About Haukali333 – the farm, the family and the history
Haukali333 is located by Lake Haukalivatnet in Rogaland, surrounded by steep mountains, forest and water. The Botnehagen family has been connected to this land for more than a hundred years. The crofter’s house at Haukali333 is our way of preserving this history – while inviting guests into a slower, more sustainable way of life. When you stay here, you get a sense of what everyday life might have been like around 150 years ago – with wood-fired heating, water that has to be fetched, food from the garden and the lake, and a rhythm that follows nature more than the clock. At the same time, you keep the most important comforts: good beds, warm rooms and a safe place to retreat to.
About Haukali333
A small house for big experiences
The crofter’s house is 36 m² plus a loft, and can accommodate up to 6 (8) guests. In the loft on the second floor you’ll find a dormitory-style sleeping area with especially comfortable, made-up beds. On the ground floor there is a living area that serves as both living room and kitchen – just as it might have been around 1850, only with the most important comforts of today.
The living room has a small kitchen area with fridge, oven and cooking plates. The bathroom has a Cinderella toilet, and you have an outdoor shower with both cold and hot water. Outside, wild and beautiful nature is waiting, and in the garden the hens roam, providing you with fresh eggs. Here you’ll also find herbs, salad, strawberries and potatoes that you can pick when they are ready.
Why we created Haukali333
Haukali333 was created because we wanted to share what we ourselves value most here: the silence, the wild and beautiful nature, the slow pace and the feeling of belonging to a place – not just passing through as a guest.
By removing some of the modern and unnecessary things, many people find that they gain more energy and presence. They cook with what they gather from the garden and the lake, go for walks straight from the doorstep, sit by the fire in the evening and notice how the pace in their bodies changes.
For us, this is slow life in practice – and a small, tangible counterbalance to the everyday life most people come from, with room to reflect on how our ancestors lived here around 150 years ago.
Sustainability and the Holiday Dreams of the Future – a Slow Life Project
(supported by Innovation Norway on the grounds of what is genuine and authentic. A place where you can take back your time.)
IAt Haukali333, we want to show that a great holiday can mean peace, fresh air, silence, sheep grazing on the hillside – the goal is that you feel you are part of nature. You stay in a small house, with a vegetable garden and a rowing boat included. Hens provide you with eggs every morning. The house is similar in size to the crofters’ houses that existed in Norway in the 1800s. Along the Lysefjord there were many houses of this size, where several generations lived together. These houses could hold many people. What they had in common was that they lived very modestly and were poor.
Haukali333 is set in beautiful, idyllic surroundings. You use the nature and natural resources around you to prepare food. Pick from the garden and fish from the water. No transport, no things/temptations – more time.
BBC Travel highlights Haukali333 as an example of sustainable tourism, where simple surroundings allow time to move a little more slowly. BBC shows how a simple life, closeness to nature, and respect for cultural heritage can inspire us to relax. In doing so, we can see and try to understand the values and choices of the past, and live in a way that is more environmentally friendly for both people and the nature around us.
The Director of Tourism at Innovation Norway has described the concept as part of “the concept and holiday wishes of the future” and a major international trend: more people want tranquility, nature and meaning – not just “new things”. For guests, this means a holiday that both helps them unwind and gives room to reflect on their own pace, consumption and relationship with nature – simply living for a few days the way our ancestors did 150 years ago. The starry sky, without light pollution, gives our guests from the city an experience they do not forget.
Gallery
Stories from Haukali
The landscape around Haukali is full of stories. If you wish, we can stop by and tell you about:
- The poor and busy life at Haukali around 1850
- Drowning accidents and strong family ties
- The people who left for America in search of a better life
These stories make your stay richer and add an extra dimension to both the house and the nature you move through. Suddenly, the paths, the lake and the fields around you become connected to the people who lived here before – and create space to reflect on your own everyday life in light of theirs.
The hosts – Reidunn and family
Behind Haukali333 you’ll find Reidunn Lea Botnehagen and her family. We live here, we make our lives here, and we are genuinely happy to share this place – and the stories that belong to it – with guests from both Norway and abroad.
We want you to feel welcome, safe and well taken care of, while still having the freedom to “own” the experience yourself. Some guests want a lot of contact, conversations and stories about life at Haukali – others prefer to be completely on their own and simply enjoy the silence. Both are equally welcome here.
Contact us
Book your stay
Ready to experience a different kind of accommodation?
Read more about practical information
Use the button below to book!
If you have any questions before booking, you can call Reidunn at 47 51 01 47 or send an email to e-post til haukali333@gmail.com
Give yourself a few days of peace, wild and beautiful nature, food you gather yourself – and a small glimpse of slow life as it might have been in 1850.