Unique and alternative accommodations in Norway

Yurtastic! ...But what is a yurt?

A traditional yurt, or ger in Mongolian, is a round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a portable shelter by nomadic cultures across central asia. The structure consists of a latticework of wood or bamboo for walls, a door frame, ribs (poles, rafters), and a wheel (crown, compression ring) marking the centre of the roof. Modern yurts are often permanently built on a wooden platform using modern materials such as steam-bent wooden framing, tarpaulin and plexiglas.

Canvas Hotels has two sites in Norway where you can experience sleeping in one of these so-called Yurts. Canvas Telemark was the first of the two sites and has entertained thousands of happy campers since its inception in 2010. Sauna, mountain biking, hiking and fishing are all readily available in the forest and around the lakeside site.

Beautifully situated next to the ocean in southern Norway, Canvas Hove is a fantastic starting point for many types of activities around the coast including SUP, windsurfing, kayaking, and even an underwater safari with underwater scooters.

Kirkenes Snowhotel

Families with kids who are fans of the movie Frozen, love this hotel built from ice and snow! Situated in the far north of Norway, Kirkenes Snowhotel has 20 frosty chambers on offer to anyone seeking a sleepy snowy adventure.

Each room holds a steady temperature of -4C and accommodates from 2 to 5 people. Amazingly detailed sculptures, beautifully carved out of the snow decorate the rooms with coloured light shows setting the mood. Thermal sleeping bags and insulated mattresses ensure you will be warm and toasty throughout even the coldest arctic night. During winter guests enjoy activities such as husky rides, northern lights tours, snowmobiling, and fishing for king crab. In the summer, the hotel offers cabin accommodation until the snow and ice return with hiking and fishing available.

Manshausen Island

The place is as unique and intriguing as the name itself! Manshausen is a corner of the world like no other. 55 acres of natural beauty situated in the middle of the Grøtøya strait just blow Lofoten in Norway’s rugged arctic coastline and only 500 meters from the small village Nordskot.

With its well-protected harbor, Manshausen was in its time an important and busy part of the old trading post Grøtøy, which was established in 1698. Fish is still important, but kayaking, diving, cycling, climbing and summer and winter hiking have now taken over as the most popular activities.

Store Ringheim Hotel - Voss

Store Ringheim Hotel in Voss is a collection of old farm buildings around a courtyard in an area of cultivated countryside nestling among high mountains, all combined with a high standard of comfort and style. The hotel is located in the old farmhouse on a farm that has been in the Ringheim family since 1778. There are six farmhouse-style rooms with a contemporary feel, and each room has a modern tiled bathroom with shower. The most historic room is in the old Eldhuset, which is more than 300 years old.

Igloo Hotel on the Alta River

PAN Treetop cabins are a must for nature lovers who want to experience the peace of the forest with traditional food and extraordinary animal life. In Eastern Norway you have one of the largest belts of forest in the world, the Taiga, also known as boreal forest or snow forest. There is no other place in Norway where you have such diverse animal activity with elk, venison, capercaillie, wolf, bear, and lynx.

The cabins have received a lot of attention for the unique design and cutting-edge engineering solutions. All building materials and furnishings have been meticulously selected to adhere to sustainable principles.

An essential and very important principle has been that the cabins will blend into the surroundings in a non intrusive way. At night you can sit in the cabin and watch the sunset with the landscape slowly changing into night as the sounds of the forest change in tandem. The underlying thought of the site is that you should be able to remove the cabins and not be able to see any trace of human activity be left behind.

There are many different types of accommodation to choose between in Norway, check out our selection here.