Boen Gård

From a hospitality perspective, Norway really does have it all: from ultra-minimalist creations in glass and steel to this, an old timber farm and sawmill that traces its earliest roots to the 16th century. Boen Gård’s buildings have been restored, but left in their original style, their exteriors displaying a decidedly agricultural side of Norwegian life.

In their interiors, however, they’ve been made just a little bit more modern — inside the farm’s bright red barn and granary, right by the river’s edge, are 16 bedrooms that are roughly equal parts historical tribute and modern-rustic boutique chic. (The bathrooms in particular are a nearly immeasurable upgrade from 19th-century farm life, and Scandinavian modernist furniture never looked so natural.) Two more two-bedroom apartments occupy the two wings of the original farmhouse, bringing the unit count up to a still-intimate 20.

Given the sustainable farm setting it’s possible for Boen Gård’s restaurant to operate almost entirely from organic ingredients grown (or caught) on site. Here salmon fishing is not just a necessity but a recreational activity as well, and guests use the local trails for cross-country skiing or hiking, depending on the season.