If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to stand at the top of a ski jump, a visit to Holmenkollen is your chance to find out. Located at the top of a hill on the western outskirts of Oslo, the ski jump has been rebuilt 18 times since the original facility opened in 1892. The present tower opened in March 2010 and is billed as the world’s most modern ski jump.

The hill size of the Holmenkollen ski jump is 134 meters (approximately 440 feet), and the jump tower is about 60 meters (197 feet) above ground. It offers panoramic views of the surrounding area as well as the thrill of looking straight down the jump and imagining yourself zooming down the slope and soaring into the air.

Admission to the ski jump also includes the Holmenkollen Ski Museum, which traces the history of skiing through 4,000 years. Opened in 1923, it’s the world’s oldest museum about the sport. Among the museum’s roughly 2,500 pairs of skis are many that have belonged to famous athletes and members of the royal family. Other pairs date from Viking times and even earlier. The oldest ski in the museum dates from about 600 A.D. and was found in a bog near Alvdal.

Skiing featured prominently in Norwegian polar expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the museum’s exhibits are skis and other equipment related to the Arctic and Antarctic expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, as well as equipment used by present-day polar explorer Børge Ousland, who returns every now and then to borrow .

For those who really want to experience the feeling of flying down a hill, there’s a ski simulator outside the museum where you can discover what it feels like to jump on Holmenkollen and ski down some of the world’s most difficult slopes with world-class competitors. During the warmer months, you can also experience the amazing views and the sensation of flying down Holmenkollen on a 361-meter (1,184-foot) zipline that runs from the top of the ski jump to the landing area. (The simulator and the zipline are not included in the regular price of admission.)

The ski jump is part of the Holmenkollen National Arena, which also includes a smaller hill, Midstubakken, as well as a combined cross-country and biathlon stadium. Holmenkollen plays host to FIS World Cup events each winter. The Nordic skiing events of the 1952 Winter Olympics were held here.

If you prefer not to go to the top of the tower, you can still get a good sense of the jump from the free outdoor viewpoint overlooking the lower part of the hill.

Latest update: 6 March 2019

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