Classic Norway Hotels
As tourists began traveling over Krokskogen, the need for hospitality and accommodation grew. Historically, there were coaching inns at Øvre Jonsrud in Lommedalen, at Midtskogen on Krokskogen, and at Sundvollen by Tyrifjorden. Øvre Jonsrud had also served as an inn. Kleivstua was converted from a mountain pasture to a coaching station around 1807, coinciding with the rerouting of the road down Sørkleiva. Situated beautifully at the top of Sørkleiva, Kleivstua continued as a tourist hotel after the completion of the road over Sollihøgda around 1860, rendering the coaching station at Øvre Jonsrud redundant and subsequently closed.
For travelers with horses and cargo navigating up or down the slope, a stop at Kleivstua was natural. Horses rested and were fed, and cargo might need better securing. Perhaps a load was too heavy for the horse and had to be transported in two trips. Around 1820, it is noted that the man at Kleivstua had a duty to assists travelers down the slope.
Kleivstua gradually became a well-known and popular tourist destination, expanding its offerings. Tourists could hire guides to visit Kongens and Dronningens utsikter. Large and modern buildings were eventually constructed, capable of accommodating almost 100 overnight guests. Because Krokkleiva became a renowned tourist destination, Kleivstua was also visited by many famous individuals. In 1833, Adam Oehlenschläger stayed at Kleivstua with Paul Kleven, and he commented that it was not one of the best accommodations.
In Skilling-Magazin from 1863, there is a description of a trip to Ringerike: At Kleivstua, horses rest, and the traveler enters the friendly house where King Karl Johan’s signature is still visible on the wall after his visit. The traveler is shown the site of an unfinished house on Kleivstua, which the renowned violinist Peter Bull had planned to build as a hotel. However, it went wrong with the music, and only the initial logs were laid. One orders some food while the horses descend the slope to Sundvollen. There is then enough time to visit Kongens utsikt. With a guide obtained at Kleivstua, one ventures through the dense spruce forest until arriving at the location. Here, a scaffold is erected, providing a breathtaking view of the entire smiling Ringerike with Gausta and Norefjell in the background. Tourists then leisurely descended the slope to Sundvollen. From there, they could either walk to Norderhov or travel by boat up Steinsfjorden.
The story of the renowned violinist, Peter Bull, piques our curiosity. Who was he? In Morgenbladet (15.9.1849), there is mention of violin virtuosos Ole Bull, Peter Bull, and Georg Rostad touring Scandinavia with their arrangements of Norwegian folk tunes on the program. In 1850, Peter Bull held a concert in Hamar and had invited attendees to a two-hour dance after the concert. However, the audience left the hall after the concert because the social elite of the time did not attend concerts for a dance but “to be edified by the nobler pleasure of hearing the tones the concert giver had to extract from his instrument” (Hamars Budstikke 31.12.1850). Perhaps this was one of the reasons why “it went so wrong with the music” and consequently the hotel at Kleivstua.