Find your ‘summer hygge’ in Scandinavia
Experience simple living, family time and wholesome communal feasts in a cabin of your own, says Sarah Marshall
Less is always more in the Scandinavian rule book. From minimalist home furnishings to elegant, understated wardrobes, life is straightforward and free from complication. The same applies to leisure time. Deftly balancing work and play, Scandis take a healthy, wholesome approach to holidays: they switch off, get back to nature and revel in simple pleasures – all the core principles of hygge, the sense of being cosy, in good company and in the moment.
This annual celebration of friluftsliv (open-air living) revolves around the summerhouse – a second home buried deep in the forest, perched on a mountain slope, or set within lapping distance of ocean waves. It’s the epitome of the stripped-back staycation trend that is sweeping through Britain – except the Nordic nations have been fine-tuning it for hundreds of years.
According to Statistics Sweden, 50 per cent of the population has access to a sommarstuga (summerhouse). A similar number of Norwegians embrace hyttekos (cabin cosiness), while 285,000 Danes own a cottage dedicated to the enjoyment of free time.
But a summerhouse is much more than a physical structure; it’s the base for a culture of reconnecting with friends and family in fresh, stress-free settings; for building campfires on empty beaches, dozing beneath the dappled shade of spruce trees, and slicing paddles through a crisp, clear lake beneath the midnight sun. By opening their cabin doors to guests, Scandinavians have given us a chance to share in a holiday tradition that perfectly matches the mood of our times.
THE SUMMERHOUSE STORY Whether it is a simple wooden hut bathed in sunlight or a fisherman’s cottage freshened by briny sea air, a summerhouse serve a purpose: to provide a relaxing space free from the distractions of daily demands.
For generations, families have been using their second home as an escape from city life. Four hundred years ago, the Danish government began giving plots of land to industrial workers from crowded urban areas, encouraging them to grow vegetables and breathe clean air on weekend breaks. In the 19th century, Swedes took a similar approach, constructing waterfront houses in the Stockholm archipelago.
Norwegian cabins, meanwhile, were always built with travellers in mind. Along the coast, they housed fishermen, while mountain refuges provided a roof for hikers traversing valleys or farmers summer grazing their livestock. In the mid-1800s, these simple dwellings became a tourist attraction, leading to a flurry of recreational cabins after the First World War. i Tjorn is one of the thousands of islands that make up Sweden’s western archipelago
An heirloom as precious as a piece of antique jewellery, a summerhouse is passed down through families who cherish nostalgic childhood memories of spending free time in the wilds. Most are made of timber, and some still have an outdoor loo. Vintage Swedish homes are typically painted in Falu red, a colour used since medieval times to make buildings look more expensive.
A steep rise in Scandi spending power has allowed owners to invest in saunas, jacuzzis and designer furnishings, transforming simple homes into architectural masterpieces. But the core values remain the same: immersion in nature and back-to-basics living.
FINDING YOUR PERFECT CABIN, COTTAGE OR COASTAL RETREAT As soon as temperatures rise and days grow longer, families flock to their rural hideaways. But increasingly, owners are choosing to rent their properties to tourists for several weeks of the year, making it possible for everyone to share in the Scandi summerhouse culture. Simon Lind Fischer, an academic who has written several papers on tourism, estimates that 40
per cent of Danish second homes are let during the high season.
Airbnb is an obvious place to start, but there are also local websites worth checking out. In Denmark, Landfolk (landfolk.com) features hand-picked, eye-pleasing properties where architecture and design are the focus, while Sol Og Strand (sologstrand.com) is aimed at those seeking sun and beach.
Most homes are dotted between the dunes and wild, sandy stretches of Jutland or the glacial-carved landscape of Djursland. Islands such as Samso, Fano and Anholt, and foodie favourite Bornholm, are also popular.
Sweden’s archipelagos are equally appealing, with almost 27,000 islands to hop between. Use websites such as sweden-holidays.com or stugknuten. com to find places in Oland and Borgholm, or on small islands around Gothenburg and Stockholm.
In Norway, professional agencies include dancenter.eu and norgesbooking.no, which have cabins in Sorlandet (expect sparkling seas and blue skies), Oppland and Hedmark (for mountains, dense forests and fertile valleys), and the Oslofjord region.
Hikers might also be interested in the 550 cabins offered by the Norwegian Trekking Association (english. dnt.no). Though bear in mind you’ll need to become a member to access some of the properties.
WHAT TO DO?
An authentic summerhouse stay follows no set agenda. The idea is to switch off mobile phones, leave watches on the bedside table and allow days to unravel at an unplanned pace.
Along the Danish coast, hours can be spent strolling on the beach or splashing in the sea. Home to a mini desert, North Jutland has some of Europe’s most dynamic sand dunes, and on a warm, sunny day some stretches can easily rival the Mediterranean – but they attract only a fraction of the crowds.
Seas aren’t the only place for a swim, however. In Sweden, sparkling, clear lakes light up the landscape like a mosaic of mirrors. Row wooden boats between uninhabited islands, immerse yourself in invigoratingly cool water or sprawl across rocks to soak up the sun.
Norway’s forests and mountains, meanwhile, are laced with scenic hiking routes and offer a bounty of wild berries to forage. Long days mean there is never any pressure to rush home, and sunsets can last an eternity.
Celebrations peak on the summer solstice (which falls on June 24 this year), when bonfires are lit and elaborate outdoor feasts prepared. In the past, Swedish women would pick seven flowers to place under their pillows, hoping to dream of a future partner; today, however, wreaths pinned with petals serve no other purpose than to look pretty.