While Claudio made his Winter escape to beautiful Kitzbühel I once again flew over to Norway. It was already my second visit to the Nordic country, last year I had the pleasure to visit Geilo. This year my destination was Hovden, a small town embedded into the snow-covered mountains in the center of the country.
Hovden is maybe not the most famous Winter destination, but it really surprised me in a positive way. While Geilo was clearly more family-oriented Hovden turned out to be a very youthful place with lots of cool young people, not only visiting there, but also living there. Being surrounded by this like-minded crowd of course made the whole experience much more enjoyable.
On this wonderful trip I got to know a few really nice young local people, got to taste the exquisite Norwegian cooking and made my first attempts on skis. I really had a blast and am happy to share my impressions with you after the jump along with some recommendations for Hovden.
Hovden
Hovden is a 5 hour bus ride from Norways capital Oslo. You’ll see lots of beautiful landscapes on the way, but beware of a curvy ride, lots of serpentines. The town itself is embedded in a valley between the mountains. It’s small, but you have everything you need: Ski slopes, cross country tracks, supermarket, restaurants, bars, a museum, a pool with a spa, lots of hotels and private cabins to rent – and all of that surrounded by a beautiful landscape.
Hovde Stoylen
We had the pleasure to stay in the lovely Hovde Stoylen Lodge which is one of many nice ski resorts in Hovden. The place is really charming, with a typical Scandinavian style with lots of woods and warm colors. They have a nice fireplace in the lobby, a restaurant that’s quite good and also a little sauna. I stayed in a family suite with lots of bedrooms and a big living room and kitchen. This is perfect if you travel here with a big group of friends.
Hovden Skisenter
I took my very first ski lessons at the Hovden Skisenter. Last year I tried snow boarding in Geile, but was more on my butt than on the board. But with skis I turned out to be not so bad after all. It was in fact quite fun and I quickly found out how to use the ski lift and go down the slopes without crashing into a tree. I will certainly do this again soon when I have the chance.
I also tried cross country skiing which was also really good. At our lessons we mostly learned the basics and didn’t make it that far outside of the cabin area we were in. But whenever we were driving around in town I saw a lot of cross country ski tracks through the landscape and I got jealous that I was not out there in the snow.
Hovden Alpin Lodge
One of the places we checked out for a potential after ski experience was the Hovden Alpin Lodge. It is an amazing place up the mountain with a great view over town and the landscapes around it. Really great place and nice staff.
Hovden Badeland Og Spa
After an active day on skis there is nothing better than a relaxing afternoon at the pool. The Hovden Badeland is the perfect place for this. There are waterslides and Jacuzzis, but the best part was the spa with steam baths and saunas and a nice view into the snow.
Hovden Fjellstoge
Another nice place to stay in is the Hovden Fjellstoge. We went there for their all-you-can-eat seafood buffet which is quite a nice experience where you will meet a lot of cool locals. As I don’t like seafood I was happy they also served delicious steak. And the fireplace and all the stuffed animals make a really special atmosphere.
After a filling dinner you should check out some of the local bars for a drink, some stand-up comedy or even a round of Bingo where you can win nice local products.
Hovden is really a wonderful place to spend a week or two and go skiing, hiking and enjoy all of the other fun activities offered. Forget your stressful city life and enjoy the perfect snow and the magical mountains of Norway.