300 year Anniversary

Utne Hotel is Norway’s oldest preserved wooden hotel that has been in continuous operation for 300 years. It all started in 1722 as an inn with a living room, kitchen, hallway and a bedroom. For several hundred years, Utne hotel has offered tradition and consideration for its guests.

Considering the age, it is not so strange that you can hear creaking noises or sense that someone from earlier generations is looking after them. It’s like living in a history book.

“Throughout the ages, the hotel has been run by strong women, – Mother Utne ran the hotel for 70 years.” – Hardangerfjord.com

An anniversary book was put together during the 275th anniversary. Here is an extract from the anniversary book by Hildegunn Aga Blokkhus:

“One of the hotel boys in my time showed good abilities to entertain the guests. We had been in the habit often on Saturday evenings of making it a bit festive by taking out the coffee after dinner and serving pretzels or soft cake.

One day Gudmund came and said to me: “If you want to serve coffee and cakes on Saturdays, I will sew for entertainment”. As said, so done. We had some wonderful gatherings with all-singing, declamation etc. both in Norwegian and other languages. He translated the national anthem “Ja, vi elsker” and “Per Spelmann” into English,  he handed out medals and awarded certificates for the winning team.

We had a flagpole on the lawn where there is now a parking space for cars. In the afternoon at 6 p.m., he gathered the guests around the flagpole, and sang as he waved the flag. Was it any wonder that the guests enjoyed themselves and came again? We were like a big family, and it happened that I studied the guests and found that most of them had either been here before or were recommended by others.”