Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Autumn and Winter Experiences in Norway
Above: Vision of the Fjords is a brand new hybrid vessel launched this summer. When the boat runs on battery power, you can listen more closely to nature’s own sounds. Photo: Sverre Hjørnevik. Bottom: Viewpoint. Photo: Jonny Akselsen
The lord of the fjord Fretheim Hotel is a true legend in Fjord Norway. Once a hotbed for well-off Englishmen fishing in Flåm, the historic hotel still provides travellers with comfortable accommodation, local cuisine and easy access to the UNESCO-protected Sognefjord. By Eirik Elvevold
Another train full of passengers departs from Flåm station. During the next hour, it will take them from the glittering Aurlandsfjord to Myrdal station at 867 metres above sea level. The Flåm Railway, one of the steepest in the world, climbs through Norwegian mountains, past waterfalls, viewpoints and farming villages, before descending back down to Flåm. “For many years, Flåm has been one of Norway’s most popular tourist destinations because its nature is so spectacular, maybe even more so in the winter when snow covers the steep hillsides and the fjord freezes,” says Connie Konglevoll, sales manager at the centrally located Fretheim Hotel. Established in the late 19th century to accommodate wealthy Englishmen fishing for trout and salmon, the venerable hotel can be found at the very end of a fjord branch by the name of Aurlandsfjord. Fretheim Hotel has 121 rooms divided between a modern and a 58 | Issue 92 | September 2016
historical part recognised by Norwegian membership organisation Historic hotels. After you have recharged your batteries with some locally sourced food at the hotel restaurant Arven (’the Inheritance’) there are plenty of things to do right outside. “I would recommend to take a walk in Flåm’s iconic scenery, go ski touring up a nearby mountain peak or take a fjord cruise with the brand new boat, Vision of the Fjords,” Konglevoll says. The elegant hybrid vessel Vision of the Fjords, inspired by the area’s winding
mountain trails, was launched by Norwegian company The Fjords in the summer of 2016 to enhance the fjord experience even further. Equipped with large windows and a cutting-edge hybrid engine, the vessel switches to battery power when it arrives in the most vulnerable and spectacular areas of the UNESCO World Heritage area Nærøyfjord. “Vision of the Fjords is both innovative and environmental and gives you a rare and peaceful panorama. When it floats by at a mere ten knots, it’s practically silent,” Konglevoll says.
FRETHEIM HOTEL AT A GLANCE: - Located in Flåm in western Norway. - Next to the Sognefjord – the world’s deepest and second-longest fjord. - 121 rooms in different categories. - The Flåm Railway departs closeby. - Vision of the Fjords, a brand new hybrid vessel, was launched in 2016.
For more information, please visit: www.fretheimhotel.no or www.visitflam.com