Catch stress-free break if you Scan
Try to contact a Swede, Dane or Norwegian any time between June and August and you’ll be lucky to get a quick response. For Scandinavians, summer’s the time to switch off, focus attention on friends and family, and celebrate the simple pleasures of life.
But rather than racing to foreign climes, most make use of their summerhouse – a holiday home set in the mountains, hidden deep in forests or within skipping distance of the sea. And recently more and more Scandis have been opening the doors of these second homes to foreign visitors, allowing us all to share in their stress-free holiday culture. So why not try one?
What to expect?
Although the summerhouse concept is similar across Scandinavia, each country has its own characteristics.
Norwegians enjoy hyttekos (cabin cosiness) in mountain retreats, seaside huts and remote cottages. Many were built to house fishermen or to provide shelter for workers employed at a “seter” – a Norwegian summer farm set in higher pastures.
Sweden, meanwhile, has a soft spot for coastal clapperboard cottages, built by the upper classes in the 19th century to avoid overcrowded cities. And Denmark? “Traditionally, a Danish summerhouse is a small treehouse offering simple living close to nature,” explains Simon Lind Fischer, a lecturer at the country’s School of Communication and Culture. His summerhouse in fishing village Thorup Strand, on the northwest coast of Jutland, was built by his grandfather in the 1960s.
‘‘Today the size of properties is growing, as owners and guests demand more comforts,” says Simon. “But we also see a countertrend. The simple lifestyle with tiny houses can be seen as luxury for the soul, because it is more stress-free and the limitation of what to do in the house makes life easier and can draw guests closer.”
Where to go?
According to government agency Statistics Sweden, in 2019 there were 607,000 holiday homes in the country. Try the Stockholm archipelago, Skane, the islands of Oland and Gotland, or the west coast and Smaland. In Denmark, there are around 200,000 of which 40% are rented out. Most are located along the coast in Jutland, Djursland and the north coast of Zealand. Islands such as Samso, Fano, Anholt and Bornholm are also popular.
In Norway, 22% of the population own a cabin, used winter and summer. Most are in Oppland and Hedmark, north of Oslo or in southern Norway and Hordaland, in the Bergen region.
MORE INFO
visitsweden.com, visitdenmark.com, visitnorway.com