GUDBRANDS VALLEY

Norwegian Gudbrandsdalen, valley, Oppland fylke (county), south-central Norway. Comprising the valley of the Lgen (river), it extends for about 100 miles (160 km) from the famed Dovre Mountains and Lake Lesjaskogen on the north to Lake Mjsa on the south and is flanked on the west by the Jotunheim Mountains and on the east by the Rondane Mountains. Lillehammer, at the southern end, is a thriving town; other communities, such as Tretten, Fvang, Ringebu, Otta, and Dombs, are small. Stock raising, lumbering, and dairying are the chief occupations, and some slate is quarried. Like other Norwegian valleys, Gudbrands Valley has developed its own culture and dialect. A historic trade route and site of ancient graves, it is associated with several sagas and legends, including that of Peer Gynt. A local folk museum is at Maihaugen near Lillehammer. The OsloTrondheim railroad passes through the valley.