WOODNEST
NORWAY
THE PERSONALITIES
Design and architecture lovers. Photographers. Minimalists. Seekers of stillness. Mountain wanderers.
MOMENTS
Waking to snow falling against glass. A grown-up treehouse experience. Whimsical yet functional architecture. Watching fjord light shift through pine branches. The silence and the views.
BEST VISITING MONTHS
May to September for hiking and green valleys; November to March for snow and northern stillness.
COST
WHY STAY
Perched among the treetops overlooking Norway’s Hardangerfjord, Woodnest is both shelter and sculpture, a pair of elevated cabins suspended in stillness above the forest floor. The property sits outside the town of Odda, surrounded by steep mountains and mirror-like water. Here, the drama of western Norway’s geography unfolds in every direction, including ancient glaciers, pine forests, and deep fjords shaped by time and silence.
Each nest, designed by Norwegian architects Helen & Hard, is a marvel of organic architecture. Built around living pine trees, the wooden pods are cocooned in natural shingles that echo pinecone patterns, blending seamlessly with the forest canopy. Inside, Norwegian birch, wool, and glass create warmth and simplicity. Every detail is purposeful, with radiant heat beneath wooden floors, panoramic windows framing fjord light, and a sense of calm that mirrors nature’s rhythm.
There is a quiet wellness in the way life unfolds here. Mornings bring mist rising off the fjord, and evenings bring candlelight and stillness. The design invites mindfulness, a reconnection with the basics such as air, wood, water, and silence. Staying at Woodnest feels like living inside a forest’s heartbeat, simple, grounded, and entirely present.
WHY WANDER
The surrounding Hardanger region is one of Norway’s most striking landscapes. From Woodnest, trails wind through pine forests, waterfalls, and mountain passes leading to the glacier-fed Låtefossen Waterfall and Folgefonna Glacier. In summer, hiking and kayaking offer immersive ways to absorb the land’s purity. In winter, snowshoeing and ski touring reveal its quiet endurance.
Odda, a short drive away, serves as the gateway to Trolltunga, one of Norway’s most iconic natural formations, a flat rock jutting high above the fjord. It is a pilgrimage for hikers seeking solitude and grandeur. Along the way, alpine lakes and wildflowers turn the journey into an evolving painting of color and light.
Between excursions, guests can retreat to the warmth of their nest, sip local apple cider from Hardanger, and watch the landscape shift from sunlight to twilight. Wandering here is not about distance but about depth, noticing how every stone, pine needle, and reflection carries a quiet story of survival and grace.
INDULGE IN
Meals are locally inspired and self-prepared, often featuring regional ingredients such as smoked salmon, reindeer, berries, and Hardanger apples. Guests can pre-order curated local food baskets or visit nearby farm shops and cafés in Odda to assemble their own fjord-to-table feasts. Dining here is slow, elemental, and always with a view.
GETTING THERE
Woodnest is located just outside Odda in western Norway, about a three-hour drive from Bergen or five hours from Oslo. The final approach is a twenty-minute uphill forest hike, a gentle ascent that sets the tone for arrival. Luggage can be transferred separately by local staff, allowing guests to walk in with only anticipation and the scent of pine.
WILD INITIATIVES
Woodnest embodies low-impact design. Each cabin is anchored to a living pine tree without harming it, using an innovative steel collar system that allows natural growth and minimizes ground disturbance. Local wood, craftsmen, and materials were used throughout construction, reducing transportation and waste. Energy use is minimal, and the cabins rely on natural ventilation and thermal efficiency for comfort.
The philosophy is leave no trace, add beauty. Architecture coexists with the forest rather than dominating it. By staying at Woodnest, guests directly support sustainable Norwegian design and a model of tourism rooted in preservation and regeneration.
*Images property of Woodnest and Sindre Ellingsen
Images by Mark Burton
Images by Ole Sebastian Ribe
Images by Tor Hveem