Tofte: A Ridge and Sanatorium History

Tofte lies on a ridge that drops steeply on three sides and rises towards the mountains on the fourth. The village is quiet, sunny and particularly dry; fertile soil and lush forests define the surroundings, along with views over nearby settlements. This gives your travel plans a clear landscape focus: Tofte combines an elevated, peaceful setting with views of forests and neighbouring settlements. When looking for a holiday apartment, consider whether this quiet ridge landscape suits the kind of holiday you have in mind.

Tofte’s Sanatorium History

Tofte’s history is closely linked to the sanatoriums established by Johan Sørensen. Because he suffered from asthma himself, Sørensen built a sanatorium in Tofte, as well as a mountain lodge in Toftesetergrenda and another sanatorium on Lauvåsen. Later, he ran sanatoriums for asthma sufferers and convalescents in Sør-Fron, including in Tofte and on Lauvåsen. The Tofte Høilidshotell, also known as Tofte Høilidssanatorium, no longer exists: it burned to the ground. Alongside its elevated setting, Tofte’s sanatorium history tells of the village’s past as a place for health and recuperation.

Historic Routes and Winter Scenes

From Tofte, the road continued uphill into the high mountains and through them to the Lauvåsen high-mountain guesthouse. If you plan to travel along this mountain route, check the current road and access conditions beforehand. The Grossererveien, also called Sørensenvegen, is a historic hiking route between Tofte and Lauvåsen; it connected the two sanatoriums. Before setting out on a hike, check the current route and access conditions.

Winter activities are also part of the village’s recorded history. Historical advertisements promoted Tofte as a winter sanatorium and mentioned skiing, tobogganing and sleigh rides through slopes, terrain and mountain plateaus. Together with the history of mountain lodges and sanatoriums, this illustrates the village’s past connection with the mountains in different seasons.

More experiences in the wider Sør-Fron area

The wider Sør-Fron destination also offers distinct cultural and recreational activities. Peer Gynt has been performed at Gålåvatnet in Sør-Fron since 1989.

Fron Badeland in Harpefoss, Sør-Fron, has a 25-metre swimming pool, a 12.5-metre therapy pool, a diving pool, a climbing wall, children’s pools and a 48-metre water slide. If you are planning a trip with children, the children’s pools and slide in particular give you specific things to consider when choosing possible day trips. This offers a different travel focus from Tofte’s ridge landscape and local history.

There are more hiking options in the wider Sør-Fron area, too: Pilegrimsleia runs from Frya to Skar through the entire municipality and is well marked. The trail network from valley to mountain makes it possible to hike from Harpefoss to Gålå or Sulsetra. These routes offer a regional perspective on Sør-Fron, while Grossererveien and the former road link connect Tofte’s history with Lauvåsen.

Choose accommodation to suit your trip

When choosing accommodation, it is worth distinguishing between Tofte’s specific local character and the additional destinations across Sør-Fron. First, decide whether you want to focus on the ridge, the sanatorium history and historic mountain connections, or whether you also want to include cultural events, swimming facilities and hiking trails in Sør-Fron.

Discover more destinations: Gålå, Harpefoss, Sør-Fron, Hundorp.

Go to the wider travel overview: Sør-Fron.