Post-conference Adventures

📅 When: 4–7 September 2026 

📍 Where: The mountain areas of Lierne municipality 

👥 Who: Minimum 14 participants required. The number of participants is limited. 

📦 What’s included: Accommodation, meals, transportation, entrance tickets and guides.   

 

Friday, 4th of September 

We will depart from Hamar in minivans at 12:00 and head north in the direction of Lierne. On the scenic journey through the Norwegian landscape, we will be crossing the majestic mountain plateau of Dovrefjell, rural settlements and forested valleys, and stop for the evening in the small town of Levanger. The trip will be about seven hours with stops – all the time in the company of good colleagues and with local naturalists guiding us along the road. We will check in at Hotel Backlund by the city park and enjoy a three-course meal with local produce in the intimate atmosphere of the historic restaurant Madame Backlund. 

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Saturday, 5th of September 

After breakfast, we will drive to the Southern Sami Museum and Culture Centre in Snåsa, where a guide will introduce us to the cultural heritage of the indigenous Sami people, their harvest traditions and their existence with nature. We will enjoy lunch in Snåsa, before starting the climb from the lowlands up to the highlands of Lierne. The total drive from Levanger to Lierne is about two hours. Once in Lierne, we arrive directly at the core of our mountain ecology study area – and it’s time to take out the hiking boots and outdoor jacket. Here, we will take a 3-5 km off-trail hike in the mountain, while being guided through topics such as grouse species in the area, their food plants and their predators. We will explore field methodology used in the ptarmigan project, including pointing dogs and tracking equipment – with the possibility of successfully encountering grouse. After the afternoon in the field, we will drive through the mountain municipality of Lierne to our comfortable lodging at Ytterdalstunet, by the borders of one of the area’s national parks. Here, we will enjoy an excellent dinner and a relaxed evening in good company. 

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Sunday, 6th of September 

After a peaceful night’s rest and the following breakfast, we will drive to the National Park Visitor Centre. Here, we will learn about the mountains in the intersection between humans and nature, with an emphasis on the large carnivores of the area. Then, after a short drive, local experts will guide us through forests where brown bears frequent, before heading into the mountains again – this time to Lierne National Park where the Sami people’s semi-domestic reindeer and the rare arctic fox live. On this day, we will be served a warm lunch outdoors. In the field, local land managers will share their insight and practices of willow and rock ptarmigan management in Lierne, which is one of the most popular ptarmigan hunting areas in Norway. The walking distance will be slightly longer this day (up to 7-8 km but on trails), but there is no problem cutting the trip shorter on an individual basis if desired. After a day full of experiences, we will drive approximately one hour back to our lodging at Ytterdalstunet, to enjoy another excellent dinner and our last evening together. 

 

​Monday, 7th of September

After breakfast Monday morning we drive out of the mountains again and return to the lowlands. After a four-hour drive, we end the excursion at Trondheim Airport Værnes (no lunch is included for this day). After the excursion has ended, it will be possible to take a flight from Værnes or train from the historic city of Trondheim (airport transfer between Trondheim and the airport is easy and frequent if you wish to experience Trondheim for a day or two before leaving). From Trondheim/Værnes, there are excellent transport links by both plane and train to Hamar/Oslo and beyond, to be booked independently.  

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Some important practical information Please state any relevant allergies or food intolerances when booking so that we can plan accordingly. Beverages during dinner and evenings are not included in the price and are to be purchased individually. In Levanger, Hotel Backlund provides single rooms for all guests, unless a double room is requested. Please inform us if you are travelling in pairs and would like us to book a double room in Levanger. In Lierne, there are single and double rooms available, where the lowest price is for the double room option (recommended). Please make your own arrangements for travel insurance. Being remote comes with a cost – on this excursion this means that there are some longer drives. However, we expect that the varied and – quite often – spectacular scenery more than weighs up for this! Once in Lierne there will be plenty of time to experience nature up close, so be sure to pack suitable clothing and mountain hiking boots.