Contemporary hotel in Norwegian fjord region where architecture and nature marries

Juvet Landscape Hotel / Valldal / Møre og Romsdal / Norway

This hotel has been on my wish list for the longest time. It was actually my husband who first heard about this place and who shared it with me. At first It almost looked fake, or surreal. Like it was a project created virtually to showcase something that would be built and nothing that actually existed in reality. When I had understood that Juvet was indeed a real hotel, it went right up to the top of my wish list. And now it was finally time to make this wish come true.

Juvet, you might have already understood, is no ordinary hotel and it isn’t set in any ordinary place either for that matter. It is located right by a wild river in the lushest of valleys (the best strawberries in Norway grow here. And this is a fact!), squeezed between two of the most stunning sceneries in Norway, the Geiranger Fjord and the Trollstigen Route.

The hotel is made up of one main building which is an old converted, red barn and three different types of houses: the modernist Landscape Rooms, the Bird Houses and the Writer’s Lodge. We stayed in one of the Bird Houses which basically looks like a classic bird house (surprisingly enough considering the name…. :-)), sitting on a steep slope on high stilts looking out over the valley. The inside is full on small house living (only 8 square meters in total) and is totally made out of wood. And windows. Our small cabin had no less than 12 different sized windows creating a close connection to the nature surrounding us.

One of the main draws at Juvet is the spa. It is sitting right next to the river (which by the way has the clearest and the coldest water ever) facing the surrounding mountains, It is embedded in greenery. In fact, the only thing revealing where it is located, is the chimney sticking out of some bushes. The entire building is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows creating such a closeness to the outside it is almost ridiculous. Juvet is truly a hotel you have never experience before and one that you will not want to leave.

The best way to arrive at Juvet is to take the famous Trollstigen. A twisting, turning drive over a mountain pass that will make your knuckles white for hours afterwards.

The scenery and the views are stunning. They have built these viewing platforms that will give you an excellent panorama of the surroundings.

The hotel is nestled into the greenery, almost like the hotel is in hiding, sitting right next to a wild river.

The reception and restaurant is located in an old converted barn. Of course it is red, like all Scandi barns. And you can see the mountains being mirrored in the windows revealing what the view is from the inside.

This was one of my favorite areas of the hotel. The lounge which is hiding behind the restaurant. A perfect place to write this blog.

I love how tactile everything is at Juvet. How they have used all these beautiful natural materials like wood and wool to create a cosy, warm interior.

There is a healthy mix of old and new. Traditional and modern.

The Landscape Rooms are gently placed in nature with as little interference as possible. The result is that the buildings and nature compliment each other instead of clashing.

Here is our room, or our cabin, to be exact. It is called a Bird House and it is easy to see why.

There are 2 Bird Houses at Juvet and they are placed on a steep slope, towering above the rest of the hotel.

Small space living extravaganza. The cabin is only 8 (!!) square meters and still has everything you need. Fascinating how little space one actually needs when it is planned this well.

The bed is placed on a loft which you reach via a sturdy ladder.

The front of the cabin has these huge windows which provides an amazing view of the mountains and the valley below.

All in all the cabin has 12 windows in different sizes placed all around to let in as much light as possible and to bring the outside in. And if I may say so, I love this photo. Might be my favorite from our stay at Juvet.

The spa is down by the river. Just look for the chimney sticking up from the ground and you will find your way there.

The spa area is almost difficult to describe with words. It is so beautifully constructed and placed. Architecture at its finest.

The concrete is such a great complement to the outside greenery. The outside being soft, rich in color and lush and the inside strict, grey and hard.

This room is for resting and relaxing after your sauna and dip in the river.

It is difficult to capture the surroundings and to do them justice.

This small cove is hidden behind one of the bends in the river. This is where we went for our morning and evening dips. We shared it with a cute little otter that kept us company.

Yes, it was a quick dip for me. Fast in and fast out.

Talk about a green roof. This seating area is high up on a cliff. Great place to enjoy…

…these little babies at. The Valldal strawberries has been awarded the best ones in Norway and I am onboard. I have never had berries this delicious before and it hurts my patriotic heart.

A pre-dinner glass of white to warm up after the cold dip, with a fire crackling in the background.

Even though it hurts to leave Juvet there is some consolation to be had. The drive, regardless if you go over Trollstigen or via Geiranger, is beautiful. A classic win-win situation. And it doesn’t matter if you go north or south, you can bet that at least one ferry ride will be necessary.

This is the UNESCO protected area of Geiranger. It is easy to see why this is worth protecting for the generations to come.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…are a nature lover and if architecture is your thing. Juvet has both in spades. The scenery is beyond beautiful and the buildings are equally so, both the old converted ones and the new, sleek looking Landscape Rooms. And if you are (like me) fanatic about strawberries, the best ones I have ever had (I am sorry, Swedish strawberries!) are found in this particular valley.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is how the hotel has been placed in nature with so little inference, not disturbing nature. It feels like the different buildings have been gently placed by some kind giant creating a kind of fantasy landscape. This is one of those hotel that is hard to realise it exists for real.

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to just spend every single waken hour at the hotel. Don’t do anything else. And when you’re here it is almost mandatory to go for a sauna and then for a dip in the fresh (ok, icy cold) water. And if it works with your travel plans, try to arrive via Trollstigen. It is a white knuckle drive that will stay with you for ever.

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