Eidsiva Arena

Eidsiva Arena opened shortly before the city became a household name, serving as a training rink for the 1994 Winter Olympics. The main matches were held at the larger Håkons Hall, but this place sat ready while the world watched.

The interior holds a combined handball and floorball court alongside the ice. Lillehammer IK plays one to two home games per week here, and the atmosphere shifts when they do. The surface is artificial ice, standard for an indoor rink. The capacity sits at 3,197, a number that swelled slightly during the renovations for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. Those games brought curling and ice hockey to the same floor, forcing the arena to expand its requirements to satisfy international standards. It is a small change, but one that shows the ground still has uses beyond the league fixtures.

The building carries no heavy history of its own, only the quiet weight of being there when Lillehammer needed it. It was originally named Kristins Hall, a decision made by the municipal council as part of a broader policy based on the history of the Birkebeiner. The stands are not vast, but they are full enough to hear the noise.