The European holiday that’s closest thing to real-life Narnia – with snowy sleigh rides, Northern Lights & 2 hours away

AS I make long, sweeping turns down the slope, I think that winter in Norway might be the closest you can get to Narnia without a wardrobe.

Snow-covered pine trees line the pistes, the sky is an icy pale blue — and I half expect the White Witch to appear from behind the log cabins as I pass.

4

4

The only thing missing is a topless James McAvoy standing under a lamppost as Mr Tumnus.

But I think even a mythical faun would need a jacket on in this -16C weather.

I’m wearing two layers of thermals, the thickest ski socks I could find, a fleece, salopettes and gloves with extra liners.

My purple neck warmer is slightly frozen where it sits just above my nose.

I have successfully ensured that every inch of me is covered.

Our Norwegian guide Geir, however, is just wearing a jumper underneath his ski jacket.

“It’s not that cold,” he says. “Last week it was -30C.”

The extra layers — quickly redundant once I actually start skiing — are the price to pay for perfect snow conditions and mile after mile of pristine pistes.

The village of Geilo is a family-friendly resort three hours’ drive from Oslo and sandwiched between two national parks.

A thick layer of snow is guaranteed to cover the country each winter and landing in the capital felt like arriving in a winter wonderland even before we got anywhere near the mountains.

I was staying at Dr Holms Hotel, which overlooked the village and backed on to the slopes.

Covered in whitewashed wood cladding, the building is reminiscent of old-world glamour, with cosy rooms filled with leather armchairs and roaring open fires.

The hotel dates back to 1901 and, alongside a modern spa and restaurant, there are plenty of nods to yesteryear dotted around.

Skiing in Geilo is perfect for families and beginners, with lots of long green and blue runs.

The slopes are split across two sides of a valley, with a handy free bus linking them.

After a morning swooshing down a few blue runs, Geir sorts us a round of well-earned hot chocolates and waffles in one of the many cosy cabins at the bottom of the lifts.

It takes several minutes to unbutton my layers but soon I can sense the feeling returning to my toes.

There are deckchairs outside the cafe and I can imagine that later in the season, when temperatures rise a tad, it would be nice to plop down to enjoy the view.

If raucous apres-ski parties are more your thing, there are plenty of those, too

For now though I am happily huddled inside, tucking into waffles topped with Norwegian brown cheese — a fudgey, gooey local delicacy which tastes surprisingly good on top of the sweet dough.

Back at the hotel, I decide to brave the outdoor hot tub which is nestled in the snow.

It’s a quick dash across the icy path to jump into the steaming water without turning blue.

The temperature in the evening has dropped to around -22C, so I am grateful for the warm water while I admire the jet black skies.

It is often easy to spot the Northern Lights here, with next to no light pollution and the sun setting at 4pm in the winter.

4

4

Frosty trees

If raucous apres-ski parties are more your thing, there are plenty of those, too.

For added Narnia factor, I take a sleigh ride through the village and into the woods.

Given the icy temperatures, I am tucked in with several layers of fur blankets.

Two lanterns are lighting the way through the trees and the driver, who has a long white beard and is head-to-toe in fur, might as well be Father Christmas himself.

If you are visiting with kids, then the family-focused resort also has tobogganing, bowling, and shuffleboard to keep kids entertained after a day on the slopes.

Back on the pistes the next morning, we head down the slope previously used for the Ski World Cup.

The view of frosty trees and cosy cabins in the distance was breathtaking and made me even more grateful that this Narnia-like scene was easy to reach.

It’s just a two-hour flight to Oslo, after all. That’s much easier than a magic wardrobe.