Hemsedal

Tennis in Hemsedal

Courts resting beneath Nordic light

Winter settles quietly across Hemsedal. Snow softens the valley floor. Cross-country tracks trace deliberate lines through Grøndalen and across Hemsedal. The surrounding slopes form one of Scandinavia’s leading ski destinations, where winter defines the rhythm of the valley.

Here, at Hemsedal Golfklubb, two outdoor tennis courts lie beneath snow. The nets are removed. The painted lines disappear. The surfaces rest under windshaped layers of white. From above, the courts become quiet geometric imprints in the landscape, present even in stillness awaiting spring and the long Scandinavian summer.

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Jotunheimen

"Home of the Giants"

Hemsedalen sits at the threshold of Jotunheimen’s vast plateau landscape. The name Jotunheimen translates directly to “Home of the Giants,” drawn from Old Norse mythology. But unlike the sharply dramatic Central European Alps, Norway’s high mountains feel broader, older and more elemental. The plateaus stretch outward rather than upward. Light feels colder, more horizontal. There is no postcard villages pressed against glaciers. Instead, the Nordic high mountains offer openness, silence and raw terrain shaped by climate and time. Hemsedal is often called “the Scandinavian Alps,” but its character remains distinctly Nordic, expansive rather than ornamental. For travellers searching for tennis in Norway with mountain scenery, this difference matters.

From court to mountain table

The taste of local produce

What completes this tennis experience is what surrounds it. Above the valley stands Harahorn, a timber-built mountain lodge where traditional Norwegian cuisine draws from the highlands game, mountain herbs, berries gathered in late summer. We recommend allowing time here after a match. Wood, stone and candlelight feel like a natural continuation of the terrain outside.

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Across the ridge sits Skarsnuten Hotel & Spa, elevated high above Hemsedal with uninterrupted views toward the surrounding plateaus. From the saunas and outdoor pools you watch light move across granite, mountain and sky. It is a place where recovery and landscape merge.

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The tennis courts at Hemsedal Golfklubb themselves sit fully exposed to the valley, bordered by fairways, river and mountain slopes rising toward the high plateau. In early summer, wildflowers begin to appear along the edges of trails and riverbanks: Buttercups, mountain grasses, low birch forests shifting from pale green to deeper tones as the season matures. Moss softens the rocks. The air carries the scent of water and vegetation.

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By mid-summer, the landscape feels alive yet never crowded. Guests are welcome to play and the two courts can be rented by the hour, with simple on-site booking via QR code at the clubhouse.

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Matches can stretch into long Nordic evenings where daylight lingers close to midnight. The sun lowers slowly behind the ridgelines, casting gold across the court. The air cools gradually. Play feels unhurried, shaped by light and pure nature. For players seeking the best mountain tennis courts in Norway, Hemsedal stands apart.

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So why play tennis in Hemsedal?

Scandinavian mountain tennis

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Tennis in Hemsedal is shaped less by scale and more by landscape. In this Norwegian mountain valley, season and light define the experience as much as the court itself. It can be traced to a few essential elements:

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Nordic mountain character

Set within proximity to Jotunheimen’s high plateau, the courts sit quietly in the valley floor, framed by open ridgelines and shifting skies,  a Nordic contrast to the steeper alpine settings of our Jungfrau region story.

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Seasonal transformation

In summer, play unfolds beneath long northern evenings and expansive horizons in a  a rare nordic mountain experince. In winter, the courts rest beneath snow and muted Nordic light.

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Integrated into local life

Located within the grounds of Hemsedal Golfklubb, the courts are not isolated installations, but part of the everyday rhythm of a mountain community.

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Beyond the baseline

In Hemsedal, the experience extends into the terrain itself. Mountain trails begin just beyond the valley and restaurants take quiet pride in ingredients drawn from the surrounding highlands.

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Photographed and written by The Tennis Travels.

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This particular destination is not included in "The Tennis Travels – Europe", our coffee-table book exploring more than 50 European outdoor courts open to guest play. Further details on the book can be found here.

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