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Sports and outdoors

Have fun skiing in Loen

Last updated: 08.01.2025
En som kjører ned en bakke på ski, med høye fjell og et skydekke under seg.
Loen Skylift/Mt Hoven|© Bård Basberg
Loen Skylift/Mt Hoven|© Bård Basberg

No other cable car in Norway comes close to Loen Skylift, which in just over five minutes takes you a thousand metres straight up – ready to set off skiing.

The little town of Loen innermost in Nordfjord has become the epicentre of the contrasts of fjord life. A favourite destination among both cruise ship tourists and air sports enthusiasts, Loen Skylift provides a speedy transition between the two aspects of life here; the sea and the mountains.

The cable car operates like a pendulum whereby one car goes up while the other comes down. The cable cars have been named after the Norse God Odin’s ravens, Hugin and Munin. You enter the cable car not far from the water’s edge, and, in five minutes, climb to an elevation that would have taken you hours to get to under your own steam.

Loen Skylift

Loen Skylift

Loen Skylift is a spectacular attraction and adventure arena, at the inner part of the Nordfjord, in the heart of Fjord Norway. A Cable Car will lift you from the fjord to 1011 m. Enjoy the views of the fjord landscape - from the restaurant table, or while exploring in the mountains.

Loen Skylift på vei opp til toppen av Hoven, med restaurantbygget i forgrunnen.
Loen Skylift has a gradient of 53%, straight up to Mount Hoven, 1,011 metres above sea level.|© Bård Basberg

Our very own Vallée Blanche

One thousand metres straight up. You get a sense of being in the Alps, as if you were in Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix. At the top station, you will find the beautiful Hoven restaurant and plenty of space to enjoy! You can put on your climbing skins and fasten your bindings and choose between a number of skiing trips at different levels.

The summit closest to Mount Hoven is called Skredfjellet and can be climbed easily in just over half an hour. From Skredfjellet, you can ski down a lovely long run to the valley on the other side, north towards Staurisætra and Stryn. The terrain is ideal for cruising down small valleys and having fun skiing through woodland when you get below the treeline.

If you fancy a slightly longer trip, head east up Staurinibba, 1,379 metres above sea level, a pleasant climb from Mount Hoven, which will definitely get your heart rate going. Instead of skiing down to Stryn, you can ski east from Staurinibba down Grimedalen valley, and enjoy skiing a 600-metre descent on untouched snow in fantastic terrain to Lohøgesætra – the only problem is getting back up!

Hoven Restaurant

Hoven Restaurant

<b>A restaurant that resembles a scene from a James Bond film is situated at the edge of the cliffs overlooking the fjord - atop the Loen Skylift. This is where you'll encounter hikers, climbers and revellers who all seek the pleasure of ethereal haute cuisine.</b>

Tre personer på ski i løs snø, med snødekte fjell og skydekke under dem.
There’s always sunshine above the clouds – from the trip up Staurinibba.|© Bård Basberg

Those who start their ski tour by taking the Skylift may well want to make Lohøgesætra the first leg of a longer trip. Its altitude means you have a good chance of finding quality snow there even in May and June. On days when you can’t ski all the way down to the fjord, you can ski back to the cable car across Staurinibba.

If you want to do a proper day trip from the Skylift, continue upwards from there. From Lohøgesætra, you can climb Dispahyrna, 1,481 metres, or Geitafjellhyrna, 1,628 metres above sea level. Your efforts will really be rewarded on a trip like this, when you can ski down the whole mountain to Oppstrynsvatnet lake below.

All levels of mountain experiences

It’s no wonder local powder enthusiasts have bought season tickets to Loen Skylift. The skiing community has really begun to appreciate all the opportunities the cable car presents since it opened in 2017, and the downhill runs are quickly becoming classics. People who are not familiar with the area can bring a guide to assure them of the snow conditions and the routes, or to make the ski tour an even better experience.

Tre personer som ser på et kart i et snødekket landskap
A mountain guide from Breogfjell can help you to choose your route. |© Bård Basberg

The local mountain guides from Breogfjell know all the mountainsides, traverses and tricks in the area. The experience is also part of a package deal that includes accommodation and dinner at Hotel Alexandra. Set aside a weekend to enjoy the mountains above Nordfjord, and to improve your skiing. Mountain guides who know what they’re doing will show you the way, whether it’s getting to know the area, or climbing the king of the mountains, Storskredfjellet at 1,815 metres above sea level.

However, the cable car was not only built for adrenaline junkies. The mountain plateau at the summit has been designed to ensure experiences for everyone, including those who are not in the habit of skiing or those who simply want to go sledging. The snow on the plateau on the top is flattened so that you can walk around, and there is a sledging slope for children, with sledge hire for children (of all ages) who want to play in the snow on the top of Mount Hoven.

Alpin skiføring | Breogfjell

Alpine ski touring in Nordfjord | Breogfjell

Ski mountaineering among glaciers, mountains and fjords in the Nordfjord region, with qualified mountain guides from Breogfjell Mountain Guides. The mountains in Stryn, Loen and Olden offer summits with over 1500-meter hight meters, overlooking the world!

If you would like to venture off the established trail, you can hire snow shoes and set off on a snowshoe tour – accompanied by a guide if you wish! When the weather and conditions permit, the guide can accompany you on a longer trip to the top of Staurinibba. When you return to the cable car you can enjoy a mug of cocoa, or how about a delicious dinner?

Some people head up here just to visit the restaurant, and it’s a popular spot for dates and Christmas parties among the locals. You might find a pair of sweethearts sitting at one table and a gang of snow-covered ski bums at another. In beautiful scenery on the edge of the precipice, Hoven restaurant offers culinary experiences to match the view, and serves food made from local ingredients from the fjord below.

After a meal, you can continue exploring the area, either by winter hiking on groomed trails, visiting the impressive snow cave, or trying Norway’s longest toboggan run – an 8-kilometer track that offers speed and fun for the whole family.

Trugetur med guide frå Loen Skylift

Snowshoe hike from Loen Skylift

<b>Explore the winter landscape on foot, 1011 meters above the fjord. There are many winter walks around Mt. Hoven, most with fabulous views of the fjord and majestic mountains. And it's all so close, just a spectacular five-minute cable car ride from the village of Loen.</b>

Vintervandring frå Loen Skylift

Winter hikes from Loen Skylift

You will be rewarded with unforgettable fjord landscape while hiking in the mountains.

Flere barn i en akebakke som går oppover mens de drar kjelkene sine
A snow-assured sledging slope on Mount Hoven ensures the summit is fun for all!|© Bård Basberg
Aking frå Loen Skylift

Tobagganing from Loen skylift

Enjoy the free and fun Family- or Action Slope for a real adrenalin rush.

Hotell Alexandra tatt om kvelden utenifra, med snødekte fjell i bakgrunnen.
The elegant Hotel Alexandra has a modern spa section, several restaurants and an indoor and outdoor pool.|© Janne Alsaker

Loen’s most stylish venue

There are great downhill runs on the other side of the valley, but you’re maybe wondering how you’re going to get back? Well, you can be picked up by Hotel Alexandra’s very own powder taxi of course! You can’t talk about Loen without mentioning Alexandra, which has been an independent family-run hotel since 1890, now run by the fifth generation of owners.

The hotel is an institution that really looks after its guests, and it has always particularly favoured walkers and skiers. The hotel gives you a sense of being a modern-day Slingsby (a mountaineering pioneer). If you prefer swimming, running on a treadmill and visiting the spa, or playing snooker and drinking a glass of something delicious from the hotel’s ‘cellar’, you’ll find it all at Alexandra. Overall, Loen can offer you the mountain experience to suit your taste.

Hotel Alexandra

Hotel Alexandra

Hotel Alexandra is a first class hotel with a view to the fjord in Loen and to Mt. Skåla (1848 m.o.h.). The hotel is surrounded by breathtaking nature.

Alexandra Spa

Alexandra Spa

SPA (Salus per aqua) means "health through water" and has for centuries involved mineral-rich water, heat and relaxation. Alexandra Spa has been built with you and your well-being in mind. Alexandra Spa´s goal is to provide body and soul with care and relaxation, just the way you want it.

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