Gjendebu
Gjendebu is a hut belonging to the Norwegian hiking club DNT , which is located at the western end of Lake Gjendesees in the Jotunheimen National Park at an altitude of 990 m . It was built in 1871, making it the DNT's oldest hut. It is one of the larger huts in Norway .
Gjendebu can be reached via the hiking trails of the DNT and a boat connection over the Gjende. Neighboring huts are Gjendesheim , Memurubu , Olavsbu , Fondsbu , Leirvassbu , Spiterstulen and Torfinnsbu .
From the local mountain Gjendetunga ( 1516 m ) you have a good view of almost the entire Gjende, the Besseggen ridge and many mountain peaks in western Jotunheim.
history
The hut was built in 1871 with a size of 45 m² and 12 beds. Anna and Erik Slålien were the first hosts ( bestyrers ) of the hut.
Her daughter Kaia Gjendine Slålien (1871–1972) is the most famous person who lived in Gjendebu. It is part of the history of Jotunheimen and in particular of Gjendebu. Gjendine spent most of her life in Gjendebu, but also on Skogadalsbøen and Spiterstulen . Edvard Grieg , who visited Gjendebu, got to know her songs, which inspired him to compose numerous compositions. In Grieg's Opus 66 there are numerous motifs from Gjendine's songs. The last piece of this opus is therefore also called Gjendines vuggesang . Gjendine died shortly before her 101st birthday on May 13, 1972. The small hut she lived in in Gjendebu ( Gjendinebu ) has been restored and can be viewed. It gives a good impression of the simple living conditions at that time.
In the meantime (2008) the DNT hut has 119 beds and more than 10,000 overnight stays per year. There are regular cultural events (e.g. exhibitions).
Web links
Coordinates: 61 ° 27 ′ 7.1 ″ N , 8 ° 29 ′ 18.6 ″ E