The history of Femundtunet

The history of "Fæmund hotel", now named "Femundtunet":

There were three major events which Mr Engzelius, a merchant of Røros, emphasized when he decided to start the building of "Fæmund hotel" in 1891.

1. The building of the main road between Femundsenden, Drevsjø, Idre and Särna (the 2 latter in Sweden), which was completed just before year1900.

2. The breaking news about the building of the boat "Fæmund", which was launched on lake Femunden in 1897. This boat went beetween Søndervika and Femundsenden (i.e. from the northern to the southern shore of lake Femunden) from 1897 to 1905 when it was replaced by the iron boat "Fæmund II" (This boat is still in duty, between Søndervika and Elgå.)

3. The planning, and later on the execution, of a large timber harvesting project in the area which employed more than 1000 workers for a long period and startet around the turn of the century. 

The hotel was opened just before the tourist season in 1893. The same year Mr Engzelius also opened a store and a post office in the hotel. This store was later moved to Drevsjø and taken over by Erling Gløtvold. In 1906 the post office got the name "Femundsenden Poståpneri" which in 1921 was renamed to "Femundsenden".  The post office was run by the hotel until 1960. In 1968 it was decided that the name should be "2445 Femundsenden". In 1988 the post office was closed.

The boat, bringing goods and vehicles across the lake, and its warehouse was of great importance to the hotel. The boat was in regular service through the summer until the year 1964. Then the regular arrivals stopped because of the completion of the road between Femundsenden and Elgå.  The bridge across Isterfossen and the road between Femundsenden and Røros was opened the same year. A bus route from Idre (in Sweden) was also opened, but it was closed in the 1960's.  ÅEB also opened a bus route from Rena to Femundsenden.

The opening of these roads of course changed the traffic and there was a need for a campingsite which was opened in the middle of the 60's.  The warehouse started to be a base for windsurfing and later on other activities. At present it is used as a pub in the summertime. 

"Fæmund hotel" changed in the middle of 1970's name to Femund fjellstue.  During the years1978-1980 a large expansion was undertaken and the buildings got the shape they have today. The place was renamed in 1980 to Femund Feriesenter, then to Femund Park and just before 1990 it was named Femundtunet, as it is called today. 

As mentioned, it was Engzelis who built and ran the hotel for the first few years. Then he rented it to Hans Erich Erichsson and his wife Martha Lovise Nordstrom. After them Tollef T Galten and wife Helena (born Eidet) took over. 

Guren Audensen Gløtvold and wife Karen (born Snarud) then bought the place in 1906 and ran it until 1938, when a Mr Reichborn took over. He was a big nazi and disappeared after the liberation in 1945.

After the war Sofie Birkeland who married Frederick Brun ran the place for many years - until the middle of the1970's. After Brun there have been a lot of owners. Today the hotel is owned and run by a Trysil located corporation named Sjumilskogen AS in which, Rolf Mobæk owns the major part of the shares.