Sweden’s enduring tradition of cabin life, known locally as stugliv, continues to draw those seeking respite in nature and a connection to simpler living. Particularly popular across Sweden’s forests, lakes, and islands, stugliv is embodied by more than 600,000 summer cottages, or sommarstuga, scattered throughout the country, where families and visitors retreat to unwind during the long summer months.
In the village of Gunnarsbyn, located approximately 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, visitors can experience a unique interpretation of this tradition. Jonas Gejke, leveraging his experience running a camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara, has developed a Floating Safari Camp on Lake Degerselet, accessible by motorboat. The camp features canvas bell tents on a mobile raft, alongside a glass-fronted room for guests seeking a balanced blend of wilderness immersion and comfort. While this setup diverges from the classic red clapperboard Swedish cabin, it embraces the ethos of off-grid living with amenities such as power packs and composting toilets.
During summer, when the sun barely dips below the horizon, guests at the camp can enjoy activities like wood-fired saunas with forest views, bathing outdoors, swimming in pristine water, and paddling on kayaks or paddleboards. In winter, the floating platform is relocated near Gejke’s Aurora Safari Camp, serving as a base for ice swimming and sauna sessions. Gunnarsbyn itself is a quiet community outside the winter season, known for dog sledding, snowshoeing, and aurora borealis viewing.
The area’s cultural life is shaped by diverse residents, including forager Eva Gunnare. Originally from Stockholm and married to a Sami reindeer herder, Gunnare is an expert in indigenous Arctic foods. She offers cooking classes featuring ingredients sourced from the local environment, such as pickled dandelion heads, pinecone jam, and birch sap reductions. Gunnare emphasizes the self-sufficiency of living close to nature, highlighting how much can be grown or gathered locally.
Another local venture, Arctic Retreat, combines rustic timber cottages with upscale amenities and encourages guests to engage with the community. Owner Graeme Richardson promotes encounters with residents like blacksmiths Adam Carlsson and Emilia Malmstrom, who practice traditional iron forging methods in a studio converted from a farmhouse. Since relocating to the area after vocational training, the couple has found fulfilment in remote living and offers workshops for visitors to craft ironwork and enjoy traditional Swedish fika.
The resurgence of interest in rural Swedish life has also spurred extensive restoration projects. One notable example is Forsbergs, a former merchant’s villa and grocery store built in 1908 near Gunnarsbyn. Abandoned since 1934, the property was painstakingly restored by local village priests Mogens Amstrup Jacobsen and Lena Malm using period-appropriate materials and craftsmanship, including original wallpaper and handmade nails. The villa now hosts guided tours and events, preserving a slice of regional history and heritage.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate a vibrant community that blends tradition, nature, and modern sustainability, reinforcing the appeal of Sweden’s cabin culture as a multifaceted leisure and lifestyle choice.