Scan Magazine – August 2018

98 | Issue 115 | August 2018

Whether you are looking for the ultimate climb, off-piste slopes, a late night fishing
trip or just want to enjoy a good meal and a quiet place to gather your thoughts,
Sagafjord Hotel is the place to go. This pearl of a location — situated between the
deep fjords and the high mountains on the west coast of Norway — will leave you
simultaneously mind-blown and mindful.

By Lisa Maria Berg | Photos: Richard Nærø

“Even Norwegians find this place exot-
ic. It is like a place they have never seen
before, so dramatic in its very being,”
says hotel manager Wenke Gjørtz. She
is passionate about Hjørundfjorden, the
33 kilometre-long fjord that stretches
out from Storfjorden (the great fjord),
south of the city of Ålesund, on the
stunning west cost of Norway. It is not
hard to understand what Gjørtz means.
When someone says picture postcard,
this is what they mean. It is a landscape
like no other, from the deep fjord to the
soaring, knife-edge mountains above.

Sagafjord Hotel’s ambition is to put

Hjørundfjorden on the map as the new

hub for events and activities in the re-

gion. And with their branding as not just

a hotel but activity centre too, they are

doing a very good job of just that.

A place for every season

With its harsh winters, and summers

with an almost-never-setting sun,

Norway is not just one place, but many,

in its ever-changing cycle. “The im-

mense changes between seasons make

it possible for someone to visit in winter

A spectacular fjord

and have one experience, and then to

return during summer and have a com-

pletely different one,” Gjørtz notes. And

she is right. Whilst you can pack a bikini

and a pair of shorts for August, you will

have to equip yourself properly if you are

climbing the Alps of Sunnmøre during

winter. It is truly a place for every taste,

whether seeking the thrill of a nearby

summit or enjoying a relaxing swim in

the hotel’s own marina.

Mindfulness

If the thought of kayaking across, cycling

around or — if you are of the very ad-

venturous type — swimming across the

fjord seems far away from your idea of

a holiday, fear not. Sagafjord Hotel also

happens to be the ultimate place to re-

lax, reconnect and escape the hustle and

bustle of everyday life. “It is a peaceful

place,” Gjørtz assures. “A place where

Hotel of the Month, Norway

Sagafjord Hotel almost dips its toes into the majestic Hjørundfjorden — the perfect spot for a night time swim.