Located in West Norway in the Valldal valley near Ålesund is Juvet Landscape Hotel, a series of wooden cabins on stilts that pairs pristine design with an off-grid retreat. The hotel’s location on the white rapids of the Valldøla River contrasts with the verdant woodland which surrounds the property. Nearby are the natural attractions of Trollstigen, the Geirangerfjorden hairpins, pristine engineering of the Atlantic road. The sheer gorge known as Gudbrandsjuvet is where Juvet is positioned – a jumping off point for running and cycling in this patch of coastal Norway.

In total, Juvet is made of seven bedrooms, one “Birdhouse” cabin, and a larger Writer’s Cabin made of two bedrooms – one twin room and one double room. All rooms an intimately connected to the birch, aspen and pine woodland with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing the outdoor speeds to enter the rooms.

As for dining at Juvet: lunches aren’t organised but dinner is included in the price and taken communally at 7:30pm around a large, shared table. The menu reflects the property’s farmhouse heritage with local sourcing. The breakfast affair is relatively simple and honest – except smoked salmon and scrambled eggs done to perfection.

Training Notes

Runners staying at Juvet are within a short jog of two trailheads. A sharp 5.5km out-and-back trail run with 619m of elevation gain to Myrheivatnet (lake), and the gentler Grønningsæter – Tjønnebu trail which climbs 9.2km over 675m. The early-August Jotunheim Trail Race is held 40 miles south of Juvet and includes routes ranging from 13km to 70km. Look up the race location of Bygdin and see if it works for your logistics – the only option is to drive.

During summer months, cyclists and rent premium FARA road bikes at c. $55 per day via Uteguiden and range more widely in Sunnmøre and Romsdal. They also organise tours and have e-bikes available.

Getting there

It’s possible to get to Juvet by train and bus (Myra, #213, book with frammr.no) during summer months, using Åndalsnes and Geiranger, as the final train station – see travel. Ålesund is the nearest major town.

Rooms start at c. $460 per night. Visit Juvet.com to learn more