The Famous Red Cabin – Eliassen Rorbuer
You may already know that I am a great fan of Northern Norway and you may have seen the red cabin photo that I posted on instagram (@bizarrejourneys) many times. Not to upset you but I have a confession to make. That lonely cabin – despite the intriguing look – is not occupied by an interesting and solitude seeking writer working on their magnificent latest piece but is part of Eliassen Rorbuer complex renting out cabins to the visitors of Lofoten.
Let me first introduce you to the concept of rorbuer before talking about my multiple stays and experience at Eliassen Rorbuer.
What is a rorbuer?
Rorbuer means a fisherman’s hut in Norwegian. There are still many rorbuers on the islands being used in accordance with their original purpose. However, with the growing touristic popularity of the Lofoten Islands, rorbuers are nowadays also commonly used for temporary accommodation purposes.
In addition to cabins that you can rent out for long term, there are also many facilities which manage group of rorbuers for short term rentals just like hotels.
Eliassen Rorbuer located in Hamnoy of Lofoten Islands
My favorite one among all of those rorbuer facilities in Lofoten Islands is Eliassen Rorbuer where I got to stay twice. The accommodation prices at Eliassen Rorbuer are slightly cheaper (you can rent out a cabin to host 3-4 people per USD 120/night) than the rest and it is located on the most beautiful and picturesque region in Lofoten Islands – Hamnoy.
Eliassen is home to 34 cabins differing in size (2-6 people capacity). While some of the cabins have double beds, bunk beds are somehow more common – remember the fishermans hut part? Except for the basic two people cabins, most of the cabins have their own kitchenette right next to a very comfortable sitting/dining area. Having your own kitchen is a big plus in Norway as dining out is very expensive – minimum USD 25-30 per plate, not meal!.
The cabins reflect the simple Scandinavian design approach that I really like. Wi-fi works perfectly (even when I last stayed there in February 2017 during a very stormy week). In case you have any questions or problems related to your cabin, someone will show up to help you within minutes with a smiley face.
Finally, there is a bus stop right outside of Eliassen Robuer and this makes your life quite easy in Lofoten Islands if you are relying on public transportation like me. There is also a market which is about 35 minutes walking distance from Eliassen (beautiful views along the road) and not more than a 5 minutes on wheels. If it was not very apparent already – I should note that Eliassen is my favorite place in Lofoten and cannot recommend it highly enough for your own trip.
Note: There also used to be restaurant within the complex, Krambua Restaurantrun by a Swedish chef and his Italian wife (there are very limited numbers of restaurants in Moskenes area) – google indicates that they are permanently closed but it is worth checking whether a new restaurant has opened up.
Further reading about Lofoten Islands
I have fortunately been to Lofoten Islands three times. The most detailed account of my latest winter trip to Lofoten is my Lofoten Trip Diaries that you can read here.
Eliassen Rorbuer is also open the winter but you need to book in advance. Lofoten and particularly Hamnoy is a very popular spot for Northern Lights. I also wrote a separate account on my thoughts on What if We Don`t See Northern Lights in a separate post covering both Tromso and Lofoten Islands.
