“What a magical place you have created here! From the natural beauty of the land to the wonderful food, it all comes together perfectly.”
– Guests from Dublin, Ireland & Washington DC, USA
The luxury of being lost
On our way down through the forest, along a gravel road that gets narrower and narrower, I jokingly tell my travel companion it feels a bit like being kidnapped. That no one would ever be able to find us here. Eric Borg, who is in charge of the transfer, laughs and says: “You’re almost right. Apart from my colleague Jörgen and myself, not many people can find it. Most apps and maps will take you to the wrong side of the river.”
I laugh back. Relieved. I’m glad I’ll end up on the right side of the river. I’m also glad that I don’t have to worry about this any longer; I can just calmly sit back and enjoy the luxury of being lost. Eric drives and tells us things that make me both curious and interested. Apparently, the northern lights will be visible tonight, at least the forecast is good. As we turn off the road, onto an even smaller dirt track, Eric sends a message to his colleague Jörgen that says “Five more minutes.”
“The feedback in this book says it all, amazing space, superb food, and hospitality and care which is second to none… what makes this setup so special for me, is it allows me to experience this remote freezing existence but still be surrounded in luxury. You don’t get more decadent than that.”
– Guests from New Forest, England
Undiscovered gems
Swedish Lapland has a lot of ‘undiscovered’ gems, of course. In a way, Logger’s Lodge is one of them. But also it isn’t. It’s no wonder that people who live in the area can’t find it; it’s meant to be like that.
– No, we’ve never focused on the local Swedish market, says Eric Borg when we mention it.
– Our focus has always been an international guest. Of course, guests can be Swedish, but we figure we’ll be able to reach them even if we aim for a different market.
So most people who come here arrive from the UK, the US, Hong Kong or Singapore. It’s actually difficult to come up with a more striking contrast: the megalopolis of the world against the forest in Swedish Lapland. But it seems to be a strength rather than a disadvantage. Modern man’s need for silence and tranquillity is evident. At Logger’s Lodge, you’re offered a daily dose of ‘shinrin-yoku’ included in the package. Just sit down outside the lodge, walk down to the river or lower yourself into the jacuzzi with the northern lights dancing above your head, and enjoy the forest.
“As fantastic as the fine food, drinks, sauna, hot tub, etc are, none of that matters as much as the warmth and attention to detail that you provide. We loved every moment.”
– Guests from Dublin, Ireland & Washinton DC, USA
All in
Eric Borg is from Luleå. He used to work as a leadership consultant and dealt with questions related to personal development. Then he chose to train as a Mountain Leader, just because he liked being outdoors. After training, he began working at Treehotel (located near the lodge). He was in charge of the hotel’s airport transfer. He realised that a transfer could be a mere taxi ride from a to b – a transport – or it can be a journey, an experience where the guest is invited to a wonderful reception and surprising stories. Eric soon realised he had a talent for that little extra. So he started Logger’s Lodge together with his colleague Jörgen.
– One day I remembered what an old business advisor had said: “The easiest way of making sure your business model doesn’t work is to not work with it full time”.
– So we went all in here at Logger’s Lodge.
Eric and Jörgen travel a lot to see what they can improve on, continuously, at home. From the amount of food on the plates to how to wash the bath towels. From the espresso machine to the sound system.
– One of the most important things to me is sound. Visitors who come to stay here with us in a timbered forest hut expect to be listening to a crackling fire in the fireplace, not the droning of a refrigerator or a minibar.
It took us several weeks to find a silent refrigerator, but now we have it. Can you hear how nicely the fire crackles?
“What a special place. A one-bedroom hotel (a world record?) of such high design and with perfect execution.”
– Guests from London, England
Stories told around the fire
Logger’s Lodge is an almost square timber building in the middle of the forest down by the water near Harads in the municipality of Boden. The red house lights up the place like a Swedish dream in the sparse forest. The dominant feature inside the lodge is the fireplace in the middle of the room. This used to be a hut with beds along the walls where eight lumberjacks would live in winter as well as in summer, frying pork over an open fire. Eric and Jörgen have modernised it and tidied it up, Scandinavian design in all its glory, and they’ve kept the large fireplace in the centre. For warmth, light and cosiness.
– Of course, people like an open fire. It gives that little extra safety and warmth. That’s how our history has been passed on, as stories around an open fire. We feel at home here.
– But it’s demanding, too, says Eric. You can’t just use any firewood. It has to be completely dry and free from white mould. Otherwise, we can’t use it here.
It’s back to the details. Eric Borg goes to his firewood supplier to choose which bags contain birch wood that’s good enough for him to buy.
“Pure heaven. We cannot thank you enough for introducing us to the wonderful world that inspires you. Eric & Jörgen, you have taken hospitality to a new height!”
– Guests from Florida, USA
Tranquillity in the middle of the forest
During the day we make an excursion to Storforsen Rapids, the largest unregulated rapids in Europe, one hour away. It’s cold and frosty along the paths, but the rapids are beautiful in their quieter winter version. When darkness falls, and after we’ve had coffee and lunch at one of the campsites by the rapids, we return to the lodge.
Five minutes from the house, the guide sends a message. We didn’t notice it, but we understand that’s what must have happened because when we get there the fire is burning and there are a couple of glasses with sparkling Prosecco on the table. Then Eric arrives to greet us and asks if we’d prefer a sauna before or after dinner, and we decide that after dinner would be nice. Dinner is a five-course feast with deep-fried cheese croquettes, vendace roe and almond-potato blinis, a perfect elk filet, cheese from Svedjan with blueberry compote and then a lovely northern classic: cloudberries and home-made vanilla ice-cream. Logger’s Lodge has three different menus – including a vegetarian one – that they alternate. Of course, you can choose. But as far as possible everything is produced locally, sourced from the neighbouring forests.
In the evening, there are no northern lights, but the sky is completely clear and starry. I turn off the jacuzzi sound and lights and just lie there in my own universe, knowing that life should always be like this. Completely immersed in the absence of sound or light or noise. Tranquillity in the middle of the forest.
Learn more
Logger’s Lodge is a private eco-luxury lodge for two, with 5 kilometres of nature separating the cabin from its nearest neighbour. Situated in the middle of the forest with zero light pollution, the lodge’s location is ideal for viewing the northern lights. Visit loggerslodge.com to learn more.
