Rondane River Lodge - Rondane Gjestegård

A sense of summer nostalgia washed over me as I first sat down on the terrace. The atmosphere is charming and peaceful. Flowers everywhere and it smells like the forest. To my great surprise, I found fresh Belgian waffles on the lunch menu. The explanation came when I met the hostess, a Belgian. The brilliance of this place, apart from its central location in the heart of Rondane, lies in the intimate and personal hospitality extended by the Belgians. I’ve always had a bit of a love affair with Belgium and Belgians. The beauty of this place is that you can either rent a hotel room or a fully furnished cabin, making it suitable for both transient travellers and those who wish to stay longer. It’s also ideal for couples and families with children, something not every hotel can claim. They offer a modest lunch and dinner menu, but the dishes on offer are of excellent quality.

The Rondane River Lodge serves as a great base to explore the beautiful Rondane National Park. You don't stay here for the luxury resort experience, and on that basis it's perfect for walkers, bike riders and other adventure seekers. The rooms are very basic and tiny, but they're comfortable and warm. The bathrooms are en-suite and have been recently renovated. In these remote locations, having good quality food is a real bonus and the lodge delivers this experience. The breakfasts were hearty and the dinners were delicious along with having a good wine selection. The hosts were helpful and friendly and all this contributes to a pleasant stay.

Rondane River Lodge was recommended to us by friends as we were looking for a place to stay near Rondane National Park. We stayed in one of the cabins for a week and enjoyed our time there very much. Even though the cabins are perfectly equipped to cook your own meals, we had dinner at their restaurant three times and each time we absolutely loved the food. The owners are super friendly and helpful with any questions you have. The atmosphere is very relaxed. A place you are looking forward to get back to after a day of hiking in the beautiful area surrounding the lodge. The cabins are very cozy and you find everything you need. We would definitely book again.

This was my second stay at the River Lodge and I am just as pleased with my stay as I was last time. I arrived several hours earlier than I first anticipated, but this was no problem, as my room was already cleaned and ready for me. After relaxing and taking a shower in the lovely old-fashioned room with a river view, I went down to eat dinner at 7pm. Since there was only me there for dinner I got to sit in the living room where there was a warm burning fireplace and soft music to accompany me. The dinner was delicious and they had taken great care to make it gluten- and lactose free, just as I had requested. Following the dinner I went back to my room, where the soft bed and complete silence made me fall asleep easily, not waking up until it was time for breakfast. In the morning I was positively surprised by the extra effort they had put into delicately arranging my breakfast, from the variety of cheeses and meat, to the cute small coffee pot and glass bottle for my apple juice. They topped it with a smiley face written with a marker on a warm hard-boiled egg. Upon leaving, one of the owners´sweet children took her attention away from her drawing activity to wave me good-bye! The Rondane River Lodge was the perfect sleep-over stop for me on my trip from Trondheim to Oslo. I already look forward to next time!