Regenerative tourism: Skåbu Fjellhotell

"When I first heard about regenerative tourism, I immediately became curious. I thought: this is exactly how we want to run the hotel, and it lines up perfectly with our established values," says Jannicke Haug Doksæter, Skåbu Fjellhotell's owner.

It all started when Jannicke's father, Sigurd Haug, bought the mountain farm Lykkja Fjellgard in Skåbu in 2008. He quickly felt in love with the village and the local community, and when the old co-op was up for sale, he snapped up the opportunity to become its new owner.

Since then, three generations of the Haug family have been involved at the mountain farm and in the making of the boutique hotel in the former co-op building.

"Preservation of local history, culture and tradition is an important part of our concept. We want to give something back to the local community as well as offering a unique experience for our guests," says Jannicke.

The transformation

While renovating the co-op, the family focused on keeping the history and the tradition of the place alive. The colour palette and materials used were carefully selected to honour the space. Old furniture was also refused and blended in with the new, giving the hotel a warm and homely feel with a touch of mountain luxury.

"Local artwork adorns the walls and many of the materials used are native to the area. We got much of the furniture from an old hotel that was renovating," Jannicke explains.

It's all about the moose

"We take our guests on guided tours and educate them about moose. We also explain why we can't go too close to them in nature," says Jannicke.

The wilderness surrounding the hotel is home to a rich abundance of wildlife. Among other species, moose roams the forest. In fact, one of Europe's largest moose migrations take place here every year. The Skåbu team wants to give their guests the feeling of being in moose land, without disturbing the wildlife.

"Moose is a natural part of our area and the hotel's concept. They have been roaming the same trails for 10,000 years; it's fascinating. And I think it's important to communicate this to visitors," says Jannicke.

Skåbu is also a part of Elgland, a network of travel operators who aim to develop, market, and sell high-quality products and experiences related to the natural and cultural history of moose within their geographical area.

One unique moose experience that's close to Skåbu is Elgtårnet, the moose tower, in the Espedalen valley, operated by Ruten Fjellstue and Dalseter Fjellhotell.

Not only will it give you a close-up to nature and wildlife, it's also possible to spend the night in the 12-metre-high tower! Crucially, you can stay there without disturbing the wildlife.

Important note: always remember to keep a safe distance to wild animals! Always go with a guide if you want to explore the wildlife. Skåbu Fjellhotell also offers guided tours.

From farm and forest to fork

One key part of educating guests about moose is to tell them about how hunting in the area takes place. By using the meat and other game from the mountains, in combination with farming, the hotel is taking an important step towards self-sufficiency and the utilisation of local produce. And the result is amazing flavours are served at its restaurant, Skadir.

"Fish and game is bought from local hunters, we have our own free-range pig and sheep, and have also developed our own purchasing model that commits us to always try to use as much locally sourced ingredients as possible," says Jannicke, adding that it's important for them to ensure that the livestock lives a good and dignified life.

The result? Incredible locally sourced food, and an exciting menu that changes with the seasons. It's also worth mentioning that the hotel and its restaurant, with head chef Lukasz Socha in the lead, has gained three circles in the 360 Eat guide.

The hotel also has a cool take on how to reduce food waste from its restaurant.

"We boil the leftover food and serve it to our pigs. The pigs get nutritious feed, and we don't have to throw away food that is perfectly fine," tells Jannicke.

As a guest at the hotel, you automatically have a reservation in the restaurant, but you can also book a table there if you aren't staying at the hotel.

Skåbu Høyfjellsmat

Skåbu also produces local food based on ingredients from its own farm, as well as fish and game from the area. If you want to bring some of these delicacies home, you can purchase them in the hotel lobby or at local markets.

The hotel also arranges farm visits to its mountain farm, Lykkja, where you can meet the animals and taste the farm's own produce.

Foodlab Skåbu

You can also attend food courses through Foodlab Skåbu. This is a concept that takes visitors through the process behind the mountain food. Learn how to sample from the nature, how to use the animals and cooking of the food.