Dalen Hotel, Norway
We’ll be staying at the historic, luxury and ‘fairytale’ Dalen Hotel, at the end of the Telemark Canal. Built in the romantic Norwegian dragon style, with its towers, spires and dragon heads, it is one of Norway’s largest wooden buildings and retains its original 19th-century architecture, grand hall and stained-glass ceiling.
Opened in 1894 during the height of fjord tourism, guests arrived by canal boats after a journey through locks and lakes. We will take the same historic route and arrive on the Henrik Ibsen.
The hotel is surrounded by nearly 30 decares of manicured gardens and nature paths leading to Lake Bandak. Steep mountain slopes frame the lake and property, creating the feeling of staying at Soria Moria, the mythical golden castle from a classic Norwegian fairy tale.
Please note
The workshop room and some bedrooms are on the first floor. As the hotel has retained its original historic character, there is no elevator. Some activities also require walking independently on uneven ground. Please take this into consideration if you have mobility issues.
Historic Bedrooms
Each bedroom features an en-suite bathroom and king-sized bed. The rooms are decorated in a historical style, with details that have accompanied the house through the ages. You will not find a TV, radio or minibar; instead, you can retreat and enjoy being close to what is happening in and around the house. The hotel’s lounges, dining room and main hall, with its original stained-glass skylight, provide wonderful spaces to relax, knit and enjoy new friendships.
To join this retreat, you have the choice of
- Single occupation
- Double occupation (share with another knitting participant)
Please note: The king-sized bed will have two duvets, but the mattress will not be split. - Double occupation (bring your non-knitting partner)
Also included:
- Free access to the sauna between 4-6pm.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Access to the hotel’s comfortable lounges and walking grounds.
- Tour of the hotel’s remarkable arboretum with the gardener.
- Live piano performance every evening
- Evening storytelling (history of the hotel & local culture)
Cuisine
We will dine in the stunning Bandak Restaurant, preserved in its original condition since the late 1890s with elaborate wooden panelling. The cuisine draws inspiration from French cuisine, with its starting point in Telemark. Ingredients follow the seasons – some are grown in the hotel’s own kitchen garden, while the rest comes from local producers.
We’ll start the day with an à la carte breakfast with an additional buffet, followed by garden-fresh two-course lunches. Every evening, the restaurant is set up with extra elegance, and we’ll enjoy a refined three-course gourmet dinner. The dress code is elegant casual, with many guests choosing to dress up.
