Up.

They eat mountains for breakfast in Norway, blending spectacular scenic views with a lifestyle that is naturally nourished, actively indulged and among the healthiest and happiest in the world. That high-altitude snow and summer’s night defying sun are major year-round draws for the locals is evidence of their unabashed love of nature and adventure, giving way to a one-word definition of life here. Up.

I ventured to Norway in April on an off-season idyll curated by luxury travel curator Up Norway, that combined alpine highs with culinary bliss, perfectly presented in snow-country inns and an exquisite mountain-view villa I longed to call home. My hosts, warm-hearted ambassadors of hospitality all, shared their lives and passions with the open friendliness of free-spirited souls, giving me a personal glimpse of the riches Norwegians hold dear.

Photo by Odd Erik / Hotel Aak

If you’ve had the pleasure of watching Pixar’s animated film Up, you’ll recognize the inspiration behind Up Norway. Part bucket list adventure, part love story and all heart, Up Norway is the brainchild of travel and hospitality expert Torunn Tronsvang, who believes that it’s never too late to embark on the adventure of a lifetime and do those things you dream of – and wherever you are and whenever you go, Norway is the best place to make it all come true.

Glacier-clad, fjord-rich and mountain-blessed, Norway is a paradise for outdoor fun, revitalizing, challenging and rewarding at every turn for every age and ability. It’s also steeped in history, tempting with locally produced culinary delights, awash in coastal charms and bathed in beauty, from people to places, making it a must-go anytime destination for the young and young at heart. By all counts, Norway is one of the world’s greatest travel destinations, not just because it wows with nature at every turn, but also because it also does things right in terms of responsible tourism, transportation, hospitality, services and more. With Up Norway at the helm, travelers can experience its treasures, their way, on adventures personally tailored to their interests.

Torunn founded the company in 2016 with a vision of connecting the best of Norway, packaging it all together, and crafting authentic, sustainable luxury travel experiences for travelers of all ages. Drawing on her extensive experience working with some of the world’s best hospitality experts in places like Dubai and Bhutan, where premier properties are destination-inspired and service-oriented, she set out to create transformational journeys in her own country that changed people in some way.

Photo by Cindy Clarke

“At Up Norway, we have made our own recipe for transformational journeys with principles that we systematically build into each and every journey that we curate. Our goal is making sure that when people leave, they have been inspired and enriched,” Torunn explained. “Travelers come to Norway for nature, but what they remember most are the connections they make with the people, the places and themselves. We want to give them the time and opportunity to just be and feel as if they’re a small part of a big universe where everything fits together. And that does something magic.”

Torunn’s network of handpicked partners, SAS, 62ºNORD, Dale of Norway, Skarbø Gard, Christian Gard Farm, Hotel Aak, Villa Romsdalen, Romsdalsgondolen, and Uteguiden among them, along with a dedicated staff that is always looking out for the welfare, care, and fulfillment of her guests, ensure that her clients experience the best of Norway from the moment they book a trip.

With Up Norway’s guidance, getting there on a 6-hour flight on SAS direct from New York was a breeze. We landed at Oslo Airport in a snow-driven morning wind, where we were chauffeured, Tesla style, to an on-site museum that was the stuff of airmen’s – and women’s – dreams. Volunteer run by dedicated retirees, the museum is a showcase of SAS civil aviation history, paying well-earned homage to the people and planes of Scandinavia’s leading airline from 1946 to the present day. Model airplanes and a parade of updated uniforms mingle with memorabilia, including life-sized vignettes of a first-class cabin and a hands-on flight-simulator cockpit, promotional posters and an array of dining finery that evoked the romance of passenger flights back in the day. The first of its kind in the industry, the little museum also honors the first woman to work as a commercial airline pilot for a major airline in the Western world. Turi Widerøe flew for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) from 1969 to the mid 1970s, and not surprisingly hails from Norway, a land of dare and do that I was about to get to know firsthand.

Hotel Union Øye Sommer – Photo by Marøy & Klouda

The metaphor of the midnight sun, long associated with Norway, symbolizes the unexpected moments of brightness that can illuminate even the darkest of nights. It also serves as a fitting reminder of the wonders that await adventurers curious, confident and willing to take a leap of faith into new possibilities, which is exactly what Torunn intended for us.

Oslo was just a quick stopover as we continued on with a quick flight north to Ålesund, perched at the top of Norway’s Western Fjord country. Our driver was waiting at the airport to drive us to the quaint city where we would be fitted with ski gear for our off-the-beaten path adventures in the glacial wilderness. Outfitted for the outdoors, we ventured into the heart of the Sunnmøre Alps region by Mercedes coach and fjord ferry, sampling the scenery and the local sweets onboard – sveler a folded, butter and sugar filled pancake that serves as the official ferry food of the Western fjords, a caramel-filled chocolate candy aptly called SMIL, and storied Freia milk chocolate mini bars with Norwegian folktales on the wrapper that had us laughing with every bite. Our destination for the next two nights was the iconic Hotel Union Øye, reigning at the end of Norangsfjorden, a branch of the Hjørundfjord, renowned as one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway.

Built in 1891, family-owned and nestled in a remote fairy-tale setting, the historic half-timbered hotel has hosted a legion of royal families, heads of state, celebrities and more with the same royal sensibilities and exemplary service this author enjoyed in 2024. Its 38 guestrooms and suites, many Victorian inspired, are individually decorated, impeccably furnished and named after notables who stayed here. My suite, housed in one of the property’s newly built contemporary chalets, welcomed me with a cloud-soft bed, comforters at the ready, a heated floor in a spacious marble bathroom, a wood burning stove and breathtaking views of the dramatic mountain peaks that surround the hotel. Senses elevated, dinner here was the height of luxury, from the ambiance of the historic dining hall and gracious Conservatory to the locally sourced gourmet fare, meticulously prepared and artfully plated and the paired wines – and signature “just-one-more please” cocktails – that enhanced the flavor of the night.

Torunn Tronsvang – Photo by Susan Portnoy

Morning came early on our first full day in Norway, with a boat ride on the fjord to the remote, roadless village of Trandal, accessible only from the water, population 7, and home to an unexpected family-owned restaurant and a swing that has become a viral Instagram sensation. We disembarked for our inaugural trek up a snow-covered mountain where no one had gone before – at least on this day. I donned snowshoes, while my more adventurous companions embarked on a back country ski touring adventure on the same mountain, making their own tracks as they climbed up to the peak, skis on, and skied back down on their newly made trails, energy revved and exuberance at an all-time high.

No matter your ability or experience, nature rewards all interests in Norway, ensuring every age and generation a good time. The scenic vistas of the mountains, fjords, forests and glaciers alone fill you with wonder unrivaled anywhere from on high, but get closer to the people and the places where they live, and discover joys naturally inherent, ultimately infectious and impossible to replicate anywhere else.

We had lunch at the Christian Gaard Bygdetun, the little farm restaurant that overlooks the fjord in Trandal, dining on sustainably hunted deer burger, local Ringnes beer and brown cheese ice cream, staples of the limited menu that depends on seasonal fare. The restaurant’s affable owners happily shared stories about the history of their farm and the family, as well as the annual summer music concerts they hold here that draw up to 2,000 people each – and their world-famous fjord swing. Who needs anything more?

Our boat ride back to the hotel culminated in a polar plunge that was preceded by a visit to the steamy sauna that sat outside on the dock. This long-standing tradition, a must-do when you’re in Norway, is hailed as a wellness tonic that improves circulation, boosts immunity and enhances moods, embodying the indomitable, never-say-never spirit of Norwegian culture.

Photo credit: 62° NORD

While Norway boasts a robust winter ski season, traveling here in the off season like we did promises its own amazing rewards. In addition to crowd-free trails and virgin mountain slopes, roads that are typically closed in winter are accessible in the spring and moderate temperatures invite with more opportunities for outdoor exploration and activities. A morning kayaking adventure afforded us new perspectives of the Hjørundfjord, while indulging us with the opportunity for quiet contemplation of its spectacular beauty. An impromptu stop at a nearby lake revealed the sunken remains of a village lost to an avalanche in the 1900s and a drive along a road often off-limits in winter allowed us to feast on views of the Geirangerfjord, a precious UNESCO World Heritage Site, without the company of carloads of strangers.

The Nordic food culture is bliss for locavores, with good reason. Culinary highlights always include seafood, locally caught and ocean fresh, but as Torunn shared, biodynamic farming, microbrews, high-quality local food, food foraging, sustainable food production and the history of Norwegian’s food heritage all come together in ways visitors will long crave.

Outstanding chef-prepared meals at our boutique 62ºNORD hotels notwithstanding, our tasting lunch at Skarbø Farm, a private family-owned eight generation dairy farm and cidery nestled along Sunnmøre’s Storfjord, celebrated Norway’s more simple, seasonal dining pleasures. Seated upstairs in a small turf-topped stabbur, we enjoyed a typical lunch of soup, salad, a Spanish potato tortilla inspired by the owner’s husband, and homemade yogurt, along with handcrafted unpasteurized cheese and a quartet of berry-infused hard apple ciders made on site with an award-winning twist that takes them to new levels. Our hostess shared personal anecdotes and insights about her fjord-facing farm and the products she and her family make here, adding to our enjoyment of this very special insider experience.

Homemade dining delights continued to feed my appetite for the enviable Norwegian lifestyle during my two-night stay at the wonderfully intimate Hotel Aak in the heart of Romsdalen Valley, welcoming guests with comfort and camaraderie since 1856. Not only did I feel at home with my fellow guests, locals all, the hotel’s family-style meals kept me at the table long after the dishes were cleared. Dinner was prepared by a noted base-jumping chef whose effervescent personality, fearless kitchen skills and garden-to-table recipes matched his unrivaled technical mountaineering abilities, a winning trifecta he achieved with ease. He served up his innovative menus, including a rare taste of a Musk Ox encountered on a nearby mountain summit, with tales of his daily dare-devil exploits up in the mountains, leaving us amused, incredulous and impressed in turns.

Ålesund – Photo by Kristen Kellogg

My visit in this heavenly valley included an eye-opening visit to the Norwegian Mountaineering Centre in Andalsnes that thrilled with exhibits and footage of base jumpers and climbers like Hotel Aak’s fun-loving chef, who challenged the region’s mountains and defied the impossible. Opting for a safer mountain hike, I embarked on a vertical climb up nearby Nesaksla mountain with sure-footed Torunn in the lead, following a rough trail marked with tree roots, rocks and steep steps built by Nepalese sherpas, and rewarding with amazing 360-degree views. We rode the Romsdalsgondolen, Norway’s first sustainably built gondola, back down, meeting up with our ski touring pals for dinner at Villa Romsdalen, a meticulously renovated luxury 5-bedroom, 3 bath ski villa available for rent all year round.

Once again, we were treated to the best of Norway. Hosted by the villa’s gracious owners, dinner was a served by a private chef who plated and prepared our meal with the finesse of an art stylist, who sauced, seasoned and served his dishes with local herbs and spices, topping them with edible flowers, and tempting with tastes masterfully honed and flawlessly executed. Norway’s nationally winning blue cheese, Kraftkar, made its way to our plates as a special treat and wines and aquavit flowed freely.

The heritage of hospitality in Norway dates back centuries and plays out in the warm welcomes and upbeat attitudes you’ll find across the board. Norwegian culture, uniquely linked to their geographic wonders, is built on equality, fairness, respect and an understandable pride of their country. Hotels like the forested Storfjord Hotel, an off-the-beaten track oasis of tranquility overlooking its namesake fjord and the Sunnmøre Alps, and Ålesund’s Hotel Brosundet, reigning unrivaled over the Art Nouveau city’s heartbeat of a canal, reflect their country’s values in service and style, catering with informal comforts, understated luxury and local charm. A chef’s table lunch at Storfjord Hotel, featuring a delicate seafood soup starring sauteed shrimp and poured with expert precision into a waiting bowl and served in a window-walled dining room with head-turning scenic views, spoke volumes about the hotel’s mission to share its pleasures, while soothing the senses, inside and out.

Photo by Cindy Clarke

Similarly situated in a picturesque waterfront setting, an overnight stay at Hotel Brosundet introduced us to the urban gems of Norway. Incorporating exercise – we walked to our hotel from the top of a nearby hill – wellness – who could resist taking a bubble bath in an outside tub, followed by a visit to the sauna – and an exceptional seafood dinner in the city’s thriving fish packing district at the highly acclaimed restaurant, Sjøbua, our city stay was testament to Up Norway’s desire to provide visitors with a well-rounded, thoughtfully executed journey.

When we met, Torunn said she hoped we would enjoy experiencing the treasures of Norway like the locals do. When I left, Dale of Norway sweater on, Freia chocolate in my pocket, cherished photos on my phone, and memories I’ll always carry with me, I promised to bring my family back with me when I returned. After all, this is where my heart lives now. ☐