With no electricity or running water, a stay at Kolarbyn Eco-Lodge is not for the faint of heart – but for the unshrinking traveller, nature’s rewards are plentiful. A couple of hours from Stockholm, a dozen charcoal huts are hidden deep in the enchanting spruce forest of Skinnskatteberg, with inflatable mattresses, sheepskin rugs, a fireplace and little else inside. Charcoal has been produced in kilns for centuries here to extract iron, and Kolarbyn is determined to keep the tradition alive. As birds wake guests with their song, a dip to wash in the lake and the prospect of building a fire to cook and make hot drinks awaits. There is no kitchen, instead a shed full of groceries and utensils.
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Exciting overnight safaris focus on finding beavers or moose and listening to wolves that howl as the moon rises. For the truly intrepid, a three-day survival course involves finding food, water and building your own bivouac.
Suitable for:
- Adventurers and explorers
- An escape to the outdoors
- Independently-minded travellers
Things to do at the property:
- Pick berries for breakfast from your roof
- Chop wood to make open fires for cooking
- Follow wolf tracks deep into the forest
- Relax in the floating sauna on Lake Skärsjön
- In winter, brave the ice hole sauna
Things to do nearby:
- Swim or canoe across Lake Skärsjön
- Ride or walk through the Bergslagen forests
- Fish for pike, perch and rainbowfish
- In winter, snowshoe and ski
- Walk deserted trails, at one with nature
- Spot the forest’s deer, owls, lynx and cranes
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