If you’ve ever wanted to disappear into the woods for a while—not run away exactly, just… step aside from the noise—Treetop Ekne in Levanger, Norway, might be your place. It’s not fancy, not in the hotel-lobby sense of the word, but it’s got that quiet kind of magic that sneaks up on you when you least expect it.
The cabin itself is tiny—10 square metres, give or take—but it doesn’t feel small once you’re inside. Maybe it’s the way the forest presses in around it, like it’s been waiting for you. You open the door, and it smells of pine and smoke, that mix of forest air and wood-burning stove that somehow makes your shoulders drop a little. The bed folds out, the loft looks just big enough for a nap or a bit of reading, and the whole place feels like someone built it with care, not for show.
You won’t find marble countertops or a big-screen anything here. What you do get is a wood stove that crackles while you cook dinner on the gas hob, light from solar panels that flickers gently at night, and a terrace that opens straight into the trees. There’s even a hanging net—a kind of suspended hammock where you can just lie there and let the forest talk to you. It’s ridiculous how peaceful that can be.
The bathroom setup is as simple as it gets: a bio-toilet and a washbasin that somehow feel perfectly right for this place. You wash your hands while a bird calls somewhere nearby, and it’s enough. It’s funny how quickly you adjust—how normal quiet can become.
The couple who run it live just down the path, on their small farm. They’re the kind of people who make you feel at home without really doing much—just a nod, a smile, maybe a bit of conversation about the weather or how still the forest’s been lately. They talk about balance, slowing down, taking time to breathe. And you believe them, because here, it actually makes sense.
If you drive an hour from Trondheim, you’ll find this spot tucked away near Ekne, close to Byavatnet Lake. You can fish for trout, paddle a kayak, or, if you’re lucky, catch the Northern Lights shimmering over the spruce. But honestly? Doing nothing here feels like enough.
Treetop Ekne isn’t about escape so much as return—a small wooden pause button in the middle of the forest. You come here to remember what quiet sounds like, and if you listen closely, maybe even what you sound like, too.
