Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell: Experience tranquility in beautiful surroundings

By Celina Tran

Tucked away in Inderøy, Norway, the family-owned Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell overlooks breathtaking fjords and green slopes. Guests describe the hotel as a ‘concept made with heart and soul’, and the beautiful accommodation offers not just a break from the everyday urban hustle and bustle, but a sense of inner peace, and a natural landscape like no other.

In 2006, Kristine and Frode Sakshaug started an initiative to provide their local community with a space for physical activity and fun. Over the years, their highly sought-after space has been expanded and developed into a sports ground, a communal longhouse, a restaurant, conference spaces and, in 2020, a cultural landscape hotel.

“The footgolf courses were the first step towards realising our hotel dream,” says Kristine. “After that, we just built everything else brick by brick, based on the needs and wishes of the local community.”

The hotel has become a hot travel destination for domestic and international voyagers seeking Nordic tranquility in natural surroundings, while The Golden Road, which runs through Inderøy and is thronged with unique local farm shops, and culinary and cultural experiences, is nearby and easily accessible.

Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell: Experience tranquility in beautiful surroundings

Photo: Eline Gullbrekken

Experience green luxury

Before the term ‘eco-friendly’ began to be subverted as a marketing tool on social media, Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell was already setting a standard as one of the greenest hotels in the country. It became a certified Norwegian eco-tourism business in 2013, joining other Norwegian business in creating local and cultural experiences that could be enjoyed without taxing the environment. “We want to go about our day and run our business in a way that allows people to enjoy surrounding nature as much as possible without harming it,” says Frode.

A true breath of fresh air, the hotel’s green profile is also reflected in the architecture of the hotel. Built by local hands in a natural style using dark colours, Norwegian materials, and a grass roof, the hotel appears to blend into the landscape, allowing guests and locals to enjoy the serene, quiet and unspoiled nature of the area.

Photo: Craig Williams

As the winners of the annual Bygdeutviklingspris, a prize awarded for excellent local developments, it’s no surprise that Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell champions locality and community.

“We’re very proud of our local area, and part of our goal as a hotel is to promote local views, businesses and experiences. There are many excellent farms, breweries and producers around, all of whom we include in our restaurant and culinary experience at the hotel,” explains Frode. “Our milk and eggs come from farmers nearby, the fish is from the fjord, and the venison and other meat products also come from the local area.”

Photo: Sigurd Løseth

Made from locally-sourced food and products, the hotel offers a fresh, varied and homegrown menu at its restaurant, Restaurant Litjstua. The meals vary from day to day, depending on what the local producers have to offer. Regardless of the seasons or time of day, however, it’s certain that the dining experience has been carefully crafted with an eco-friendly approach, real culinary passion, and lots of love.

“Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell is a place that provides peace, serenity, and a relaxed heart-rate of 60 beats per minute,” chuckles Frode. Kristine agrees, adding that their ultimate goal is to make guests feel at home. “We want this feeling to translate into everything we do and offer, from the rooms to the activities and food,” she says.