History of Trysil

People have lived in the Trysil area for thousands of years. The first Tryslingers were hunters and fishermen, and later, farmers. Nature was demanding; the severe winters of heavy snow, combined with great distances, made skiing a necessary mode of travel.

The Tryslingers’ hospitality contrasted sharply with the harshness of nature. The parish priest Axel Christian Schmidt described the Tryslinger in his 1784 book about his Trysil parish:

“He is easily stirred to emotion, talkative and gregarious, optimistic, with a passionate emotional life and lively imagination, good-hearted – and hospitable, often extravagantly so.”

What made the Tryslingers so welcoming? Perhaps their remoteness and isolation made every visit all the more appreciated. Perhaps the village had a natural spirit of solidarity that made guests feel immediately welcome. Perhaps it was simply an expression of the Tryslingers’ conviction, bestowed upon them by the generosity of Nature, that abundance should be shared with others.

However this reputation came about, we hope today’s visitors feel we are just as hospitable as back then, when winter nights sparkled without the glare of street lamps, and the nearest stranger was a day’s journey away.