If you ask me where to sleep closest to nature in Europe, my answer is almost always Norway. Over the years I have driven thousands of kilometres along fjords, mountain passes and quiet coastal roads, and some of my most memorable nights have been in hotels where nature is the real star of the stay.
This is my personal list of the best nature hotels in Norway. Every single place on it is somewhere I have stayed myself, and you can read my full review of each one. Some are architectural icons, some are tiny cabins in the trees, and some are historic hotels with more than a hundred years of stories in the walls. What they all have in common is the feeling of slowing down.
1. Juvet Landscape Hotel, Valldal
Juvet is the hotel that made me fall in love with nature hotels in the first place. The minimalist rooms are built with huge glass walls, so the river, the forest and the mountains become the decoration. There is no TV and you will not miss it. For me, it is still one of the most beautiful hotels in the world.
Best for: Architecture lovers and anyone who wants a true digital detox.
Read my review of Juvet Landscape Hotel
2. The Bolder Sky Lodges and Star Lodges, Lysefjorden
Waking up above the clouds with a view over Lysefjorden is something I will never forget. The Bolder Sky Lodges sit high above the fjord near Stavanger, and at night the Star Lodges let you fall asleep under the Milky Way. If you only do one bucket list stay in Norway, make it this one.
Best for: Couples, photographers and anyone combining a stay with the Preikestolen hike.
Read my review of The Bolder Sky Lodges
3. Tunheims Fjørå, Fjord Norway
Steep mountains, calm fjord water and almost nothing else. Tunheims Fjørå is the kind of place where you arrive, sit down by the water and suddenly realise you have not looked at your phone for hours. It is a peaceful and genuine fjord stay, and a perfect stop between Juvet and the coast.
Best for: Slow travellers who want the fjord almost to themselves.
Read my review of Tunheims Fjørå
4. Trekronå Treetop Cabins, Stavanger Region
Two cosy cabins in the middle of the forest, with panoramic windows and a skylight so you can watch the stars from bed. My stay at Trekronå made me put my phone away and read a book, which says more than any review I could write.
Best for: A romantic night in the trees close to Stavanger.
Read my review of Trekronå
5. Kristiansand Treetop Cabins, Southern Norway
If you arrive in Norway by ferry from Hirtshals, this is the perfect first night. A unique cabin among the treetops, close to nature but with all the comfort you need. It is an easy way to start a Norwegian road trip with a real wow moment.
Best for: The first or last night of a road trip from Denmark.
Read my review of Kristiansand Treetop Cabins
6. Dalen Hotel, Telemark
Dalen Hotel feels like stepping into a fairytale. The historic wooden building sits by the Telemark Canal, surrounded by forest and mountains. It is not a cabin in the wild, but the nature around it is so dramatic that it deserves a place on this list.
Best for: History lovers and a scenic stop on the way to the west coast.
Read my review of Dalen Hotel
7. Angvik Gamle Handelssted, Møre og Romsdal
An old trading post turned hotel, right by the fjord. Angvik combines fjord views, history and genuine Norwegian hospitality, and it is a lovely base if you are driving the Atlantic Road area.
Best for: Fjord views with a sense of history.
Read my review of Angvik Gamle Handelssted
8. Wood Hotel, Brumunddal
Not a cabin, but a skyscraper made of wood. Wood Hotel is located in Mjøstårnet, one of the tallest timber buildings in the world, with wide views over Lake Mjøsa. A great example of how sustainable architecture and nature can work together.
Best for: Design lovers and a stop between Oslo and Lillehammer.
Read my review of Wood Hotel
9. Eilert Smith Hotel, Stavanger
A city hotel on a nature list? Yes, because Stavanger is the gateway to Lysefjorden, Preikestolen and The Bolder. Eilert Smith is a 12 room boutique hotel with service on a completely different level, and it is my favourite base before or after a few nights in the wild.
Best for: Combining city comfort with day trips into fjord nature.
Read my review of Eilert Smith Hotel
How to Plan a Nature Hotel Road Trip in Norway
My best advice is to drive and take your time. Many of these hotels are easy to combine on one route, for example Kristiansand, Stavanger and Lysefjorden in the south, or Juvet, Tunheims Fjørå and Angvik further north. I always travel by electric car and ferry from Denmark, and Norway is one of the easiest countries in the world for that, with chargers almost everywhere.
Get inspired by my guide to the Norwegian Scenic Routes, see my Stavanger travel guide, and read about why Scandinavia is perfect for a coolcation.
My Favourite?
Juvet will always have a special place in my heart, but the morning above the clouds at The Bolder is the memory I return to most. The truth is that you cannot go wrong with any of them. Norway does nature hotels better than anywhere else I know.
