Timberwork in one of Flatheim’s farm buildings dates to the late 1500s, making it among the oldest surviving farm structures in this stretch of Viksdalen, in Norway’s Vestland region, where the Vallestad family has worked the land for twelve generations. Selma and Jens Vallestad began hosting travelers in 1949, running a small guesthouse and gas station, Hoff Pensjonat, alongside their farming, right as postwar motoring made the Gaularfjellet mountain road a viable route for tourists.
Their granddaughter Heidi, along with her partner Sigurd Årskaug, took over the farm in 2005 and began restoring and relocating older timber buildings from around the property into the guest accommodations that make up Flatheim today, including a listed heritage structure with sections dating to the 16th century. The farm is certified as a Norwegian Ecotourism business, running on solar and geothermal power. A small petrol kiosk built in 1963 for passing motorists has also been carefully preserved on-site.