Østerbø Fjellstove: Fall in love with Norway’s quiet winter haven

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Sandra Johannsen

For the first time this year, Østerbø Fjellstove will welcome guests through the winter season, inviting visitors to experience the serene magic of Aurlandsdalen draped in snow. Here, high in the Norwegian mountains, the world feels hushed and slow, the air sharp and clear, and the landscape blanketed in stillness. With flickering log fires, creaking timber walls, and a history deeply rooted in mountain hospitality, the lodge offers the perfect base for exploring the landscape, snowshoeing, ice climbing, and stargazing.

Set in the dramatic Aurlandsdalen valley between Oslo and Bergen, Østerbø Fjellstove has been a resting place for mountain travellers since the 1600s. But while Aurlandsdalen has long been celebrated as one of Norway’s most spectacular summer hiking destinations, the winter season is a different story – softer, slower, and profoundly still. “When you walk up on the mountain, it might be a bit hard in the snow, but at the top you’re met by a stunning view and complete silence – you feel as if you have the whole world to yourself,” says Danish-born manager Sandra Johannsen.

Until now, few visitors have had the chance to experience it this way, as Østerbø traditionally closed after autumn. With its first year of full winter opening, the mountain lodge hopes to welcome curious travellers looking for an alternative to busy ski resorts.

Østerbø Fjellstove welcomes guests with rustic charm, cosy comfort and stunning surroundings.

Life at the fjellstove

The fjellstove embraces its mountain heritage with pride. Accommodation ranges from simple hotel rooms to cosy old timber cabins with private saunas or fireplaces, and larger apartments for those wanting extra space. It is rustic in the most charming sense – warm wood, mountain history on the walls, with old tools serving as gentle reminders of life here before tourists arrived. In the main lodge, beams and boards have held five centuries of footsteps, and a sign in the reception dates the building to 1752. “The feedback we get is that the moment people walk in, they feel at home,” Sandra says.

Meals are hearty and local, designed for long days outdoors and evenings by the fire. Guests can enjoy breakfast and dinner in the mountain dining room, order lunch to take into the hills, or, for those staying in the cabins, pick up homemade pizzas to bring back to their own cabin of flat. The aim, Sandra explains, is to make Østerbø a welcoming base for anyone wanting to explore. “We aim to connect with people searching for something different – a hidden gem in the mountains, a place to stay while exploring the mountains beyond the traditional resorts and tourist spots – far from the crowds and well-trodden routes.”

Aurlandsdalen has excellent conditions for ice climbing with numerous options for both beginners and advanced ice climbers within a short distance. Photo: Dansk Bjergklub

A winter for explorers

Those who wish to ski will find alpine slopes around forty minutes away, but Østerbø’s charm lies in the activities on its doorstep. Winter here is about a more traditional Norwegian friluftsliv: skiing across open mountain plateaus from January, snowshoeing straight from the door, ice fishing on quiet lakes ice fishing in the lake at Østerbø, and simply stepping into crisp mountain air beneath a sky stretched with stars. “Most people use us as a base to go out in areas where there are no crowds, just nature,” Sandra explains. The area is also attracting a growing number of ice climbers. “I didn’t know how good the area was for ice climbing,” she admits with a smile, “but the feedback is that we’re in a perfect location.”

For those wishing to explore more of the area, the legendary Flåmsbana railway and Fjordsafari tours, located not far from Østerbø, offer unforgettable journeys through dramatic mountains and deep, tranquil fjords.

Østerbø Fjellstove: Fall in love with Norway’s quiet winter haven

Fall in love with the mountains

Now firmly rooted in Norway, Sandra first arrived in 1999, intending to stay for what she thought would be a single year before returning to continue her studies in Denmark. Instead, she fell in love twice – first with the mountains, and then with a local man, settling in the village below Østerbø. “For a Dane, the mountains are amazing,” she laughs. “I love the nature here – I fish, I walk, I spend time in the mountains. Even in summer, when there are many people around, you walk a little way out and there is peace.”

Now, after more than two decades in Norway, she and her team are shaping Østerbø’s next chapter: conferences, celebrations, Christmas gatherings and, already almost fully booked, Easter with snowy peaks all around.

No matter why you choose to visit, you may discover the same thing Sandra did all those years ago — that these mountains have a way of winning hearts.

Photo: Dansk Bjergklub

Exclusive winter offer

Book your stay in December or January using the code SCANM2025 and get every 3rd night free! This special offer applies to all bookings for 2025 and 2026, as long as you book before 31 January, 2026. For example: Stay 9 nights, pay for only 7 or stay 6 nights, pay for only 4

Web: www.aurlandsdalen.com
Facebook: Aurlandsdalen
Instagram: @osterbofjellstove
Booking: @osterbofjellstove