Best for
Families in summer, anyone wanting to see Gjøvik as locals experience it
Time needed
1–3 hours
Worth it?
Yes in summer if you enjoy lake swimming or want a genuine local experience
Skip if
You're visiting outside summer, or expect warm Mediterranean-style water
About Fastland Friluftsbad
Fastland is Gjøvik's main open-air bathing facility, an unpretentious lakeside park on Mjøsa's shore roughly ten minutes on foot from the town centre. It's exactly the kind of place that doesn't show up in guidebooks but explains a lot about how locals actually spend a summer weekend — free, unticketed, and geared entirely around a swim, a picnic and an afternoon in the sun.
The facility includes a ten-metre diving tower, a separate shallow pool for younger children, a sand volleyball court, tennis courts, a skateboard ramp and a playground, alongside grills and plenty of grass for laying out a towel. A kiosk covers the basics if you didn't pack your own food. None of it is glamorous, and that's rather the point — this is a genuine slice of small-town Norwegian summer life, not a resort.
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Mjøsa itself is a big, deep, glacially-fed lake, so water temperature is a real consideration: it warms up through July and into August but rarely gets properly warm by southern-European standards, and swimmers used to the Mediterranean should expect a bracing entry even in peak summer.
As a free, no-booking, drop-in spot, it's best understood less as a 'sight' to tick off and more as a way to spend a couple of hours the way Gjøvik residents do — useful context for travellers trying to get past the postcard version of a town and see it functioning as an actual place people live.
What to See: Highlights
- 1Free outdoor swimming directly on Lake Mjøsa
- 210-metre diving tower and separate children's pool
- 3Sand volleyball, tennis courts and a skateboard ramp
- 4Grassy lakeside park with grills and picnic space
- 510-minute walk from the town centre
- 6A genuine local-life spot rather than a tourist attraction
Insider Tips
Best on warm days roughly June through August; facilities are minimal outside summer
The lake water is cold even in summer — bring a towel and expect a bracing swim
Bring your own food if you don't want to rely on the kiosk
Popular with local families on weekends — arrive early for a good spot on busy days
Combine with a longer lakeside walk toward the town centre
Getting There
Parkvegen 5, 2819 Gjøvik
Open in Google Maps →- 1About a 10-minute walk from Gjøvik town centre. Free parking available on site.
Where to stay
Hotels in Gjøvik
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you visit.
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Should You Visit?
Visit if...
- You're visiting Gjøvik on a warm day between June and August
- You're travelling with kids who'd enjoy a free pool and playground
- You want to spend time the way local Gjøvik families actually do
- You enjoy lake swimming and don't mind cold water
Skip if...
- You're visiting outside the summer months
- You're expecting a resort-style beach experience
- You're short on time and need to prioritise the ticketed sights instead
More to See in Gjøvik
Vitensenteret Innlandet (Innlandet Science Centre)
A hands-on science centre for kids and families in central Gjøvik, with interactive exhibits on physics, energy and technology — open weekends and school holidays.
DS Skibladner
The world's oldest paddle steamer still in scheduled service — a genuine 1856-built lake ferry sailing Mjøsa between Gjøvik, Hamar, Lillehammer and Eidsvoll, but strictly a summer-only affair.