My Dream Destination…

Famous for its serenity & beauty, Heidal remains to be a place recognised for its long-lived culture and History. Declared as a cultural and historical heritage site, it remains to be rich in its traditions & customs, which have a special relevance during Christmas season. I was fortunate to get an opportunity to visit this exotic tourist destination and get memorable experiences that will last forever.
On my journey, I headed from Inderøy towards the south Trondelag and to my destination in the district of Oppland, travelling through Dovrefjell, one of the highest mountains of Norway towering to 1073 m & Snøhetta (2286 m) above the sea level.
Politically, Heidal lies in the Sel kommune of Oppland and Otta is the centre of administration. Sel Kommune has a population of 6000 people, while Heidal houses 1750 people.
On reaching, I was delighted to receive a warm welcome from my host family, Mr & Mrs.Rune and their children. Exploring more in depth, one finds a huge difference between Heidal & other places in the country. It is marked by the traditional houses that date back to 1700’s, the Lutheran church which was reconstructed in 1942 after a fire accident in 1933, the delicious ‘Gudbransdal Ost’, Elk, the national animal and the vast forest region and snow clad mountains. The rivers like Sjoa, Moro, Rinda & Trykjo also form the serene geographical base of Heidal. Farming, forestry and rearing of cattles are the main occupations of the local people. Apart from these, Heidal has also witnessed growing tourism in the recent years because of its topography that favours Ski-centres, River rafting & other water sports, attracting tourists worldwide.

Christmas at Heidal:
The season of Christmas is marked by glittering decorations at homes, streets and shops. Celebrating Christmas at Heidal remains to be a warm and pleasant experience for me. ‘Lille Julaften’ or the small Christmas Eve falls on the 23rd December which is important and special than the Christmas day. At the dawn of the day, ‘Risgrott’ or rice porridge is the special meal.
On the Christmas Eve, Mjølke-grynn (milk soup), Potatmos, Stekt flesk, Lute Fisk and Tomtebrygg are special for lunch. Dinner on the Christmas Eve is of great importance, for the very reason that the entire family along with the elders of the family come together. Reading the verse from the Bible marks the beginning of the grand celebration. Svineribbe (rib of pig), Medister kaker, Molte krem and Tyttebar syltetøy and Tomtebrygg are the special delicacies of the occasion.
Flipping open of Christmas presents, which lie high mounted, one upon the other, follows dinner. The celebration slowly recedes on the Christmas day.
Thus, I wave goodbye to this special place of Heidal, with the memories of experiencing a Norwegian Christmas.