Tyinholmen is a mountain lodge on the shore of lake Tyin, at the edge of Jotunheimen. It was established in 1892 by John Opdal, who had just returned from America. The lodge has been in the Opdal family ever since, now in its fifth generation.
The history of this place reads like an adventure novel. In 1933, Tyinholmen bought its first snowmobile: a Citroën that had previously been running in the Sahara desert. Three years later, they collaborated with Viggo Widerøe, the founder of Widerøe airlines, to develop an air sled for transporting winter guests. By the 1950s, light aircraft were permanently stationed at the hotel, flying guests to nearby glaciers so they could ski back down to the lodge.
During World War II, the German state police confiscated Tyinholmen and banned all tourism until the war was over.
In 1959, the original hotel had to be torn down. Lake Tyin was regulated as a reservoir for hydroelectric power, and the water level was raised by 9 metres, flooding the original site. A new hotel with 110 beds was built at a higher elevation and opened in 1960. The lake level still fluctuates by several metres depending on the season, which is why the shoreline can look quite different from one visit to the next.
Famous guests over the years have included the composer Edvard Grieg, the British mountaineer Cecil Slingsby, and the poet Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, who named Jotunheimen itself. The lodge is open during Easter and through the summer season.
The history of this place reads like an adventure novel. In 1933, Tyinholmen bought its first snowmobile: a Citroën that had previously been running in the Sahara desert. Three years later, they collaborated with Viggo Widerøe, the founder of Widerøe airlines, to develop an air sled for transporting winter guests. By the 1950s, light aircraft were permanently stationed at the hotel, flying guests to nearby glaciers so they could ski back down to the lodge.
During World War II, the German state police confiscated Tyinholmen and banned all tourism until the war was over.
In 1959, the original hotel had to be torn down. Lake Tyin was regulated as a reservoir for hydroelectric power, and the water level was raised by 9 metres, flooding the original site. A new hotel with 110 beds was built at a higher elevation and opened in 1960. The lake level still fluctuates by several metres depending on the season, which is why the shoreline can look quite different from one visit to the next.
Famous guests over the years have included the composer Edvard Grieg, the British mountaineer Cecil Slingsby, and the poet Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, who named Jotunheimen itself. The lodge is open during Easter and through the summer season.