An out of the ordinary mini-hotel in the heart of Larvik's old town, decorated with exquisite pieces of antique furniture.
We went exploring Larvik in the south coast of Norway and stayed at the most unique mini-hotel, Lysko Gjestegård. Let's just say that we took a trip back to the past, slept like royalty, walked through a Viking forest, and discovered where the Norwegian water Farris is from.
LARVIK
Larvik is a town and municipality in Vestfold, southern Norway. It is mainly known for Norway's natural mineral water spring, Farris. It is also one of the places in Norway with most traces from the Viking era.
To be quite honest with you, we were expecting Larvik to be the typical Norwegian beautiful ocean town, yet we were a bit disappointed. In general, I would characterize Larvik as an industrial town. When walking along the promenade next to the fjord, everywhere you look, you could see some kind of factory or industrial building. Which is a pity since there are quite a lot of cute beaches. The weather was a bit cloudy and grey in our first day there so I think that also didn't help.
But as more as we explored the town, as more we changed our minds. Ok, maybe it is not the most tourist place, but it has really cool little corners.
My favorite part was buying a soft ice-cream in a little ice-cream shop by the water and then walk along the new part of town, with a really nice waterfront and cultural center.
We also discovered several amazing graffiti walls, secretly scattered through the old city center.
If you are looking for somewhere to eat while you are in Larvik, I 100% recommend Spiseriet Indisk Tandori. An Indian restaurant with delicious food, incredible decorations, and affordable prices.
BØKENSKOGEN
Because so many people suggested, we went visiting Bøkeskogen (the beech tree forest).
This is a very famous forest in Larvik! It is the northernmost beech forest in the world and the biggest one in Norway. It is also an archaeological area that contains Vestfold County's largest burial grounds from the Pre-Roman Iron Age. Besides being Vestfold's largest grave site, Bøkeskogen is also considered to be one of the places in Norway with the most remains from the Viking Age.
We spent the morning walking through the forest trails, reading about Vikings, and the medieval ages.
Beech trees are super slim and tall and the top is full of little green leaves that create the most pleasant of hikes. There are a couple of viewpoints. Our favorite was the Bellevue, which offers panoramic views of Farris Lake, where the mineral water Farris comes from.
LYSKO GJESTEGÅRD
The best thing about Larvik was without a doubt our stay at Lysko Gjestegard mini-hotel.
This hotel was out of this world, or should I say, out of this time! It was like traveling back in time to sleep in a palace or a Viking home.
The owners are a friendly couple who have a passion for collecting and restoring antique items. They bought this large Norwegian house in 1990 and have been, since then, renovating division by division to create very special, comfortable, and out of ordinary rooms for guests to enjoy.
The hotel is located at the very heart of Larvik's old town, in what used to be the main road. The big red traditional buildings caught my attention immediately, and after entering through a slim road between the two buildings, a big bright patio emerged, decorated with flowers, a fountain, romantic statues, and covered by a big majestic tree.
Practically at the hotel door, there a lovely park surrounded by the fjord and in what it looked like to be the old town fortress walls. In the park, there was a beach/swimming pool area, carved in between the rocks. I imagine this to be a lovely place for a swim on a sunny summer day.
The rooms
Every room at Lysko Gjestegard has a very special and unique theme, decorated with antique furniture from Scandinavia, France, Germany, you name it!
After having a little tour of the hotel we were directed to our room at the second floor, accessible by some external wooden stairs.
When we opened the door, our jaws dropped! It was the most perfectly romantic and princess-like room, with a big ass bed, a huge painting that basically occupied the whole wall, a small kitchen with an eating area, a private toilet and a lounge area with a very pretty antique sofa and chairs.
The best thing about this room was the ceiling. It was a tall ceiling with wooden beams and painted to look like a night sky. Yes, you heard me! Painted in dark blue colors, with clouds and golden stars. I loved waking up in the morning and looking up at the stars.
The other rooms at the hotel were equally lovely, but my favorite was one that was decorated with Nordic/Viking furniture. It had the most adorable Viking wooden chairs, carved with all these ancient symbols. The bed was also beautiful! With a huge sheep fur throw over it.
DISCLAIMER: Thank you Lysko Gjestegard for having us. All accommodation/experiences were gifted. I did not receive payment in exchange for this video. All opinions expressed are my own and not edited by any companies mentioned.
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