There’s something primal about waking to no alert tones, only birdcalls and pine wind. Naturbyn, tucked among spruces and pines on Lake Eldan in Sweden’s Värmland region, feels like one of those places you half-hope doesn’t go viral. It started modestly — one log cabin on an inherited land — built by Thomas Peterson for family solitude. Over time, though, the vision grew: cabins on land, on water, and yes, up in the trees. All gentle, all deliberately wild.
“Nature village” is hardly hyperbole. The ethos here is rooted in simple reconnection. Yet, “simple” isn’t the same as “spartan.” There’s a wood‑heated hot tub (that steams in moonlight), a sauna, and communal areas built for gathering over fires. The treehouses, though, are the real draw. Raised 5 to 10 meters off the ground, they swish and sway. They’re built carefully — framed to honor the tree, not injure it.
The two main aerial homes are Sehr Schjönn (10 m high) and Cuckoo’s Nest (5 m). Each is cozy for two, with large windows, private terraces, handcrafted wood furnishings, candles, paraffin lamps, and a wood stove. You step inside and it feels like you’ve inhabited a dream that smells of forest, stone, and simmering tea. The slow crackle of flame, the sloshing of lake water — these become your soundtrack.
From your window or terrace, you’ll see the lake spread out like a mirror, forests folding in at the edges, clouds drifting in the distance. The air is cold in morning, rich and soft by noon. You might thaw by the fire, wander the woods, paddle quietly on the lake, then return to steam in the sauna, dip in the hot tub under stars.
It’s not meant for crowds. These treehouses are romantic retreats, quiet escapes. You won’t find twenty people—or Wi-Fi, for that matter—around the hearth. Instead, maybe a flicker of lantern light or the silhouette of a deer at dawn. Sometimes you’ll feel the structure murmur in wind, and that voice feels more alive than any drone.
Rates begin at about €190 per night (seasonal shifts apply). Is it cheap? Probably not if you’re used to hotels. But compared to the kind of memory you get, I think it leans generous. Because staying here isn’t just about resting. It’s about remembering how to still your thoughts, lean into quiet, and surprise yourself by liking the dark, the woods, the slow.
If you go — leave your schedule at the edge of the forest. Take the boardwalk. Light a lamp. Sit by the window with a mug. Let branches whisper above you. Let nature notice you stayed. And may you leave a little softer than when you arrived.
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