Hotel Mundal

Top choice in The Western Fjords


What a sight this historic hotel is. Gabled and slate-topped, it's been in the same family since 1891, and is a classic slice of late-19th-century grandeur, with a wonderful period interior filled with oil paintings, rugs, leather armchairs and burnished furniture. Rooms feel endearingly old-fashioned, with wooden floors, metal bedsteads and antiques aplenty. Fjord views are essential.

For 500kr extra, you can sleep the night in the tower's one suite, complete with wraparound views of fjord and glacier – as did US ex-vice president Walter Mondale, whose family came from Mundal, and the present Queen of Norway (not, as the charming receptionist explains, on the same occasion). There's a choice for food: the relaxed Kafe Mikkel, or the more upmarket hotel restaurant that serves traditional four-course Norwegian dinners (380kr). Non-guests need to book by 6pm.