It's not often you follow your nose on a trip but that's exactly what happened when I was invited to accompany Skandinavisk founder Shaun Russell and French perfumer Stéphane, on a scent discovery tour. The destination: Lofthus in the municipality of Ullensvang in the spectacular Hardanger region, a few hours east of Bergen, West Norway. Known as the 'fruit basket' of Norway, the area boasts over 600,000 fruit trees which run in great lines from the lower slopes of the mountain plains with their crashing waterfalls and coniferous forests to the gentle, shimmering shores of the Søfjord below. The region inspired Skandinavisk's best-selling Fjord collection which is infused with "joyous notes of woods and ripening orchards, wild berries, blackcurrants and raspberry flowers" and we were back to see if other fragrances might be born out of the area. I hope these pictures might also inspire you to 'check-in and breathe out' at Hotel Ullensvang and treasure a few days looking out over the blossoming fruit trees, Hardangervidda mountain plain and the magnificent Folgefonna glacier - it's a sight to behold.
"Fjordland is one of nature's greatest spectacles, a place where the mountains, the forests, the water, and the flora all come together, so as a source of inspiration it is hard to match."
Shaun Russell.
"We want to create the most authentic fragrance interpretations of the Nordic region. Only by visiting and experiencing it for oneself, can we recreate these natural moments."
Shaun Russell.
Imagine getting married here?! Parts of Ullensvang Church date back to between 1250-1300!
Our original Fjord fragrance was inspired by fjordland and the little-known fact that Hardanger is the 'fruit basket' of Norway, but there is always more than one way to interpret a region, so we want to explore further and see what else we could find."
Shaun Russell
We borrowed a wooden rowing boat from the hotel and took to the water. it got pretty hot out there - luckily there was a cool beer waiting at the hotel! I thought it was fascinating just how much the orchards looked like vineyards!
When to go:
This part of the world is spectacular all year round but if you'd like to experience the fruit trails in blossom aim to be there around the last two weeks of May (this might vary).
How to get there:
- Nearest airport - Bergen (149 km / 2.5 hours drive
- Public transport: Bus from Bergen to Norheimsund and boat 'Teisten' to Lofthus (summer season only). Or Train from Bergen to Voss and then bus to Lofthus.
Hotel Ullensvang
Things to do:
- Hike iconic trails such as the fruit trail, Queen's Trail and famous Trolltunga
- Take a cruise on the Hardangerfjord or borrow a rowing boat from the hotel
- Visit the 13th century Monk's steps
- Quench your thirst at a local cider farm
- Walk to the Voringfossen waterfall
- Freshen up with a morning dip in the fjord
- Go summer skiing on the Folgefonna Glacier
- The temperature can fluctuate between baking hot and freezing cold within minutes, so layering is key! In spring / summer I would advise on taking jeans (or other hiking trousers), t-shirts, sweaters, hiking boots / trainers, shorts, sun hat, sunglasses, warm hat, fleece and a rain jacket.
Not ready to pack your bags just yet, but still inspired? You can pick up lush items from the Fjord Collection online.
Who knows? Perhaps there's a new fragrance just around the corner too. "We are already developing several ideas directly inspired by the visit while the memory is still fresh," Shaun tells me.
Watch this space!
I hope you enjoyed this Scandi-land travel post - a bit of a first on My Scandinavian Home! I'm curious to know if you think it would be interesting to see more posts like this in the future? As always, I'd love to hear your tips on places you've visited in Scandinavia and would love to recommend to others!
Niki
*This trip was paid for by Skandinavisk, all words and pictures are my own.
10
