Welcome to

Dalen Hotel´s garden

Dalen Hotel was opened in 1894 in a grand and romantic Swiss style with dragon heads, towers, spires, balconies and cornices. The hotel is described by the National Heritage Board as the best preserved of all the old Swiss hotels in Norway. The hotel's beautiful gardens face Lake Bandak, with the steep mountainsides plunging into the deep Lake Bandak. This stunning and unique landscape creates a dramatic and majestic setting for Dalen Hotel's garden.

The garden has been planted with plants and trees for 130 years, and the garden landscape is a very important part of the historic hotel. A rare maple tree, a yellow spotted maple (Acer psedoplatanus cultivar Variegatum), was planted at the inauguration of Dalen Hotel on September 8, 1894 and still adorns the garden.

Arboretum

The valley has a flora that you don't see anywhere else in Norway. The climate here in the spring and summer even makes it possible for the hotel to grow grapes. The garden contains a large collection of very rare trees and shrubs, carefully numbered and described. A separate map is available for guests at reception.

Our garden is a so-called arboretum, a collection of trees and shrubs grown for scientific and educational purposes, as well as for testing new species in our local climate. At the same time, it will provide an opportunity to experience nature and enjoy it, and hopefully stimulate people's interest in botany. The hotel's gardener, Karen, takes good care of all our unique plants and is happy to take you on a tour and share her knowledge.

The Ducks of Dalen

Our charming garden strollers

Every year, Dalen Hotel adopts Peking ducks from Holte Farm. The ducks live in the duck residence in the hotel's garden, but are released daily where they can wander freely and take a bath in the pond. Unlike ostriches, Peking ducks cannot fly, so they can move happily around the hotel garden to the great joy of guests and staff. The ducks arrive at the hotel when it opens in the spring and move to a local farm in the fall.

At the start of the season when the ducks are new arrivals, they are a little shy and reserved. But after a while, they become confident, curious and a wonderful addition to our beautiful garden. Feel free to join us as we feed them!

The ducks are a very popular attraction at the hotel.

We kindly remind you that leashes are mandatory on the hotel property.