Ski Lodge at Vradal

Vradal is a ski area in Norway that's got some challenges, yet isn't too intimidating for beginners to enjoy.  Some Norwegians consider Vradal to be a "hidden gem" because it's got great views, but no lift lines, and is is not very well known by those outside of Norway.  Situated at the top of the mountain, and within walking distance to the top of the Vradal ski slopes, the Ski House of the Day is the Mountain Lodge at Vradal:

Probably not what Lennon and McCartney had in mind, but the kitchen has an abundance of Norwegian wood:

The living areas are basic and simple, and almost command you to get outside and ski.

While the fireplace isn't exactly what I'd expect to see in a Norwegian ski lodge, if you're cold enough, any heat source is a good thing.

The house has five bedrooms with beautiful wooden beds that look oh-so-Norwegian; and something I notice right away about them is the thick, fluffy, comfy feather-bed comforters on all the beds:

This ski house has the requisite Scandinavian sauna, and this one also has a view:

....of the beautiful lakes and mountains around Vradal and the surrounding Telemark area of Norway:

Birthplace of Skiing

Since today is Norway Day, the Ski House of the Day celebrates Norway, of course; and also celebrates skiing's Norwegian history.

This isn't just any ski house...this is the birthplace of skiing.  Really!  At the time that Sondre Norheim (1825-1897) was born, skiing was the primary mode of transportation in the mountains of Norway...the free-heeled version that they used was strictly utilitarian, allowing them to travel the mountains to collect firewood, and get around the mountains for their other daily needs.  But after pushing the limits of his utilitarian skis, Sondre discovered that with some design changes he was able to make skiing much more fun.   Among the changes were his invention of a heel binding which he made out of twisted willow from birch-roots:

...and his invention of a shorter ski that was shaped to be narrower in the middle.  These innovations allowed for more control and enabled Sondre to be the first to demonstrate parallel turns as well as Telemark turns and big jumps to a mesmerized audience.  He introduced the joy and fun of downhill skiing, ski-jumping, and ski-racing to the world, and in doing so changed the nature of skiing from transportation to sport.

The Ski House of the Day is the birthplace of Sondre Norheim, and so is also the birthplace of skiing as we know it.  It's a tiny cabin called Overbo, in the village of Morgedal, in Telemark County in southern Norway:

Overbo actually consists of three structures:  Sondre's birthplace cabin (rebuilt on the original stone foundation), his adult cabin (relocated to this site ), plus a cow-shed, and is now owned and operated by the Morgedal Sports Club which allows visitors to tour Sondre's adult cabin, and rent Sondre's birthplace cabin!  (It amazes me that you can actually stay in an historic place like this and ski right out onto the slopes where the "Father of Skiing" did!).

The primitive cabin sleeps 4-5 people, and although it does have power, it has no indoor plumbing (there's an outdoor well for water), so it's more historically accurate than it is luxurious.

You can see numerous items that Sondre made himself, including, of course, various skis and bindings:

There's an interesting fireplace...and not just interesting because of the way it looks...the fireplace here at Overbo has been a source of the Olympic flame three times!

Here's the Olympic Torch leaving this ski house (on skis) in 1960 en route to Squaw Valley:

...and here's the Olympic Torch leaving this ski house in 1952:

"Playful and charismatic and always out skiing--there developed around him (Sondre) a ski culture here in Morgedal in the 1860's which grew into a thing of legend."

And a thing of legend, too, is this unique, historic Norwegian Ski House of the Day where skiing was born!

Ski-On-the-Roof Cabin in Norway

This mountain cabin gives new meaning to the phrase "ski house"... because you can actually ski on the house!   In response to a client's desire to be able to ski on the roof of their new ski house, Fantastic Norway (an innovative and unique architectural studio/group) designed the home to allow just that!


The Mountain Hill Cabin is designed as a landscape element which leads wind around and over the building, and which also reduces snow strain.  The architect's website points out that the cabin's shape resembles an abstract mountainscape.  Indeed it does.  In fact, it's hard to tell where the house ends and the mountain hill begins.


According to DeZeen Magazine, the location of this triangular timber cabin is in the mountains of Al, Norway, where it will be a private retreat that can only be reached by skis. Construction is to be completed this summer.  Because it's designed to be a house that you can ski on, Fantastic Norway's Mountain Hill Cabin is the Ski House of the Day.  I think it's fantastic!