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Finse
Finse, Norway · Independent · Accessible Luxury
Finse 1222 takes its name from the station at its door: 1,222 metres up, the highest stop on the Norwegian railway, opened on 10 June 1908, with the first hotel following in 1909. No road reaches the plateau, so the houses grew up around the tracks and the Bergen Line is still the way onto Hardangervidda. In 1979 the crew of The Empire Strikes Back slept here while filming in the snowfields, and Anne Holt later set the novel 1222 in that same isolation.
- 45 rooms
- Opened 1909
- Architect: Snøhetta
About Finse
- Finse 1222 takes its name from Finse station, at 1,222 metres the highest point on Norway's Bergen Railway and the country's loftiest rail stop.
- The hotel opened in 1909 beside tracks completed in 1908, when Finse had no road access and the railway remained the only practical route to the plateau.
- In March 1979, George Lucas filmed Hoth battle scenes for The Empire Strikes Back on nearby Hardangerjøkulen glacier, housing the crew at Hotel Finse 1222.
- Fridtjof Nansen's 1884 ski crossings helped engineers choose the Bergen Line route across Hardangervidda, the vast plateau where wild reindeer still graze near the hotel.
- Explorers including Nansen trained at Finse before expeditions, and the hotel walls display memorabilia from guests such as the Prince of Wales and figure skater Sonja Henie.
History
Finse 1222 stands in Finse, Norway, on a high mountain plateau where the Bergen Line transformed an isolated landscape into a railway stop and seasonal destination. Finse station opened on 10 June 1908, and the first hotel at Finse followed in 1909, making hospitality part of the site’s early identity soon after the railway arrived. Finse station remains notable as the highest station on the Norwegian railway system at 1,222 metres above sea level, a fact echoed in the hotel’s name.
Because Finse has no road access, the railway long remained the area's practical lifeline, and the settlement developed around the station. That geography helped make Finse a destination for mountaineers, skiers, and travelers drawn to the Hardangervidda plateau.
The hotel’s most widely documented modern cultural moment came in 1979, when the production crew for *The Empire Strikes Back* stayed there while filming in the surrounding snowfields. Finse later became closely associated with the novel *1222* by Anne Holt, which uses the area as its setting.
The available web record is comparatively thin on architect, ownership changes, and major restorations, which suggests that Finse 1222 is better understood as a long-running mountain hotel shaped by its railway setting than as a heavily documented historic landmark. Its appeal lies in that unusual combination of altitude, isolation, and early twentieth-century rail tourism.
Restaurants and bars
- Spisesalen — Restaurant
- Jøkulsalen — Restaurant
Experiences
- Klemsbu Cabin visit by ski — A ski trip of about 4–6 hours to a seasonally staffed mountain cabin, marked with wooden sticks. Open weekends in 2027 from February to May.
- Ski sailing courses — Winter ski sailing courses run from the rental shop.
- Bike rental and Rallarvegen route — Summer bike rentals for local rides or the Rallarvegen route.
- Expedition Finse — Event launched by then-Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg celebrating polar history, outdoor skills, and human curiosity across ages and ambitions.
Amenities
- Rental shop with bike rentals in summer and ski rental in winter
- Boggien nightclub, open on request
- Ski sailing courses in winter (run from the rental shop)
- Volunteer weekend shifts at Klemsbu Cabin
Awards
- Historic Hotels Worldwide member
Open Finse in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.