4.8 rating from 250 guests on competing platform
NOTE: please read the entire listing, including house rules and faq before booking to ensure that you are comfortable with the listing.
Enjoy an authentic and unique Norwegian cabin experience just one hour from the Oslo city centre. This is the only listing of its kind - close to the city and right by perhaps Norway's best hiking, cycling and skiing trail, yet still 100% secluded. Enjoy nature, solitude, silence and the most amazing starry sky you will ever see. We offer short and long stays so either have your whole vacation in here or combine the trip with a city-holiday in Oslo. Perfect for a group of friends or a family
Comfortable Norwegian cabin in the middle of the Oslo forest "Nordmarka". Beautiful secluded location which cannot be spotted from main trail. Right by the serene lake "Skjennungen" which is perfect for swimming or fishing. Wood-fueled sauna. Fresh water from well outside. Heating with wood stove and fireplace. Electricity for lights, charging, kitchen stove, refrigerator and small heaters. Mobile phone coverage (4G). Great hiking, bicycling and cross country skiing possibilities. 1 hour walk on main trail to get to cabin. Perfect for a group of friends or a family - large or small.
Please bring your own sleeping bags. The cabin has 9 beds, as well as space in sofa for two extra people. If additional space is needed, there is also room on the floor for sleeping pads. Please bring your own sleeping pads if you are more than 11 people.
If needed, you can order a cabin guide to show you the way to the cabin and help you get set up. This will cost NOK 1500,-
FAQ:
* What to expect from the cabin: this is an experience for those who are used to / open to adventure in the woods. This is a primitive cabin with not much of the luxuries of modern life which means you have to get water from a well, make a fire, walk about an hour to get to the cabin, and use an outhouse. There is no dishwasher or modern shower.
The cabin is an active, not a passive experience. Please keep this in mind. The cabin is a wonderful experience if you are open to the simple life. If you’ve never been in the woods before this cabin is probably not for you.
* How do we get to the cabin? From Oslo Central Station, you take the metro to Frognerseteren Station. From there it is about a one hour walk / half an hour ski trip / 20 minute bike ride. Total time from Oslo Central Station: 1 to 2 hours. Bring good shoes and a backpack. You can also drive to Frogneresteren and walk the same way from there. If you have an electric vehicle you can charge your car at Frognerseteren. In winter it is easiest to cross-country ski to the cabin, but you can also walk along the ski-trail (just make sure you do not step in the track)
* Can you drive to the cabin? No
* Can you drink the water from the well and from the lakes without boiling it? From the well yes, but from the lake you should boil it.
* Is there running water in the cabin? No, you get water from the well.
* Is the well frozen in winter? Yes. But there is a drill to drill hole in the ice to get water.
* What supplies must we bring? Bring sleeping bags, personal soap and hygiene items, all food and drink you are going to eat, napkins/paper towels, lighters or match sticks, paper to light fires (newspapers are the best). Also bring plastic bags for garbage. Note: try to bring as little potential garbage with you as possible. Bring solid back packs (not trolley suitcases), good shoes for walking in - you may also need to bring crampons depending on the weather.
* Do we need to bring water containers? No, there are plenty in the cabin.
* Do we need to bring candles? Yes. We recommend tall candles rather than tealights as they are safer and give better light.
* Do we need to bring towels? Yes
* Is there a toilet? Yes, an outhouse. Toilet paper is provided.
* A shower? Yes, heat up water on the stove or have a bath in the lake.
* What would the temperature be inside the cabin in winter? It can be anywhere between -20 and +25 degrees, depending on the outside temperature and your ability to use the wood stove.
* What about lights on the trail? There is no artificial lighting on the trail so if you plan on trekking at night or arriving to the cabin late please bring a flash light or a head lamp.
* What appliances are electricity run? There are heaters in the cabin that are run by electricity. There is also an electric cooking stove and the lighting is electric. In winter, the heaters do not provide enough heat, so you will need to light a fire in the fireplace/stoves. We also recommend lighting candles for extra light.
* How likely are we to see wildlife? There are moose nearby and birds, badgers, deer, lynx, squirrels, mice, rabbits and foxes in the area.
* How far is it to the supermarket? It’s about four kilometres (1-2 hours on foot, each way). We reccommend buying food supplies for your whole stay on your way into the cabin. The easiest solution is to buy food from the supermarket (Kiwi or Joker) in Oslo Central Station. NOTE: The supermarket is not open on sundays.
* Are there any tourist locations or guest houses nearby? Yes. The cabin is close (about 1 km) to Skjennungstua, a guest house where you can buy food. Skjennungstua's opening times vary with the season. Skjennungstua offers delicious home baked bread and other baked goods. There are also many other guest house further away if you wish to venture deeper into the forest. Just follow the trail signs or use openstreetmap(dot)org.
* Is it possible to have a campfire? Campfires are not allowed on the cabin grounds.
* How can we grill / barbecue? There is a barbecue pit right by the cabin, on the trail. You can grill there.
* How does the sauna work? The sauna is wood-fueled. Burn wood in the oven and pour water/snow on top of the rocks to make steam. The sauna can reach temperatures of 110 degrees celsius. To reduce temperature, just open the door or window.
* What about firewood? There is firewood in the cabin. Every bag of firewood you use costs NOK 200,- In the summer there is not much need to use firewood except for in the sauna or to create a nice atmosphere in the cabin. You can pay for firewood either by transferring money through Vipps or I will request money via VRBO.
* Is there a manual to show us how to use the fireplaces, use the outhouse etc.? yes, there is a manual in the cabin. If you choose to hire a cabin guide he/she will also show you how to do this.
* Can we go fishing in Skjennungen Lake? Yes, but you will need a fishing permit card. This can be found at the following website: ofa (dot) no/OmOFA/Kj%C3%B8pfiskekorther.aspx
* How can we ask for help? If there is an emergency, call
110 : Fire department
112 : Police operations centers
113 : Emergency medical communications center
House Rules:
Please use the cabin as if it was your own, and as if you were coming back to it upon leaving so that the next guests will have a pleasant experience. We cannot guarantee that the previous guests have left the cabin in its ideal state, but enforce a strong deposit policy to encourage our guests to leave the cabin clean and tidy. Please make sure that you follow the house rules.
NOTE! There is no cleaning fee as you are required to clean after yourself. This includes all used utensils, tables, benches, the floor and outside toilet.
It is expected of you to:
• Clean any area you have used with soap and hot water before you leave.
(kitchen equipment, benches, tables, cabin floor, sauna, toilet seat and toilet floor)
• Place all cleaned kitchen utensils back in their respective cabinets and drawers
• Take your garbage with you when you leave. In the summer there is a garbage can by Skjennungen lake where you can drop it off.
• Put all dirty bed sheets and washcloths in the allocated bag, and replace the ones you have used with clean ones.
• Empty outhouse/toilet upon leaving. Do not worry, this is very easy!
• Fill outhouse bucket with bark/npine needles form outside (information given in manual).
• Please clear the ash from the stove by putting it behind the outhouse (information will be given in manual). (Note: make sure the ash is cold, especially in summer, so you do not start a forest fire!)
• Do NOT leave any food in the cabin, including in the refrigerator.
• Lock the cabin, sauna, guest house, woodshed and outhouse.
• There may be mice in the cabin – that’s just the way the Norwegian forest is. There are set mousetraps in the cabin. You will probably not witness one of them in use, but if this is the case, please throw out the carcass and reset the trap.
Please note that the “House rules” are deposit and review checkpoints. We do not refund your deposit if you miss one of this points. If you do not clean the cabin, we charge you your full deposit of NOK 2500,-
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FIREWOOD: Every bag of firewood you open costs NOK 150,-. Information on how to pay will be given in the manual upon checking in.
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