Brakanes Hotel

Idyllically situated along the shores of the Hardangerfjord, the second-longest fjord in Norway and the fifth-longest in the world, there is a lot to love about Brakanes Hotel. This historic fjordside hideaway calls the quaint hamlet of Ulvik home and is convenient to the region’s bountiful fruit orchards, majestic snow-capped mountains, and thundering waterfalls. Opened in 1860 as a coaching inn, a waypoint and resting place for road-weary travelers and horses, this long-running hotel has expanded greatly over the years and now boasts 143 guestrooms for visitors passing through the area.

When guests are not out and about hiking, cruising the fjord, or visiting the local apple farms (the Hardangerfjord is also known as the “Orchard of Norway”), they can also drink in the views from Brakanes Hotel’s waterfront hot tub, the fjord lounge, or cozy up around a crackling fire. Meanwhile, Restaurant Draumen, the hotel’s onsite eatery, cooks up farm-to-table fare with locally sourced ingredients and a side of sweeping fjord views, while Bar Après serves several varieties of Hardanger’s famed cider alongside local craft beers and apple brandy.