Norway – a Cabin Country

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Norway - a Cabin Country

It’s said almost every Norwegian family has a “hytte” – or a cabin – or a country lodge – or a holiday home. And Norway is indeed – a cabin country.

To Norwegians, a hytte is a place to escape the city and reconnect with nature. Not every family in Norway own a cabin, but it is on the wish list of almoost every Norwegian urbanite.  There are over 450 000 cabins in Norway, and only about 5.5 million people, so if we do the math, 8% of the population owns a cabin.

Norway - a Cabin Country
Cabin owned by Norwegian author Hans E. Kinck at Maihaugen outdoor exhibition. Photo: Camilla Damgård.

Quality time with beloved ones

Norwegians flock to their wooden cabins with their cars, to spend quality time with their beloved ones, many every weekend although some must drive for hours. One would expect that these cabins would be super stylish, modern and equipped with the latest technology, based on Norway’s lifestyle and standard of living, but no. They are most often wooden and basic.

Norwegians from all walks of life, have been making their way to seasonal rural residences. These hytter and “årestuer” (traditional huts) offer a base of favorite Norwegian pastimes of hunting, fishing, hiking and cross-country skiing.

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Related: Norwegian “Mountain Modern” Cabins
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Norway - a Cabin Country
A lot of outside activity is expected during a hytte weekend. Photo: Visit Norway

In the middle of nowhere

A hytte is usually made of wood and is located somewhere in the middle of nowhere – and there is plenty of that in Norway. That’s the point. To be somewhere far away from anything, so that you can disconnect with everything and reconnect with yourself, the people you love and nature.

Usually, family members are spread across the country, living or working in different places, so gathering at the hytte is the perfect meeting point for all. A lot of outside activity is expected during a hytte weekend. You know, Norwegians love nature and hiking. Or they simply sit outside, in the sun, to get some cool winter tan!

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Related: Spectacular Architecture in the Norwegian Ocean Gap
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Architectural pearls

With one in three families in Norway owning a hytte, it’s no surprise that some of the finest architects are turning a hand to their design. Here are just a few examples.

For Rindalshytter, One of Norway’s leading producers of leisure homes, Snøhetta has designed the cabin Gapahuk. Combining tradition and innovation, Gapahuk is intended to be a readymade cabin that fits into nearly any scene – whether in the mountains, the forest, or the sea. Focus has been put on designing a flexible cabin concerning wind and sun conditions that can adapt to various terrains and environments. Gapahuk is a social cabin. Its layout gives priority to the common areas. A spacious indoor living room and kitchen, as well as generous outdoor patios, create spaces where people can spend time together.

Norway - a Cabin Country
Ringdalshytter Gapahuk by Snøhetta.

High up on the slopes of Varden in Kvitfjell, Norway, lies the Trippel Hytte—three quaint cabins designed to encapsulate the spirit of the mountains and meet the practical needs of a skiing family. Mork-Ulnes Architects have achieved a masterful blend of functionality and form in this mountain retreat, offering stunning vistas of the Norwegian landscape while respecting the region’s architectural heritage.

Norway - a Cabin Country
Trippel cabin by Mork Ulnes Architects. Photo: Anne Bratveit.

Hedda Hytter has been building cabins in Hedalen, Valdres since 1980. For many years, Bete Beitski, a cabin model designed by Turid Haaland, dominated the production line at Hedda Hytter. With a need for a more flexible building system, Hedda Hytter hired the renowned cabin architect Jon Haug to develop what would become the Hedda Cabin. HEDDA came into production in 1990, and Beitski was eventually fazed out of production.

Norway - a Cabin Country
A Hedda Hytter cabin.

Based on prefabricated modules, and focusing on individual solutions and adaptations to the surrounding environment, HEDDA composes the majority of the foundations of modern Norwegian cabin construction. The cabins today are known as established classics of high quality, traditional Norwegian construction. Until he retired in 2009, Jon Haug collaborated closely with the Hedalen cabin factory, and provided architectural Hedda solutions carefully adapted to the individual customer’s cabins and needs.

A hytte is found all over the country

Around half of all Norwegians have access to a hytte, and they are found across the country, from the arctic North to the islands off the South coast, by the sea, on island lakes, in the woods and in the hills.

Norway – a Cabin Country, written by Tor Kjolberg

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Journalist, PR and marketing consultant Tor Kjolberg has several degrees in marketing management. He started out as a marketing manager in Scandinavian companies and his last engagement before going solo was as director in one of Norway’s largest corporations. Tor realized early on that writing engaging stories was more efficient and far cheaper than paying for ads. He wrote hundreds of articles on products and services offered by the companies he worked for. Thus, he was attuned to the fact that storytelling was his passion.

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