200 years later, they still find their way home

When Gudbrandsdalen travelled to America

When I stand on the veranda of the hotel, and look out at the quiet beauty and tranquillity the beautiful mountains give me, I feel a kind of gratitude for everything we have in our lives. How lucky we are! Living with food in abundance, clothing, warmth and security has not always been a matter of course in Gudbrandsdalen!

This year, we are marking the 200th anniversary of the first organised emigration from Norway to America. But the story of emigration is not just about large ships and long journeys. It's about people. About families from Gudbrandsdalen, from Skåbu and small villages around us who packed up their lives and headed into the unknown. I can't even imagine how scary it must have been!

In the 1800s, life was hard for many. There was not enough land and work, and the future could feel limited. America became a source of hope for something more: our own land, work, freedom and the opportunity to build a new life. The letters sent home told of new opportunities and inspired more and more people to follow suit.

But emigration was also about deprivation. About parents who stayed behind. About siblings who never met again. About letters that were read over and over again around kitchen tables at home in the valley.

And perhaps that is why it is so touching when we today receive a lot of visits to the hotel by guests from the United States who come here to look for their roots. Many stand here with old photos, family names or stories they have heard through generations. Some are looking for the farm their great-grandparents grew up on. Others just want to see the landscape their family once called home.

In May, we had a visit from a lovely family from the United States in search of their roots here in Skåbu and Gudbrandsdalen. You can read a short excerpt of Sally's review / story on Google below:

“… I can't say enough about the staff and owners. Everyone was so welcoming and conversational with all of our American exuberance and questions. Henrik went above and beyond helping us figure out our exact family farmsteads by contacting the local people who could help. They even put us in touch with the staff at the church, so we were able to enter where my 3rd Great Grandparents were married before crossing to the US. Just amazing and we never would have found all of these places without them. My 86-year-old mother was so touched to be able to visit these sites as was I. Hiking nearby was also just what we were looking for. Can't wait to get back to Skabu Fjellhotell!"

The story of emigration is also a tale of courageous people. About hope that was stronger than fear. And maybe that's why so many people still recognise themselves in it today.

From Gudbrandsdalen to America, emigration was about longing, courage, hope, love and faith in the future. About the people who dared to make a journey into the unknown and about those they left behind.

200 years later, these stories still resonate!