Oldedalen is the valley that leads to Briksdalsbreen — the most visited arm of the Jostedalsbreen glacier, the largest glacier on the European mainland. At the head of the valley, where the road ends and the glacier begins to make its presence truly felt, Melkevoll Bretun Camping has been welcoming hikers, families, and nature lovers for decades. Their wood-fired sauna is something genuinely special: not a spa, not a boutique experience, but a proper Norwegian outdoor sauna in one of the most extraordinary natural settings in the country.
Sauna at the Foot of a Glacier
The setting alone earns Melkevoll Bretun a place on any serious list of Norwegian sauna experiences. The glacier descends dramatically into the valley, fed by the vast ice plateau of Jostedalsbreen above, and the meltwater runs cold and clear down through the landscape. The cold plunge here is not a chlorinated tank — it is glacial runoff, at temperatures that focus the mind with remarkable efficiency. The wood-fired sauna cabin itself is straightforward and honest: hot stones, wooden benches, the smell of burning birch, and through the window, a view that most people in the world will never see.
Family-Friendly and Accessible
Melkevoll Bretun’s budget pricing and family-friendly atmosphere make this the most accessible sauna in our western Norway collection — and arguably one of the best value sauna experiences in the country. Children are welcome, the facilities are well-maintained within their simple format, and the campsite’s cafe and kitchen facilities mean guests can make a full day of it: hike to the glacier in the morning, cook over a fire in the afternoon, and end the day in the sauna.
The Glacier Day Trip
Most visitors combine the sauna with a walk to Briksdalsbreen itself — a route of around 5 kilometres return from the campsite car park, passing waterfalls and glacier-carved rock formations on the way to the blue-green ice wall. Guided tours are available seasonally. The combination of a glacial hike and an evening wood-fired sauna may be the single best day-activity pairing in all of western Norway.
