Inside Sweden’s luxury getaway lodge

Gentleman’s Journal visit Åre for some R&R

Four hundred miles north of Stockholm, and nestled comfortably against the Norwegian border, sits Jämtland County. Remote, steeped in snow and languishing at a coat-buttoningly brisk -6 degrees, the white-out roads of northern Sweden are quiet. That is, until Gentleman’s Journal arrives.

Throwing fine powder into the air as we tear along the tree-lined roads, two of the team have uprooted for from busy London to visit Sweden’s £1.2million getaway lodge – a rural and renovated house freshly opened for stressed city workers to book into for a brief, but effective escape.

Alongside me sits Joe, the Creative Director of Gentleman’s Journal, whose shutter finger is twitching at his camera as we peel past picturesque frozen lakes and craggy mountainscapes.

So, if you’re feeling snowed under at work, and want to swap towering office blocks for towering pines, then it may be time to cool off by booking this very Scandinavian getaway – an exclusive opportunity offered only during the month of March, and organised through a partnership between Tablet Hotels and Volvo Cars. Trust us, it’s worth it.

The lodge itself is a refreshing blend of modern and traditional. The vast windows are glazed and insulated to within an inch of their lives but, whilst the bed may have its own remote control to adjust support and softness, that’s the only one you’ll find in the house – as there is no television.

Instead, the wooden-walled lodge is filled to its exposed rafters with herbal teas and coffee table books – for quiet contemplation, and several large sheepskin chairs on which to enjoy them. The aim of the game is tranquility – this is an escape, miles from civilisation, noise, and your everyday life.

There are few days left to book in March, but the idea may be coming back. Not for a while however, and not in the same lodge, as the owner is moving back in come April. We, for one, are jealous.

The lodge is equipped with snow boots, warm winter clothes, and ski gear – which can be thrown into the back of the Volvo V90 Cross Country you’ll pick up from Östersund Airport and take to any number of the nearby ski resorts.

Relaxation is compulsory in the Copperhill Mountain Lodge, where live music and local beer flow as freely as one another, and Premiership footballers’ villas sit close by. Or Reindeer Mountain, which offers a a more sedate skiing experience, where you can also dabble in the cross country discipline.

As we drive around, and the fine snow falls, we see trekkers braving the cold and daredevils shooting across the vast frozen lakes on snowmobiles – available to hire from the small villages sprinkled across the county.

We stuck with the car. Your ride for the duration of the stay, the new V90 CC is ready for anything. Even as we blast down the icy roads, the car shows no signs of letting go, and never fails to hit a nice smooth line around any corner we throw it around. Instead, it grips with all the ferocity you need – zipping past its thirty-year old cousins still puttering about the winding roads.

The heated steering wheel is a nice touch too, especially when nights fall into the minus double figures.

And it’s a good thing that the Scandinavian carmaker have come up with such a versatile and capable car, as the best views and sights are those a little harder to find. Take Tannforsen, the largest – and most beautiful – waterfall in Sweden.

We spent time a considerable amount of time taking photographs of Tannforsen, trying to do the magnificent frozen waterfall justice. We managed, of course, but only after a great deal of gaping at the sight – one of the most impressive we’ve ever seen, and a landscape unequivocally worthy of a revisit.

But, other than the roaring rush of the water, this is silent country. The lodge sits in the quiet, and the snow falls without commotion or problem – if you have the right wheels to deal with it. This is an unparalleled escape, a getaway without compare, and one of the most relaxing night’s sleep you will ever experience.

And that’s exactly the point. A fridge stocked with non-alcoholic beer and books on mindfulness ensure you relax in exactly the right way – letting loose, whilst still refuelling for your imminent return to the city. WiFi is on site – this isn’t a tech-free haven. But, if you need to escape for a few days from your job, then it probably isn’t a post you can be away from entirely.

Instead, there is a balance. A Bluetooth speaker sits in the kitchen, but you’d feel inappropriate cuing up anything too upbeat or frantic on it. Similarly, the car has the capabilities for great fun, but you’ll end up using the gadgets and tech simply to feel safe in the great white snow.

So, if you’re longing for the quiet, for a day or two without distractions, then this is the place for you. There is nowhere as remote but calming as rural Sweden – and no better time to go.

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