Best Hotel in Aurland: Taste Rural Norway at 29|2 Aurland

If you are looking for an unforgettable, authentic, ecological experience rich in history, culture, style and top notch comforts, then get a taste of rural Norway at 29|2 Aurland. This is where your memories of Norway will begin.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROPERTY OF SVADORE

When I think of Norway, the first thing I think of is nature. Pure, clean, rugged, unadulterated nature. Coming from a city such as New York, I often find myself seeking rural vacation spots that bring me back to simpler times (as you all may already know). Farm stays are my favorite and they are not as people would imagine. They are rich and unique in style with high-end amenities, they offer an intimate exclusive experience, fresh country air, and of course have the best food (with the morning milk coming from the cows right outside). So to no surprise, after doing a lot of digging I came across 29|2 Aurland, a gem nestled in between the mountains and waterfalls of Aurland.

Norway is an eco-friendly country, and you will feel this even more so in the small towns scattered around Norway. Getting from 29|2 Aurland from Flam can be a bit limiting, especially during off-season when the buses only run 3 times a day. A taxi can cost you as much as $40 one-way and the property is only 15 minutes away. To stay in-line with the eco-conscious vibe in Norway, we rented a hybrid car. We drove along the Aurlandsfjord, aweing at the dominating scenery. Eventually we turned onto a one-lane byway that cut through the mountains flanked by pastures rich in waterfalls in which sheep and lamb grazed. Farther in we crossed a little bridge that took us over a stream and onto a farm property with sheep and lamb grazing the pastures. This was 29|2 Aurland.

We parked our car and were greeted by a cuddly, fuzzy, huge brown sheep dog-esque puppy who was just wandering the property. It was quite a pleasant greeting! After petting him for a good 5 minutes, we tried to understand which of the 5 buildings on the land was the main house. The property has 9 rooms and we were staying in the main house, the Goat Barn. An employee eventually heard us and approached us, telling us with a smile that his boss would be with us shortly. Soon a tall, blonde woman with a short bob cut appeared. She presented herself as the owner, Tone (actually pronounced Tuna, vowels in Norwegian are different than English!), and gave us a quick lay of the land before taking us to our room.

Her husband, Bjorn, who is a master builder and specializes in building projects up in the mountains and restoring old wooden houses, had rebuilt the Goat Barn. The Goat Barn features two suites, the reception area, 2 small lounge areas/reading nooks and the main kitchen and breakfast area. As you enter, glass windows open up from floor to ceiling. The windowpane was made from Bjorne and was built using a collection of repurposed windows from old buildings around Aurland. The rest of the house was also made with reclaimed materials and contemporary pieces, such as the handrail made of a repurposed wood. Each room and suite has name that is synonymous with a piece of history of Aurland. Pat and I stayed in the Liverpool suite on the second floor of the Goat Barn, named after the part of the fjord the British called “Liverpool.”

Our room was on the top floor of the Goat Barn. It was large, with a desk and private living room/lounge area, with colorful walls and a slanted ceiling offering natural lighting through large windows. The bed was made using a feather pillow comforter, one of the softest I’ve ever slept on, and the details in the room was incredible. The room had character. It was authentic and was a mix of a retro feel with a farm stay. It was obvious that a lot of attention to detail was put into the design of the room and the entire property; Tone collects pieces from all over the world to decorate the space.

At the end of the room was a separate modern bathroom with a rain shower. My favorite was the slab of repurposed wood used to make the counter and the natural organic products they had for guests.  It’s a mix of inherited craft from the barn, fancy French textiles and travel memoirs from across the world. Between the vintage purse on top of the dresser and the patterned wallpaper, the room had a quirky 1960s vibe. The view from our window offered us a glimpse of the sheep below with a backdrop of streams running like tears down the mountaintops creating waterfalls.

Tone informed us that dinner was at 7PM in the Smoke House. We asked her what she recommended we could do in that time before dinner. She suggested we go for a hike up Turlifossen waterfall across from the property. 29|2 Aurland offers personal tours where Tone takes guests out to lesser known waterfalls in the Aurland area, takes them on hikes to explore the nature of the land, and works with neighboring friends and farmers to offer personalized goat, lamb and agricultural tours and experiences. Tone strives to promote sustainability and eco-tourism in everything that she does, both in her work and in her property, and her efforts were apparent throughout our entire experience from the food, to the vintage pieces, to the modes of transportation. Pat and I grabbed a couple of bikes from the complimentary bike shed hiding underneath the barn of 29|2 Aurland and set off for our waterfall adventure.

We returned soaking wet, but with a huge smile on our faces. Tone’s suggestion was spot on. It was unique, invigorating and an AMAZING start to our stay in 29|2 Aurland. We went to our room to change into drier clothes and scurried down to dinner, it was a little past 7PM! We weren’t expecting a family style table, but when we walked into the Smokehouse a beautifully carved wooden table was set up with a candle lit dinner and a crackling fireplace. Dinner was going to be a communal experience, as we’d be sitting side by side with other guests. Thank goodness we weren’t too late or we would have kept everyone waiting!

We ate in the Smokehouse, one of the oldest buildings in Aurland dating from the early 18^th century. Bjorn came to greet us before the start of dinner to tell us a bit about the property. His family owned the farm for centuries. He explained to us that when his mother passed away, he decided to come back to the farm and revamp it. The fjords surrounding the property were a hot spot for British nobles for fly-fishing back in the 1840s. His father used to smoke or cure fish in this “smoke house,” hence the name. Stunning photographs of the bygone days of his father catching and smoking fish embellished the walls, wires still hung from the ceiling to help you envision what is must’ve been like, and cozy mountain sheepskins blanketed the wooden benches.

Following Bjorn’s introduction, they announced what we would be having for dinner and the specialty wine and local cider began to pour. The conversation was pleasant and lively as we got to know the tales and lives of the guests we were staying with. We got to know some of the most interesting people! A couple from Munich, Manja and Stefan, sat on our left and told us about their crazy stories of how they met working abroad in Singapore and eventually moved back to Germany. While the couple on our right told us about how the man worked closely on Chinese and US relations in retail for the past 30 years. The atmosphere was refined, the conversation was delightful and beyond interesting, and it made for a truly unique experience. I guess it was truly synonymous with Norway’s rural and relaxed pace.

The meal was made with their locally sourced organic ingredients and inspired by what was in season. The hors d’oeuvres was bread with a homemade mayonnaise that was to die for. Super light, unlike the thick mayo you would usually buy. It also had a certain kick to it, I assume from one of their herbs in their garden. The first course followed: homemade pasta with some sort of fish (I unfortunately cannot remember the name at the moment!) and herbs from the garden. I could tell this was TRULY homemade pasta from the consistency. If there is something Italian agriculturists taught me, it’s that real pasta is made from a grain that is not over-processed and rarely harvested anymore due to the time that it takes to make. Now days all pasta is made with processed grain. You can tell when it’s made with the true and real organic grain by the consistency of the pasta. Real pasta is thicker, chewier and harder. The pasta at 29|2 Aurland tasted just like that, truly organic pasta the way it once was made.

Our main meal was a baby goat stew with sides of asparagus and potatoes. The goat was delicate, I would compare the taste to lamb, but it would not do it justice. The taste is much earthier and nutty than that of lamb, it’s not as pungent as lamb; it’s leaner, tender and just plain healthier. The goat stew was soaked in a tomato sauce from the garden. It paired perfectly with the side of veggies. To top off the meal, we enjoyed a strawberry sorbet with freshly picked strawberries. Being May, the temperature would drop significantly during the night, but it would feel like summer during the day. Given the situation, a refreshing strawberry summer dessert was definitely in order.

Dinner was over by 10PM, but since this was Norway in May, we had plenty of sunlight left. It never truly gets dark in the summer in Norway. Between the hours of 11PM and 4AM it will be twilight, but never dark. We walked over to the communal Finnish Sauna and outdoor hot tub, or Scandinavian bath, looking over the green fields. The Scandinavian bath was not one of those plastic bought hot tubs we have in the States, it was a real NATURAL hot tub heated with burning wood!! No electricity, no filtration, just wood burning up the water. The hot tub was made of red cedar, the staple wood for Scandinavian hot baths. Perfect for watching the sun “go down” and create a twilight effect. Follow the Scandinavian bath with the Finnish sauna next door, for both physical and mental cleansing; it’s the cherry on top following a delightful meal.

That night we slept with the window open, listening to the rush of the waterfall nearby and the bleating of the lamb and sheep below. It was relaxing and simple, high-end yet understated.

The next morning, we woke up to the sound of sheep and the smell of breakfast downstairs. We were the first in the kitchen at 9AM to get an early start to the day. One of the staff was finishing up cooking as we approached the open kitchen table. The table was rich in various breads as well as scrambled eggs from the farm nearby, pepperoni, ham, jam and four or five cheeses.

We enjoyed our breakfast near the window façade so we could watch the sheep grazing the field. We enjoyed their freshly made yogurt with their granola, fresh blueberries and jam, some of their freshly squeezed apple juice from the apple farm next door, scrambled eggs, some fruit, and some of the most amazing bacon Pat and I have EVER had. The way it was cooked and the flavor were unlike anything I’ve ever had. Was it the area? Was it the way it was cured and cooked? Probably both, but I tell you it’s a must try.

We spent the rest of the day exploring and hiking the neighboring Aurland area before returning to 29|2 Aurland and checking out. We were beyond sad to leave and wish we had more time there to truly get to dive even deeper into the area of Aurland. But as always, Pat and I were limited in time, we’ll have to go back another time. This experience truly allowed Pat and I to slow down, understand the culture and history of the Aurland valley, and meet the people who keep alive generations of traditions. It’s a breathe of fresh air (literally) from your stereotypical Norwegian itinerary. It’s a glimpse into the real, amazing and rigorous life that the Norwegian people live. 29|2 Aurland is a must for an authentic experience.

For more information regarding 29|2 Aurland or to reserve a one-of-a-kind stay at the property, reach out to me at sveva@svadore.com.

• 29|2 Aurland Tokvamsvegen 12, 5745 Aurland, Norway; 292aurland.com

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for 29|2 Aurland. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.

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