Okay, we already have an article about Rauland, I know… But I couldn’t stop myself from sharing this experience.

First of all, some background for a better understanding! Norway is a really special place (everyone knows that), not only the landscapes, but also to the way Hostels work! You’ll find a lot of family friendly Hostels and you can even find one operating on top of a hospital (Stavanger)! It’s also common to see a strong relation between Hostels and schools. Like some places that open in the summer as a Hostel and the rest of the year as a school.

That said in Rauland they also have a special history. The place was created as a Folk high school but, long story short, the University College of Southeastern Norway (HSN), Institute for Traditional Arts and Folk Music currently offers college courses on one side of the building and while Raulandsakademiet runs the hostel and summer courses on the other side. Administratively they’re not connected, but they still cooperate with each other in many ways.

Which bring us to the reason I went to visit them! The students started a gardening project supported by HSN and Raulandsakademiet gave them a plot of land!

First impressions

Well, I was told that they were not able to receive me since the staff was working in a farm festival (Dyrsku’n) but, to my surprise, when I got in the place, there was actually no one and my key was in an envelope with my name on it. I love how they trust everyone in Norway!

After that I went to find my room and already realized that Raulandsakademiet seems to be placed in a Fairy Tale scenery. From the dining area you can see these small Norwegian stylish houses, couldn’t be cuter!

I got to relax in this first day, well deserved, after an 8h trip (which was actually incredibly amazing, since the buses are comfortable and the landscape is breathtaking).
The view from my room was another attraction by itself…

(To be continued… )

 

Written by Vanessa Ferreira Costa, revised by Sandra Meglićand and Ingrid Hamberg.

This blogpost is a part of a series of articles written by Vanessa Ferreira Costa and Fernanda Miranda Cunha. They are participants in HI Norway and HI Brazil’s exchange project funded by FK Norway, and are working in Brazil for one year. You can explore the project further here and at the project’s social media channel.