You climb a spiral staircase through a steel cylinder, cross a footbridge among the pine trees, and then you\u2019re standing in your cabin: eight meters above the forest floor of Finnskogen. Outside, the treetops sway in the wind. Inside, everything remains completely still. No neighbors, no roads, no noise. Just the forest, which here forms the largest contiguous forest area in Europe. <\/p>\n\n
That\u2019s PAN Treetop Cabins: three award-winning treehouses in a forgotten corner of southeastern Norway<\/a><\/strong>, about a two-hour drive from Oslo and a quarter of an hour from the Swedish border. Not your average glamping tent, but architecture that deliberately does not try to blend into nature\u2014and precisely because of that, places you right in the middle of it. For those seeking the silence of the boreal forest, with a wolf safari, a canoe trip, or a sauna along the way, this is one of the most unique places to stay in Scandinavia. <\/p>\n\n PAN is located in Finnskogen, in the Sol\u00f8r region, about 130 kilometers northeast of Oslo. The name literally means \u201cFinnish Forest\u201d: in the sixteenth century, Finnish settlers moved into this area to clear the forest and farm the land. They brought their own mythology with them\u2014a world full of nature spirits and the inexplicable. Their most important god was named Tapio, the Finnish counterpart to Pan, the Greek god of the forests. Hence the name of the cabins. <\/p>\n\n Geographically speaking, you\u2019re in the taiga here: the boreal forest that encircles the Northern Hemisphere like a belt and forms the world\u2019s largest terrestrial biome. Nowhere else in Norway will you encounter such a diverse array of wildlife. Moose, deer, and capercaillies, as well as wolves, bears, and lynx, all inhabit this landscape. The chances of seeing them all are slim. But the chances of hearing a wolf howl during an evening safari are surprisingly high. <\/p>\n\n The cabins were designed by Norwegian architect Espen Surnevik, a professor at the Oslo School of Architecture, with structural calculations by engineer Finn-Erik Nilsen\u2014the same name associated with iconic projects such as the Juvet Landscape Hotel and the Norwegian Scenic Routes. The design has received numerous international awards. <\/p>\n\n Surnevik made a conscious decision not to build with wood, the material you find everywhere in the forest. The cabins stand on slender steel legs and are clad in black, oxidized zinc scales that mimic the scales of a pinecone. This makes them unmistakably man-made\u2014a deliberate contrast to the tactile softness of the forest. The design is based on the \u201carchetypal form\u201d of the North American A-frame cabin, with a nod to the tower houses from the Moomins (Norwegian trolls). Inside, however, everything is warm: floors and walls made of solid pine, textiles woven from local wool, dyed in the colors of the forest. <\/p>\n\n \u201cInstead of feeling as if the entire structure is being blown away by the wind, the trees outside are moving\u2014while the cabin remains completely still.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 About the design of PAN Treetop Cabins<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n There are three cabins in total, each about 80 to 100 meters apart, ensuring privacy. The interiors are identical: 40 m\u00b2, eight meters above the ground, with four to six sleeping spots divided among single beds and one double bed. The interior is divided into three areas that also function as separate bedrooms, with full amenities, electricity, and running water. If you\u2019re traveling with a larger group, you can rent all three cabins together to accommodate up to sixteen people. <\/p>\n\n You enter via the spiral staircase inside the steel cylinder, where daylight streams in through a latticework. The cabins are not attached to the trees\u2014for safety reasons and to preserve nature. Each cabin is supported by a finely woven steel mesh. You can park right next to your cabin. <\/p>\n\n Good to Know<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The cabins are oriented toward the sun so that daylight naturally warms the living area. Energy-efficient living among the treetops. Are you coming in the winter? Make sure you have a car that can handle snow and ice. The weather in Finnskogen can change quickly. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n You can have food delivered to your cabin or grab a seat at the farm caf\u00e9 just around the corner. Caf\u00e9 S\u00f8stuen2280<\/a> is an old, shingled house that has been converted into a caf\u00e9, idyllically situated on Lake Gjes\u00e5ssj\u00f8en. The menu features local, organic, and homemade dishes, along with coffee roasted on-site. The same building houses a small farm shop with carefully selected regional products. Some of these can be found in your cabin. The caf\u00e9 is open mainly in the summer, as well as on select weekends throughout the year. <\/p>\n\nFinnskogen: the forest where you can lose yourself<\/h2>\n\n
Award-winning architecture on steel legs<\/h2>\n\n
About the Three Treehouses in Norway<\/h2>\n\n
Food: Organic at Caf\u00e9 S\u00f8stuen 2280<\/h2>\n\n
Sustainability: As Light on the Land as Possible<\/h2>\n\n