Scan Magazine
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Hotel of the Month
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Norway
Hotel of the Month, Norway
A historically rich hotel that keeps reinventing itself As one of the most prominent hotels in Odda, Norway, Hardanger Hotel offers exceptional accommodation complete with rich historic heritage and a convenient location. With year-round local fun and educational activities, your stay at Hardanger Hotel will no doubt be memorable. By Pernille Johnsen
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Photos: Hardanger Hotel
The original hotel was built in 1881 and operated by Jakob Jordal, who sold it to the Odda Trade Union in 1899. In 1907, Sjur Birkeland became the hotel’s owner until, in April ten years later, brothers Ole and Karl Melkeraaen bought and named it the Hardanger Hotel. Hardanger is a historically rich district in western Norway and home to the stun112
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Issue 101
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June 2017
ning Hardangerfjord, where the Melkeraaens’ hotel is located at the edge of the water. In 1953, four of Ole’s children, brothers Gunnar, Johan and Martin and their sister Borghild, took over the hotel and ran it together until the mid-‘70s. The hotel was completely rebuilt in 1963 and has undergone refurbishment and modernisation throughout subsequent and recent years. Today, it has 50 rooms,
some with balconies and views of the fjord. Ole Melkeraaen, son of Johan, is the sole proprietor and manager and the third generation of his family to run the hotel.
Trolltunga, glacier and waterfalls The main attraction in the Hardanger district is Trolltunga, a wide rock formation jutting out of a mountain 2,300 feet (700 metres) above Lake Ringedalsvatnet. ‘Trolltunga’ is Norwegian for ‘troll’s tongue’ and references the mythical creatures of Norse folklore. Guests who wish to take in the spectacular view from atop Trolltunga should be prepared for an all-day hike lasting eight