[7 min read]
Written by Charlie, Senior Product Manager at Headwater
SKI RIGHT FROM THE FRONT DOOR
Lying on the southern edge of the Rondane mountain range, Venabu is located in the centre of the Venabygdsfjellet plateau. And one of the best places to stay when you’re exploring the surrounding Norwegian wilderness is the welcoming, family-run Venabu Fjellhotell.
Known for its hospitality and traditional Norwegian charm, guests can hike and ski right from their front doors, which is why we’ve hand-picked this unique place to stay as our base for our wonderful seven-night Cross Country Skiing at Venabu winter holiday and our Guided Walking in Venabu trip in the summer.
Read on as we hear from the granddaughter of the former hotel owner, Ingeborg Tvete, who now works as a stable manager and host at the hotel.
A STORIED STOPOVER
Back in 1882, Ole T. Lien constructed a quaint farmstead on the Venabu plateau, offering a place of respite for weary travellers in the region. Over the decades, this humble farmstead was converted into a small guesthouse, to cater to hikers and skiers, when an appetite for these sports took off in the 19th century. After the construction of the Oslo-Dovre railway in 1914 which encouraged a steady stream of visitors to Venabu, Birgit and Arvid Tvete seized the opportunity to build on the foundations of the guesthouse in 1950 to transform it into the Venabu Fjellhotell, guests know and love today. Ingeborg explains, “My grandmother was an interior architect, and she drew the first drawings of Venabu and planned the houses. My grandfather was a handyman and made her beautiful drawings come to life – with the help and support of other local handymen. At that time the hotel only had 13 rooms and no electricity!”
BACK TO TODAY
“Needless to say, there’s been significant developments since then”, Ingeborg joked. “Both my grandparents, parents, and my aunt have worked hard to make this building the unique “home” that it is today”.
Boasting 56 ensuite rooms in total, everyone is catered for at the Venabu Fjellhotel, where you can choose from rustic single and double rooms to larger family rooms. Offering simple and comfortable decor, you’ll find that most rooms have panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and mountains, and come furnished with local, handcrafted pieces which only add to the hotel’s homely, cosy atmosphere. Ingeborg comments, “Through our busiest seasons we have 100+ guests stay with us every day, many of whom are returning guests. Some of my favourite rooms are in the east wing – the oldest wing of our hotel. I love the wooden walls, they exude the true history of the Venabu Fjellhotel. The views you get from this wing are spectacular too.”
WHAT’S A ‘STUA’?
Decorated in the traditional Norwegian architectural style, Venabu Fjellhotell’s rooms are light and airy, with their colours, features and textiles complimenting the mountainous region. They also have an extensive collection of Norwegian art displayed around the hotel. Ingeborg said, “You can still see my grandmother’s architectural touches everywhere, like the welcoming open fireplace and the rustic furniture that she once drew in the lounge.” The spacious lounge, or “stua”, as it’s commonly known, also comes complete with a beautiful grand piano, making it the perfect place to unwind after a day in the mountains. You can also choose to relax in their library room or spend your evenings playing billiards, table tennis or one of their classic board games.
A WINTER WONDERLAND AWAITS
Outside the Venabu Fjellhotell, a world of adventure awaits. Situated on the mountain crossing between Østerdalen and Gudbrandsdalen, near the beginning of the Norwegian Scenic Route for the Rondane, this hotel offers the perfect base for skiers of all levels for our Cross Country Skiing at Venabu winter holiday. With over 140km of prepared ski tracks, Venabu has an extensive network of trails to explore, ranging from easy routes for beginners to more advanced rewarding terrain for experts.
Ingeborg explains, “Today we are an “activity hotel” – that provides active holidays, including skiing courses, snowshoeing excursions, dog sledding, ice-fishing and other summer activities like walking, yoga, horse riding and family activities.” She continues, “All of this started with two enthusiastic people who wanted to share nature with their guests. In all our activities we still want to share nature experiences in a mindful way. So that both today and tomorrows guests can enjoy the beautiful surroundings at Venabygdsfjellet.”
“I would highly recommend the Snowshoeing excursion where the Guide will take you down a frozen waterfall which is an amazing sight for your eyes to behold. But, do remember to bring a day pack with water and don’t be eating snow like we did”
Megan, Sales Consultant
THE CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
When it comes to cross-country skiing in particular, Ingeborg says that her grandfather and the Venabu Fjellhotell as a whole, were pioneers in the industry. “My grandfather was very forward-thinking, and he really wanted to make Venabygdsfjellet an attractive destination.
“The ski guides are just as fabulous as they are local to the area as a novice to Cross-Country Skiing they had me skiing by the end of my time there.“
Megan, Headwater Sales Consultant
After starting out marking the snow with raspberry branches, (which were too soft) my family bought a “pre-snow scooter”, called Snøggen back in the 1950’s, to start making their very own ski routes. In 1965/66 we cut tracks with a machine for the very first time, and I’m very proud to say that my grandfather and father developed most of the ski-track intersections you still see now. In the beginning, my family cut tracks for a union for disabled people – making it easier for everybody to enjoy the beauty of the Norwegian winter mountains.” She paused, smiled and said, “It’s crazy to think that even in the Olympics, they didn’t start making machine-cut tracks before the sixties – so I would have to say that my grandfather and the Venabu Fjellhotell were real innovators in making Venabygdsfjellet the premier skiing destination that it is today.”
WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT?
Ingeborg notes, “I think it stands as a testament to our hotel staff that we offer all of our activities ourselves, apart from working with a third party on our dog sledding excursions. We’re also excited to say that we’re now offering our new “Escape Game: Venabu Labyrinth”. Currently, it’s only available in the Norwegian language, but we’re planning to have it available for English audiences come winter 24/25.”
LOCAL, SEASONAL, FLAVOURFUL
Aside from the wonderful activities Venabu Fjellhotell provides, it’s also renowned for its kitchen which serves up hearty and delicious Norwegian cuisine. “We have an amazing restaurant, where all of the cuisine is based on local, seasonal ingredients and rich flavours.
Our head chef is my aunt Line who works alongside our talented team of chefs to create tasty meals, that satisfy you after skiing, snowshoeing or trekking in the mountains all day.” She continued, “My favourite day of the week is Wednesday when we serve our special menu that’s a nod to traditional Norwegian dishes, which normally incorporates game and fish. On this day, I like to share my local knowledge and stories with our guests as they eat their meal.” Guests at the Venabu Fjellhotell can also enjoy buffets, where they can try homemade bread, soups, and specialities like local cheeses. The team also take pride in holding special culinary events around Norwegian holiday dinners, serving classic seasonal dishes such as “rakfisk” (fermented fish) and “lutefisk” (dried cod).
REDUCING THEIR FOOTPRINT, OR SHOULD THAT BE SNOWSHOE PRINT
Venabu Fjellhotell is also an eco-certified hotel recognised by Norway’s Eco-lighthouse scheme and Green Key. Demonstrating high environmental standards, the Venabu Fjellhotell goes through regular audits and prides itself on implementing practices that reduce their carbon footprint, including sourcing restaurant ingredients locally, using energy-efficient lighting, and avoiding the use of single plastics and disposable items. The team also avidly support ongoing local conservation projects including the protection of Rondane’s wild reindeer.
FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF WHY SO MANY GUESTS COME BACK
So, if this has convinced you to book an enchanting stay at the Venabu Fjellhotell, take a look at our wonderful seven-night Cross Country Skiing at Venabu winter holiday or our Guided Walking in Venabu to start planning your trip today.
