Yes, the massive ski jump you are under while visiting this museum started out as just a snow jump.

Many great films will show you the joy people and athletes had in the past and present as well as memorable moments in skiing history.

Freedom on Snow

This exhibition opened in November 2014 and is all about the freedom on skiing and snowboarding. You get to see gorgeous pictures and video on modern skiing and snowboarding, the history of modern ski- and snowboarding and much more. This exhibition is not only fun for adults but definitely for children too. In fact, you can try to snowboard and ski yourself on the indoor gyro boards! Be sure to check out the film made by Field Productions.

Polar exhibitions

In the Holmenkollen ski museum you will find exciting information and artifacts from some of the most important polar expeditions in history. Even before the opening of the Holmenkollen ski museum, explorers Nansen and Amundsen donated much of their equipment from their expeditions to the Association for the Promotion of Skiing.

Imagine, Fridtjof Nansen went across Greenland on ski’s in 1888. During his expedition he tested various equipment such as ski’s, sleeping bags and boots. Between 1893 and 1896 Nansen and his crew intended to sail the Artic Ocean in order to reach the North Pole expedition using a ship called ‘Fram’.

Between 1910 and 1912, Roald Amundsen was in a race to beat British explorers to be the first to reach the South pole. Amundsen reached the pole on the 14th of December 1911 while the British team, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott arrived on the 18th of January 1912. The entire British crew perished on their return journey.

Børge Ousland has undertaken several Arctic and Antarctic expeditions and is a modern example of a polar explorer.

The stories of these explorers are incredible and artifacts from their journey, as well as documents can be found in the Holmenkollen ski museum. It’s hard to imagine how harsh it must have been while we stand in a warm and comfortable modern museum.

Northern Lights

All over the world people are and always have been fascinated by the Northern Lights. It’s a stunning phenomenon that you don’t get to see every day. In fact, you need to be very close to the earth’s pole’s and even then you need a good dose of luck. No wonder visitors from all over the world flock to northern Norway to experience this bucket list natural event.

In the Holmenkollen ski museum you can watch a documentary that takes you on a journey from myths and early science to our modern understanding of the northern lights.

‘Be prepared’

The exhibition be prepared is inevitable and a must for the Holmenkollen ski museum. So far, my stay in Oslo has been snow-less. And while there are some that believe climate change is a hoax created by the Chinese, the fact is that our climate is changing. It has always done, but this time it’s us, humans that cause it. This exhibition show how and what the disastrous outcome can be if we don’t change our ways. The signs are critical and skiing and snowboarding might become a rare sight near Oslo.

Views from the jump tower

Done reading and viewing artifacts behind glass? It’s time to gaze over Holmenkollen and Oslo. And elevator brings you all the way to the top of the ski jump tower. Experience the views an athlete has before he plunges down into the pit filled with people. I’m sure the thought will make you shiver. But I’m also sure you will be amazed by the beautiful panoramic view. See Olso and Oslo fjord in a glimp, look far into the forest, or marka as it’s called in Norwegian and be blown away.

Located in the district of Gudbrandsdal within the Oppland county, Lillehammer is not only a town. It’s also the name of the municipality of which the town itself is the administrative center.

The, for most of us, small city center mostly consist of a concentration of 19th-century wooden houses. It’s location is wonderful. Surrounded by mountains and with views over the northern part of lake Mjøsa and the river Lågen picturesque scenes are guaranteed.

Strolling Lillehammer city center

Lillehammer’s city center is quite small, but it sure gives it’s authentic and cozy atmosphere. I’m here during the winter, so I do have to watch where I set foot as it can be slippery. As Lillehammer has been an important trading area since 1300s it does not only offer your average kind of stores.

In the wooden buildings you will find specialized stores with craft products, interior and souvenirs. Besides that, you can visit galleries and museums. But don’t rush! Make sure you visit one of the many cozy and warm cafes or restaurants as well.

Throwback to the 1994 Olympics

Up the hill, not far away from Lillehammer center, you find a place called Lysgårdsbakkene, the ski jumping hill used during the 1994 winter Olympics. Whether it’s summer or winter time, this is a must visit if you ask me. The fact that sportsman are crazy enough to launch them from these ski jumps is impressive.

Best of all though is that you are more than welcome to walk the 954 steps to the top of the Ski jumping arena. It’s though, but the views over the city and surroundings are very rewarding.

With time to spare

If you have more than a day to spend in Lillehammer, there is actually a lot more you can get out of your trip. During winter time there are loads of winter sports and activities for you to try. The summer ain’t much different, though the type of activity is most likely to be different.

While most of the activities available are on a small to far distance for the actual city of Lillehammer, many of them are must do’s! How about going down the Olympic bob- and lunge track? Or test yourself on the Olympic 50km cross country trail? It’s all possible in this beautiful region by the name of Lillehammer.

Windmills

The most authentic views are made by the windmills placed along the dyke at Zaanse Schans. From different locations you get a view of them which features on the cover of many brochure about Holland. While the Dutch put together this iconic scene to attract tourist, they are real and original windmills from across the ‘Zaanstreek’.

With 3 oil mills, ‘de Os’ (the Ox), ‘de Zoeker’ (the Seeker) and ‘de bonte Hen’ (the spotted Hen) you can get a good view of how oil can be produced using a windmill.

At the 3 saw mills you get to experience how wood can be manufactured into planks. With ‘de gekroonde Poelenburg’ (the crowned Poelenburg), ‘het jonge Schaap’ (the young Sheep) and ‘het Klaverblad’ (the Cloverleaf) there is enough chance to get a look inside and feel the history.

With a dye mill ‘de Kat’ (the Cat) and mustard mill ‘de Huisman’ (the Houseman) you get the idea of all the possibilities. The Dutch ancestors have been able to come up with all kinds of solutions using the wind as energy source. And if you think all this is for show only, you are wrong. Some of these windmills still operate as a business, if not to just have a side income.

Zaans Museum

In 1998 the Zaans Museum was opened with the goal of preserving and protecting the heritage of the Zaanstreek (Zaan area). The museum features two sub-collections: residential culture and industrial culture. Expect to see regional costumes and Zaan-style painted furniture for example.

‘The Cooperage’, the ‘Jisper house’ and the ‘Weaver’s house’ have recently been added as museum locations with living history at the Zaanse Schans. ‘The Cooperage’ features the craft of coopery, or barrel making. The ‘Jisper house’ tells the story of a fisherman’s wife before the industrial revolution midway trough the 19th century.  And the ‘Weaver’s house’ reveals it’s focus in the name, namely the craft of weaving sailcloth in the 19th century.

Plan your visit

If you are planning to visit Zaanse Schans it’s a good idea to quickly check what you would like to see. The different windmills and museums have different opening hours and there are daily demonstrations of professions and folklore to see. For a up-to-date and detailed overview of this you can visit this page.

Zaanse Schans is a stone’s throw from Amsterdam and can be reached by almost any kind of transportation.

Bus

If you are visiting from Amsterdam, a fun way to go to Zaanse Schans is by combining it with the NDSM wharf and a visit to the center of Zaandam. You can do this by using busline 391, also named the ‘Industrial Heritage Line’. For more information, have a look at bus391.nl.

Train

If you plan on visiting Zaanse Schans by train you need to go to trainstation ‘Koog-Zaandijk’. From Amsterdam Central station this will take you 17 minutes. Subsequently you walk to the Zaanse Schans in about 15 minutes.

Car

Of course the Zaanse Schans is also accessible by car. You can use the address ‘Schansend 7, Zaandam’ on your GPS device. Parking is 9,- euro for a day.

Bike

Depending on your location, going to Zaanse Schans by bike is a true authentic and modern day way of transportation in the Netherlands. Ask a local tourist office for advise as he will have some wonderful cycle routes ready for you.

Considering to visit Zaanse Schans?

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