Modern Luxury in the Realm of Norwegian Folklore

Pick up your rental car at Oslo Airport, crank up the Up Norway playlist, and set the GPS for Finnskogen. Click instantly into holiday mode as you get deeper into the countryside. Eventually you’ll reach PAN Treetop Cabins, hidden among towering pines deep in the forest less than two hours from Oslo. Teetering above the forest floor, these striking cabins blend modern architecture with the quiet wisdom of the wild. Founders Kristian and Christine created PAN as a place to reconnect: with nature, with loved ones, and with the stillness we so often crave.

Halfway to Skåbu, you will pass the former olympic city Lillehammer in Gudbrandsdalen valley; the cradle of Norwegian art history. Here we invite you to visit either the Lillehammer Art Museum or the Maihaugen Open-Air Museum. Peek through the doors to historical rural houses and experience life in 1700 including an exhibition of folk art, the world’s oldest revolver and the large steam locomotive at the town railway station. Lunch recommendations will be available in your digital itinerary.

Continue on to Skåbu – Norway’s oldest village (and the highest settlement in Northern Europe). Hosts Jannicke and Henrik made the same journey in 2018 and never went back. Together they transformed the local grocery store into an incredible family mountain lodge which now prides itself on its excellent kitchen, warm atmosphere and modern facilities.

Skåbu is the perfect launchpad for the myriad activities in Jotunheimen National Park. While in the mountains, we recommend a visit to the giant potholes of Helvete (‘Hell’), to see up close how the forces of nature during the last ice age shaped Northern-Europe’s largest potholes.

If you are after a more active experience, cycle on the road named after the legend of Peer Gynt. Experience the essence of the Gudbrandsdalen valley landscape which some have coined ‘the most Norwegian experience of all things norwegian’. There are several great lakes for fishing or canoeing in the area, as well as the Sjoa river; one of our best locations for river rafting.

Before crossing the mountains, stop to visit a biodynamic farm dating back to the Viking age that bears the same name as another Norwegian folk hero; Aukrust Farm at the foot of the Lomseggen mountain. Located in Northern Europe's driest climate the farmers here used to say: “If Our Lord wants to give us sun, we will provide water ourselves' '. The winter darkness even inspired several philosophical and creative poets and painters. Despite the hardness of the past, the farm is currently in full bloom with a romantic herb garden, a cherry tree and a shop offering the country's largest selection of tea and coffee.

Now you are ready to zoom over one of the highest mountain passes in Northern Europe on Scenic Route Sognefjellet. This road is closed during winter time, but becomes accessible again every year around the 1st of May.

The 50-minute drive to Fjærland is a scenic glide through lush valleys, fjord views, and glacier-sculpted landscapes. Fjærland is a place where nature tells unforgettable stories. This small village is one of the few places in the world where your field of vision can take in the turquoise fjord, ancient ice and dramatic mountain slopes all at once.

At the Norwegian Glacier Museum, you’ll gain insight into how glaciers have shaped this land for millennia, and how their retreat today is a powerful reminder of our changing climate.

Driving through Norway rarely gets boring! In the rural outskirts of Hadeland, we’ll arrange a final stop at Kistefos, where a local art curator will introduce you to cutting edge art. In 2020, Kistefos was named a “must-see cultural destination” by the New York Times. Why? Built on the grounds of a historical pulp mill, Kistefos offers world-class architecture, an Industrial Museum, two art galleries, and an impressive outdoor sculpture park with sculptures in scenic surroundings. The Twist is a gallery, a bridge and a sculpture all in one, and has won several awards for its signature design.

Norway’s capital city is a modern metropolis embedded between extensive forests and sparkling fjord waters. Since the new Snøhetta-designed Opera House put Oslo on the world’s architectural radar in 2008, the city has continued to attract cosmopolitan visitors with recent additions such as the futuristic Deichman Library and the MUNCH museum.

Today, we invite you on a city walk with a local insider who will give you a somewhat different perspective on Oslo from that of the average tourist. You will see the importance of architecture and design in developing a capital city, with a focus on real examples. Your walk will include a guided tour of the brand new National Museum.