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The Nordic Nomad

Sweden

Cabincore: the top 8 remote cottages and cabins in Sweden

The Nordics • Stay • Cabincore: the top 8 remote cottages and cabins in Sweden

Cabins and cottages in Sweden: unveil a world of remote adventure

Across Sweden’s scattered landskap, a new wave of retreats is pushing the cabin ideal somewhere sharper. In the regions of Hälsingland, Västergötland, Bohuslän, Gotland and beyond, these aren’t your quaint red cottages. They’re blackened boxes on stilts, treehouses that hover, glass-fronted shelters facing the void. Some come with oyster knives, others with saunas at the end of a mossy trail. There’s no reception desk, no lobby playlist – just architecture, weather and whatever you’ve brought to cook. The aesthetic is spare, the point is stillness. And the feeling? Like you’ve dropped out of the grid and into something far older.

Overview: Sweden’s top cottage and cabin stays

01 Arctic Bath

02 Treehotel

03 Bergaliv

04 Landet

05 Vipp Shelter

06 Ostrongården

07 Trakt Forest Hotel

08 Maven

What is ‘cabincore’ and why does the Nordic region do it so well?

‘Cabincore‘ is a lifestyle and design aesthetic that celebrates the cosy and nature-inspired elements of cabin living. This trend is deeply rooted in the appreciation of simplicity, natural materials and a harmonious blend with the surrounding environment. The essence of cabincore is to create a warm, inviting space that feels like a retreat from the modern world, often featuring elements such as exposed wood, warm textiles and earthy colours. It‘s about embracing a slower pace of life, where moments are savoured and there‘s a strong connection to the natural world.

The Nordic region excels in embodying the cabincore aesthetic due to several reasons. Firstly, the Nordic countries are renowned for their breathtaking natural landscapes, which provide the perfect backdrop for cabin-style living. With vast forests, serene lakes and rugged coastlines, these environments inspire the cabincore ethos of living in harmony with nature.

Additionally, the Nordic cultural emphasis on hygge – a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of cosiness and comfortable conviviality – aligns perfectly with the cabincore philosophy. This combination of stunning natural settings, cultural values that prioritise cosiness and simplicity, and a skilful blending of functionality with aesthetics, makes the Nordic region particularly adept at capturing the essence of cabincore.

Photography courtesy of Arctic Bath

Arctic Bath

It’s hard to say what’s more surreal at Arctic Bath in Harads – the floating log-ringed spa drifting on the Lule River in summer, or the same structure frozen into the ice come winter. Designed by architects Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi, this circular open-air bathhouse pays tribute to the river’s log-driving past, now reimagined for stillness and immersion. Guests choose between sleek cabins suspended over water or anchored on land – all outfitted with pellet stoves, spa bars and a sense of solitude. A cold plunge anchors the spa, flanked by saunas and a treatment room. Come for the architecture, stay for moose safaris, husky rides and Sámi stories told by fire.

Read the full article on Arctic Bath.

Arctic Bath
Ramdalsvägen 10
Harads
Sweden

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Photography courtesy of Arctic Bath

Treehotel

If you’re looking for a unique and eco-friendly vacation experience, consider staying at Treehotel in Harads, Sweden. The hotel features a series of cabins that are suspended high in the trees of a pine forest. Each cabin has been designed to blend in with the surrounding environment and offer a comfortable and stylish place to stay. You’ll have a range of cabin options to choose from, including some that look like birds’ nests and others that resemble tiny houses or spaceships. The treehouses were designed by a range of architects and design firms, including Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, Snøhetta, Bertil Harström and Mikael Genberg, with the latest addition being a wondrous creation by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. Each cabin has its own unique design, inspired by the surrounding natural environment and the creative vision of the architects and designers who worked on it.

Read the full article on Treehotel.

Treehotel
Edeforsvägen 2A
Harads
Sweden

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Photography courtesy of Treehotel

Bergaliv

Bergaliv doesn’t whisper serenity – it strips everything back until there’s nothing left to distract you from it. High in the birch-studded slopes of Åsberget in Hälsingland, this design-driven retreat offers two pared-down escapes: the angular South Loft, and the more ascetic Loft House, perched higher up the mountain like a thought held in suspension. There’s no shower, no fuss – just linen-clad futons, a breakfast box from the valley below, and silence thick enough to touch. Days drift between mossy trails and slow meals; nights wrap around the pellet stove. After checkout, the spa at Orbaden waits with saunas and saltwater soaks – a soft landing after such rarefied air.

Bergaliv
Vallstabyn 1940
Vallsta
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Bergaliv

Landet

The innovative retreat Landet is located outside the town of Trosa, within a 400-hectare nature reserve, offering a unique escape less than an hour from Stockholm. Founded on the principles of sustainable and climate-smart design, this project is the brainchild of Umberto Garabello and Ted Wachtmeister, who enlisted Swedish architect Andreas Martin-Löf and London-based interior designer Tobias Vernon of 8 Holland Street. Together, they have created eco-friendly cabins that blend seamlessly with their surroundings, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, luxurious interiors and exteriors that respect the environment. Each cabin, almost 40 square meters in size, accommodates 2 to 4 guests, with amenities like high-tech necessities, a fireplace and a well-equipped kitchen. Guests can enjoy outdoor activities, local food delivery boxes, and the nearby town of Trosa’s culinary offerings.

Landet
Grönsö
Västerljung
Sweden

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Photography courtesy of Landet

Vipp Shelter

Down a narrow forest road in Skåne, the headlights catch wet leaves and low-hanging branches. It’s pitch black. Then suddenly, it’s there – a black box on stilts, still and self-contained by the lake: Vipp Shelter. Created by Danish design brand Vipp – best known for its iconic pedal bins – the Shelter marked its unexpected entry into hospitality. One of several one-of-a-kind retreats now scattered across the Nordics and beyond, it offers a stripped-back experience of nature through architecture. Inside, it’s all matte black steel, soft linen and glass. No screens. No clutter. Just firelight, silence and the sharp pleasure of seeing good design do exactly what it’s meant to.

Vipp Shelter
Gyvik
Immeln
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Vipp Shelter

Ostrongården

Lotta Klemming is Sweden’s first female oyster diver, supplying hand-picked oysters to top Nordic restaurants. In 2025, she opened Ostrongården – a private guesthouse beside the Tjurpannan nature reserve in Bohuslän. Named after her family’s oyster operation, the retreat includes a main house with two double bedrooms, a fireplace lounge and a stainless steel restaurant kitchen, plus a smaller guesthouse. Beds are by Aya of Sweden, and the design, by Fabel Arkitektur, mirrors the surrounding landscape – sparse, coastal and practical. Guests can self-cater, order dinner kits or hire a private chef. Breakfast is optional. Oysters are often served the same day they’re harvested – usually by Klemming herself, just down the shoreline.

Ostrongården
Grebbestad
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Ostrongården

Trakt Forest Hotel

Deep in the forest outside Holsbybrunn, five wooden suites stand quietly on pillars, surrounded by pine and stillness. This is Trakt Forest Hotel – a small, deliberate retreat designed by Gert Wingårdh, one of Sweden’s most celebrated architects. Each 31-square-metre suite is built by hand, insulated with wood wool and perched to minimise impact on the forest floor. Inside: a king bed, fireplace, shower and enough silence to hear the trees shift. Breakfast is delivered each morning. A short walk leads to a lakeside sauna. At Trakt Kitchen, housed in a traditional log building, meals are slow and local – smoked meats, sourdough, and produce pulled from the surrounding land.

Read the full article on Trakt Forest Hotel.

Trakt Forest Hotel
Sällehägnad 6
Holsbybrun
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Trakt Forest Hotel

Maven

Spread out like mushrooms in a Gotland forest glade are Maven’s 14 cottages, each with their own look and size. There is no official reception, but rest assured your temporary neighbours will be there to welcome you with open arms. Maven is all about community and the meeting of minds. There is a communal ‘bath room’ area with a fire-heated sauna and a hot tub, and ‘the studio’ is a space for impromptu get-togethers and joint meals.