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Local Norway
2 days ago
- Local Norway
What is a 'hytte' and how does it differ from a holiday home?
The term hytte comes from the German word hütte , meaning "a simple wooden house", making it a fitting description for the tiny cabins Norwegians have traditionally built near the sea or in the mountain areas. The first hytter began appearing in the early 20th century. They offered only basic amenities: a fireplace, but no electricity or running water, and were intended as simple starting points for outdoor adventures like skiing and hiking. These cabins reflect Norwegians' deep love for nature and outdoor life. Today, there are nearly 450,000 hytter in Norway—roughly one for every ten people. On average, each is used about 50 days per year, primarily on weekends and during holidays. While both a hytte and a holiday home serve as escapes from everyday life, they differ significantly in culture and function. Hytter are often passed down through generations and typically undergo little modernization. Advertisement Originally, hytter had no running water or electricity. Some older cabins now feature solar panels for electricity and portable toilets, but their interiors often remain simple. A common decorative feature is the klokkestreng —an elongated wool tapestry with traditional Norwegian motifs. Moreover, hytter are often located away from populated areas, which means owners arrive with enough food and supplies to last the entire stay. Modern hytter can be quite flashy, architect-designed buildings. Photo: T Kleiven/Visit Norway However, more modern hytter built over the last years sometimes resemble two-story villas, complete with flat-screen TVs, jacuzzis, and fully equipped bathrooms. These are often large enough to host extended families, especially for holidays like Christmas or New Year's. The cost of building or buying a new hytte has become prohibitively high. As a result, many young couples looking for a retreat in nature are starting to co-own these cabins with other families or couples, rotating usage time among themselves. Even if you do not own a hytte there are different ways you can access them and experience life in touch with nature. Some hytte owners rent their cabins on the website for when they do not plan to access them. The Norwegian Trekking Association (Den Norske Turistforening) manages 600 hytter across the country, making them accessible to anyone for affordable prices. If you're fortunate, your employer might have a company hytte which is available for employees to book for weekend getaways or vacations.
Local Norway
03-03-2025
- Local Norway
Could Norway's most popular nature spots soon limit tourist numbers?
Pulpit Rock, or Preikestolen, in western Norway saw 380,000 visitors last year and it is estimated that figure could balloon to 500,000 by the end of the decade. Stiftelsen Preikestolen, a non-profit established by local authorities and landowners to manage the viewpoint, has said it wants to introduce a cap of 6,000 on the number of daily visitors. Hanna M. Sverdrup, mayor of Moskenes municipality in northern Norway, where the picturesque Reinebringen is located, has said they have struggled with a growing number of visitors to the beauty spot. 'For us, it's not just single days, but many days with too many people. There is no room to get healthcare personnel up, and there can be challenges with a rescue helicopter in the air and many people on a steep staircase,' she told public broadcaster NRK. However, any potential visitor caps would infringe on one of Norway's most famous laws, the right to roam. The right of public access gives people the right to roam, forage and camp out in Norwegian nature with very few limitations – regardless of who owns the land. This right is enshrined in Norway's Outdoor Recreation Act, which dates back to 1957. Helge Kjellevold, CEO of Stiftelsen Preikestolen, has said that she wants to see the law adapted so they can limit the number of visitors. She has said that attractions should be able to use 'common sense' as the right of public access was established long before tourists travelled to the country in massive numbers. The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) told NRK that any legislation limiting the public's access to the outdoors would need to be the last resort. 'We believe that we should rather work with other measures that do not challenge the right of public access,' Ingeborg Wessel Finstad, section leader for nature and sustainability at the Norwegian Trekking Association, told NRK. DNT suggested alternatives such as limiting access to parking spaces to spread footfall across the day or providing alternative trails and paths to visitors. Meanwhile, Norway's government has said it is fundamentally opposed to restricting the right to public access. 'The right of access is one of the greatest things we have, but there are many possibilities already today. Municipalities can control traffic by limiting the number of parking spaces or setting up buses on the last stretch of the road. We know that these are effective tools,' Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said.
