The Nordic Eco Hotels Guide

Woodnest, Odda Treehouse, Norway

Norway is all about the fjords, and one of the most magical ways to experience them is to check into one of these four treehouses, high up in the woods, overlooking Hardanger Fjord and the mountains beyond. Picture giant birds’ nests and you’ll get the idea: the treehouses’ curved back, floor and roof sections made of overlapping, natural wood shingles, fashioned to resemble a pine cone,  and at the front, a 180-degree window maximising views over the deep blue waters of the fjord, which, at 111 miles from the ocean, is the second longest in the country.

With an award-winning design by Norwegian architects, Helen & Hard, using timber ribs, the two Originals are 150 square feet, nearly 20 feet above the forest floor, and could squeeze in four adults – at a pinch. Two more nests were added later, the Mountaintops, sleeping only two, each with a hand-made wooden bathtub and a double bed that is winched up to the ceiling by day to create more living space. You can order breakfast, or buy food supplies in Odda, and cooking basics are provided.

Each nest has underfloor heating, a tiny kitchen, a shower or bath, and even wifi, and they are set far apart for complete privacy. Even the exact location is kept secret until you book. And to up the sense of being lost in the woods, it is a 15-30-minute hike up rocky steps and steel ladders, and along a steep hillside path to get to your nest, so pack light. And when you are ready to explore, the Hardanger area, home to Norway’s southernmost glacier, is gorgeous: all mountains, cascading waterfalls,  cherry and apple orchards (try the cider), and little villages of old wooden houses,  some with traditional turf roofs.

Eco credentials:

Built with minimum impact to the environment, as each tree supports the whole structure, so there is no damage to the forest floor. Local materials were used in construction and interiors are furnished with local products.

From £243, room only.

Kuru Resort, Finland

Never experienced the Midnight Sun? Then head to Finland for almost 24-hour daylight in the summer months – perhaps not great for insomniacs but magical for the rest of us. Near the wild and wonderful Linnansaari National Park, in the heart of the Finnish Lake District, which is home to hundreds of little islands, lake seals and ospreys, Kuru’s chic brand of off-grid living is the last word in wilderness luxury. On the peaceful shores of serene Lake Saimaa, the 20 thermal-heated private villas, and 12 two-storey Lake Suites (overlooking the smaller, neighbouring Lake Hietalampi), each with a private spa and sauna, are scattered over a pine- forested hillside.

Have breakfast delivered to your villa, dine in Solitary restaurant on exquisite, farm-to table Nordic dishes with a Gallic twist (courtesy of French chef Remi Tremouille), make the most of the (optional) digital detox and spend the days seal-spotting (best in May or June), kayaking, lake swimming, or just absorbing nature at its most magnificent through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of your lake-view hideaway.

Eco Credentials:

Part of Business Finland’s Sustainable Travel Finland Programme, Kuru uses geothermal energy to heat the main building, and the villas are run on 100% renewable energy. They use eco cleaning products, recycle all waste, and the restaurant dishes are made from locally sourced, including foraged, ingredients. Green living roofs on the main building and the villas retain heat in winter and are cooling in summer, and staff are trained in environmental practices to help preserve the biodiversity of the area.

From £248, room only

Salt & Sill, Kladesholmen, Sweden

One hour’s scenic drive north from Gothenburg takes you to the island of Kladesholmen, one of the 8000 rocky or forested islands that make up the Bohuslan archipelago, that stretches 174 miles from Sweden’s second city to Norway, in the wilds of west Sweden.

Here you’ll find this floating hotel, in the dinky herring-fishing hamlet of Kladesholmen. Twenty-two rooms in double-storey, cubic houses, neat as a ship’s cabin,  are built on pontoons bobbing on the sea. If you are a wild swimmer,  just open your door and plunge straight from the jetty into the clear, chilly water, before warming up in the world’s largest boat sauna. In summer, eat out on the terrace of the restaurant where they have baked beetroot, local cheeses and a zillion ways with the local herring (adding sour cream and onions is especially delicious), and order a glass of glogg (mulled wine) to watch the sunset from the rooftop deck.

Eco credentials:

Being built on pontoons floating on the sea means they can harness the power of the underwater currents for energy. They ferment vegetables to prolong their life, they use local produce where possible.  Room interiors use eco -friendly furnishings, some made from recycled wood from old boats, and bedding is organic.  Most of the fish served there comes from local fishermen, and herring, a major feature of the menu,  is one of the most climate-friendly fish.   Staff shirts and pullovers are Fair Trade and organic.

Doubles from £105, B&B

Glashytterne, Denmark

On the southern Danish island of Lolland, this stylish luxury ‘hut’ is the closest thing to sleeping under the stars while still indoors. It has walls and half the roof made of glass, so you can enjoy the Milky Way from the comfort of your custom-made bed, and with virtually no light pollution here, the stargazing is spectacular.  It may look like a greenhouse from the outside but inside you will find a swish tiled bathroom, a small kitchenette/living space, and wall blinds in case you don’t want the local wildlife peeking in.

Outside you have a private hot tub and deck, with views over the rapeseed fields, flowering flamboyant yellow in April and May. Breakfast is delivered to your hut, an all-organic feast of  local eggs, skyr, granola, bread, cheese and juice, and for lunch or dinner there are two good restaurants within 20 minutes, Onsevig and Thorlin. Rent bikes for the 20 minute ride to the village of Kragenæs to see the Dodekalitten, an installation created by Thomas Kadziola, with music by Wayne Siegels, or take the little ferry to the pretty  island of Fejø. And as Lolland is known as the Pantry of Denmark, with the most fertile soil in the country, make sure you try the local apples, pears, strawberries, beets and honey.

Eco credentials:

The whole island of Lolland is dedicated to sustainability, and aims to be a major clean energy and industry hub between Scandinavia and Europe. Renewable energy is created from wind and solar, which produces eight times more than the island needs.  All the residents, including the Glass Hut, use this clean energy.

The Glass Hut owners use environmentally sustainable products for cleaning, for the hot tub and the sewage system. They own four hectares of the nearby forest where they have recently planted 300 oak trees and 50 chestnut trees, and there is an EV charging point to encourage people to drive electric. Food served is locally sourced, and they recycle all waste. It is important for them to contribute to and raise awareness about the environment, partly by bringing guests closer to nature.

From £400, B&B

Klapphagen Boutique B&B, Sydkoster, Koster Islands, Sweden

A two-and-a-half-hour scenic train ride north up the coast from Gothenburg will drop you at Stromstad, from where you hop on the ferry to the beautifully unspoilt and virtually car-free Nordkoster and Sydkoster islands, both part of a nature reserve.  On Sydkoster (south Koster, only three square miles and a population of 270), two chefs, Johan Skold and Martin Nilsson bought an old, run-down farmhouse, and rebuilt it as a guest house, with six self-catering suites (two bedrooms, kitchenette, living room), all done in rich jewel colours and dark floral wallpaper, and each with its own terrace and barbecue.

Onsite there is a glamping tent, a micro-brewery, a buzzy restaurant where they cook over an open fire, and a delicious breakfast – homemade sourdough, local cheese, meats and eggs –  is delivered, in a basket, to your door. The forested island is fairly flat, so spend the days cycling around, swimming in the clear but bracing water at Kilesand beach, hiking the trails that crisscross the island, and checking out the seal colonies, guillemots and terns.

Eco credentials:

From the outset they aimed to be as sustainable as possible, reusing as much as possible from the original farmhouse, with the restaurant walls made from the old bricks.  Food for the restaurant is sourced locally, with fish and shellfish from local fishermen, and vegetables from their own garden or local organic farms. They collect rainwater and use water from their fish-pond to irrigate their crops.

Suites from £238, B&B

Haltia Lake Lodge, Finland

This immersive forest experience is just 30 minutes north west from Helsinki, a ‘nature boutique hotel’ with 20 cosy rooms and five luxury glamping cabins with large, curved wooden frames covered by canvas, and small balconies. Overlooking Pitkajarvi Lake, it is in the heart of the Nuuksio National park – 20 square miles of lakes and ponds, valleys and ravines, and pine and spruce forests, where you might spot deer and flying squirrels, and where you can forage for bilberries, lingonberries and mushrooms along 20 miles of maintained hiking trails.

The only boutique hotel in the park, the lodge’s rooms and glamping suites are done out in Japandi style – all muted colours, minimal, unfussy interiors and natural materials, with leather butterfly chairs and soft grey blankets. It is all about the Great Outdoors here, so sign up for mountain biking, kayaking, guided foraging trips, abseiling, yoga and evening lake swims, returning for a restorative sauna in the lodge.

Eco credentials:

Awarded the Best Sustainable Hotel Award by the Boutique Hotel Awards, Green Key Certified, and part of Sustainable Travel Finland, and the Hotels for Trees Foundation (one new tree is planted each time a guest skips the daily room cleaning), the lodge is 100% run on wind power, everything is recycled, and all rooms are decorated with recycled materials. They use local suppliers, and have created a circular economy, aiming to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Glamping suites from £270, B&B

Cover image: Roger Borgelid