Ullensvang hotel – Ullensvang

Edvard Grieg composed "Spring" in a small cabin in the garden here. That cabin still stands, overlooking the Folgefonna glacier, nestled among 450,000 fruit trees in Norway's largest fruit orchard. Hotel Ullensvang has welcomed guests since 1846, when 14-year-old Hans Utne rowed across the fjord and started with two beds in a boathouse. Today there are 170 rooms, but the feeling of arriving somewhere genuine lingers in the walls. The restaurant serves Norwegian produce with a daily changing menu, and at dinner you might be lucky enough to enjoy harp music with your meal.

The spa section alone is worth the visit. An 88-metre-long swimming channel leads from the heated indoor pool straight out to an outdoor pool with fjord views. Book a room with a balcony facing the fjord, not the mountain. And if you want more than just a hotel stay, hike the Dronningstien trail from Kinsarvik and end the day with a swim and a fine dinner in Lofthus.