Balestrand, the Sognefjord
Kviknes Hotel
A hotel that has taken summer guests on the Sognefjord since 1877
Kviknes stands at Balestrand, on the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, and has been run by the same family for four generations. It is two buildings rather than one: a carved wooden Swiss-style house from the nineteenth century, and a modern wing behind it. Which one a family should be in is the entire question here, and it is not a matter of taste.
Why we think it may suit
- The historic building is genuinely a piece of Norwegian history, not a reconstruction of one.
- The modern wing has a lift and 165 rooms, so a large party can be held together on the same floors.
- The two buildings let one family split by need — the grandparents where the lift is, the rest where the character is.
- Balestrand is a quiet fjord village, which is the point of coming this far.
- The fjord, the boat and the mountain road meet here, so a single day can hold all three.
Image: the region, not the hotel.
Particularly suited to
- Larger parties who need many rooms in one place
- Families where mobility differs a great deal between generations
- A Hosted Journey built around the Sognefjord
- Guests drawn to historic buildings rather than new ones
Relevant rooms and units
- Suite 219 is listed with two separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, a lounge, a large private balcony and a wine cabinet, overlooking the Sognefjord.
- Suite 219 is in the historic Swiss-style building, and was renovated in 2026.
- Room 130, a Deluxe Demi Suite, is listed with a king-size bed, two private balconies and a seating area.
- The modern building is listed with eight floors and 165 rooms, with a lift.
- The hotel states that the whole hotel is universally designed except the rooms in the historic building and the room called Natthuset.
- Most rooms in the historic building are listed with a balcony and a view of the Sognefjord.
- The hotel is open seasonally, from 1 April to 31 October.
What to confirm before booking
- The stairs and the floor level for suite 219 and any other historic room — the hotel states there is no lift in that building
- Whether rooms in the historic and modern buildings can be held together for one party
- Total capacity for the party, and how many rooms are needed to reach it
- That your dates fall inside the 1 April to 31 October season
- Capacity for a larger group or an operator booking
- A late dinner, and whether a private dining room is available
- Meals prepared without alcohol, and whether halal-certified meat can be sourced
- A quiet room that can be used for prayer
- Whether the wine cabinet in suite 219 can be emptied before arrival
- Arrival by minibus or coach at Balestrand, and luggage between buildings
What Anurway can arrange
- Putting the building question to the hotel before anything is held
- Distributing the family so that access and character both work out
- Private transport and the fjord connections around Balestrand
- A boat day on the Sognefjord through licensed operators
- An Arabic-speaking host for the days that need one
- The rest of the route in and out of Sogn
We would not book the historic rooms for a family with anyone who struggles on stairs, and we would not put a family that came for the history into the modern wing without saying so first. Handled properly, this is one of the finest fjord addresses in the country.
The hotel states that the historic building is outside its universal-design standard and has no lift. Suite 219 is in that building.
Sources
- Kviknes Hotel — Rom Read 2026-08-04
- Kviknes Hotel — Deluxerom Read 2026-08-04
- Kviknes Hotel Read 2026-08-04