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All Norway 'Fakkelmannen' ('The Torchbearer')
AO Edited

'Fakkelmannen' ('The Torchbearer')

This mountainside mural of a person carrying a torch was created for the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Oyer, Norway

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siljer
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Fakkelmannen   Lillehammer 2016 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Fakkelmannen   Lillehammer 2016 / CC BY-SA 2.0
Fakkelmannen   ashfay / CC BY 2.0
View from the top of Fakkelmannen   siljer / Atlas Obscura User
Fakkelmannen   Ole C Eid / CC BY-SA 2.0
Fakkelmannen as seen from the other side of the valley   siljer / Atlas Obscura User
Another winter view of Fakkemlannen covered in snow   siljer / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Fakkelmannen is a huge mural that was made by chopping down trees on a side of a mountain. The mural, which was created for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, depicts a man holding a torch in the same style as the logo used for the Olympic games.

The mountainside mural is easily visible from Hafjell Alpinsenter, a ski resort on the east side of the valley that hosted the giant slalom and slalom skiing events during the Lillehammer Olympics. Though it has been nearly three decades since the mural was created, the figure has been regularly maintained, so the figure of the torchbearer still stands out from the surrounding growth.

A little-known fact is that Fakkelmannen contains a footpath that allows you to walk all the way to the top of the head of the mural. It's a tough walk to get to the top, but the view from up there is amazing. Every New Years' Eve, someone walks to the top of Fakkkelmannen, in the snow, bringing fireworks. But mostly, walking up Fakkelmannen is a summer activity (and it's also obligatory to do this hike for everyone who grows up in the nearby village of Øyer).

Related Tags

Ski Forests Olympics Land Art Art Outside Murals

Know Before You Go

The beginning of the footpath may be a little difficult to find, and there are more than one way to get up there. But if you want to try it out, just ask any local or the local tourist office for directions. 

Community Contributors

Added By

siljer

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

July 19, 2022

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Sources
  • https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakkelmannen
  • https://www.fakkelmannen.no/historie/
  • https://www.hafjellresort.no/bestill/se-gjore/1566244/fakkelmannen/showdetails
'Fakkelmannen' ('The Torchbearer')
Oyer, 2625
Norway
61.237242, 10.412072
Visit Website

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