Dalen Hotel

Dalen Hotel officially opened its doors in 1894 during the golden age of European aristocratic travel, designed by prominent architect Haldor Børve in the traditional Norwegian Dragon Style (Dragestil). Situated at the western terminus of the Telemark Canal on Lake Bandak, the hotel catered to European emperors, monarchs, and wealthy aristocrats who arrived by luxury steamship. Renowned royal guests included King Oscar II of Sweden, King Haakon VII of Norway, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, and King Leopold II of Belgium, all of whom enjoyed its opulent salons during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The advent of modern railway networks and the disruption of World War II severely impacted luxury canal travel, throwing the hotel into decades of financial distress and physical decline. During World War II, occupying German military forces confiscated the property, using it as an officer headquarters while stripping historic brass fixtures, wooden paneling, and fine antique furnishings. By the 1970s, the decaying wooden structure was threatened with total demolition until a passionate local preservation movement led by hotelier Aage Buene initiated a multi-million dollar restoration campaign in the late 1980s.

Following years of painstaking restoration using original craftsmanship techniques, Dalen Hotel reopened as a premier heritage luxury hotel and living museum. Today, it stands as one of Scandinavia’s largest and best-preserved 19th-century wooden hotels, drawing international architecture enthusiasts, heritage travelers, and ghost lore investigators to the heart of Telemark.

The primary ghost legend at Dalen Hotel centers on Room 17 and the heartbreaking history of Miss Greenfield, an English noblewoman who stayed at the hotel during the late 19th century. According to local historical records, Miss Greenfield checked into Room 17 while pregnant and gave birth to a child in total secrecy. Following her departure back to England, hotel staff unlocked the room and made the horrifying discovery of an infant's body concealed inside a leather trunk.

When Norwegian authorities traveled to England to arrest Miss Greenfield for trial, they discovered that she had tragically taken her own life before their arrival. Shortly after her death, hotel staff and guests began reporting that her weeping spirit had returned to Room 17 to mourn her lost child. In honor of her restless spirit, hotel management established a permanent tradition of setting a private table for her in the main dining room every evening with fresh flowers and candlelight.

Additional hotel lore describes the phantom melodies of a grand piano echoing through the dragon salon late at night when the music room is completely deserted. Guests strolling along the second-floor wooden balconies have reported seeing an elegant woman clad in Victorian lace garments walking silently toward Room 17 before vanishing through locked wooden doors into thin air. Staff members treat her memory with great reverence, ensuring that her presence remains an integral part of the hotel's heritage.

Guests fortunate enough to stay in Room 17 frequently document remarkable paranormal experiences throughout their stay. Visitors routinely describe the sensation of a gentle weight pressing down on the mattress beside them, as if an invisible person were sitting quietly on the bed in the middle of the night.

Sudden localized temperature drops and the delicate scent of English lavender perfume are commonly experienced near the entryway of Room 17 and along the adjacent hallway. Housekeeping staff members report that freshly pressed bedsheets in Room 17 often display distinct body impressions overnight even when the room has remained unoccupied.

Night auditors and front desk personnel working late shifts have witnessed heavy chandelier lights dimming systematically on their own, brass door handles turning slowly, and the faint sound of a baby crying softly in the upper corridors long after all guests have retired for the evening, leaving a lasting impression of haunting beauty.

Dalen Hotel is built entirely of dark-stained Scandinavian pine wood, featuring grand gables, carved dragon heads, and wide multi-storey verandas facing Lake Bandak. The heart of the hotel is a soaring central hall topped by an exquisite 1894 stained-glass skylight that bathes the lobby in rich colorful light.

The interior layout features grand dining halls, historic reading salons, and an authentic Victorian music room adorned with original period antiques, hand-carved fireplace mantels, and oil portraits. Upper guest rooms are lined along long wooden corridors, with Room 17 located on the second floor overlooking the formal garden lawns. Guests explore expansive wooden hallways, grand staircases, and open outdoor verandas overlooking Lake Bandak, enjoying the seamless integration of luxury hospitality, historical preservation, and majestic mountain scenery.

Dalen Hotel is located in the village of Dalen in Telemark, accessible via regional highway 450 or by taking historic steamship cruises along the Telemark Canal from Skien. The hotel operates seasonally from April through October each year, accommodating overnight guests and fine dining patrons.

Visitors who are not staying overnight are welcome to explore the public lobbies, historic salons, and lakeside gardens during daytime operating hours. Specialized afternoon tea services and guided historical tours detailing the hotel’s royal guests and ghost folklore are available with advance booking. Guests interested in experiencing Room 17 are advised to reserve many months in advance due to high international demand.

Dalen Hotel’s fame as one of Europe’s most haunted hotels is rooted in the tragic, documented history of Miss Greenfield in Room 17. The hotel’s authentic Victorian wood interior, royal heritage, and unbroken custom of reserving a dinner table for her spirit ensure its legendary status in dark tourism, hospitality history, and Scandinavian folklore across the world, inspiring writers and paranormal enthusiasts for generations.