Vinterliv – Live beautifully in the cold
Begin in warmth. Sleep in the snow. Return restored.
Sweden without a schedule. Winter without the rush.
Forget the classic Scandinavian winter holiday built around a packed programme of husky rides, snowmobiles and one activity after another.
Vinterliv is a slower, more personal way to experience winter.
Five days in the forests of Dalarna, Sweden, with no more than four guests. You walk through snow-covered forest, learn the practical art of winter living, cook over an open fire and spend one guided night in a heated winter camp beneath the trees. Then you return to the warmth of Näsets Marcusgård: a hot sauna, good food, Scandinavian design and time to recover.
No survival challenge. No crowded programme. No need to organise every detail.
Just snow, fire, silence and warmth — experienced at a pace that leaves room to actually notice them. Vinterliv is created by Näsets Marcusgård, hosted by Mireille and Willem, together with Daniel Modigh of Särna Adventures, a certified nature guide trained in Wilderness First Aid.
Together, we combine warm, personal hospitality with professional outdoor guidance — so you can experience a real Scandinavian winter without having to become an expedition traveller first. The concept deliberately combines Näsets Marcusgård's warm base with one professionally guided winter-camp night.
What is Vinterliv?
Vinterliv is a 5-day / 4-night guided winter immersion in Dalarna, Sweden, created for adults who want to experience Scandinavian winter without performance pressure, large groups or a packed itinerary.
It is not a survival course. And it is not a conventional activity holiday. Instead, the journey is built around contrast:
- cold and warmth
- forest and farmhouse
- fire and sauna
- guidance and freedom
- simplicity and design
You experience enough of winter to really enter it — while comfort, safety and support remain close by.
At a glance:
- Location: Näsets Marcusgård, Furudal, Dalarna, Sweden
- Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
- 2027 pilot departures:
- 1–5 February 2027
- 15–19 February 2027
- Group size: Guaranteed from 2 guests · maximum 4 guests
- Suitable for: Adults looking for a small-scale winter experience rather than a busy group holiday
- Previous experience: None required — complete beginners are welcome
- Getting here: Train from Stockholm to Rättvik in approximately 3 hours + return station transfer included on request
- Rental car required? No.
- Accommodation: 3 indoor nights at Näsets Marcusgård + 1 guided night in the winter camp
Why Vinterliv is different
Bring your winter clothes. We take care of almost everything else.
Winter camping normally comes with a rather long equipment list. Vinterliv does not. Heated winter tents, thermal sleeping bags suitable for temperatures down to –20°C, sleeping mats, snowshoes, poles, outdoor cooking equipment and specialist safety gear are all provided. You bring your own good winter clothing. Before departure, we send you a clear and practical packing list, so you know exactly what you need — and what you can leave at home.
The intention is simple: less preparation, fewer decisions, more room for the actual experience.
That low-friction approach is also central to the trade version of Vinterliv: most essentials are included so guests can concentrate on the winter rather than the logistics.
Sleep in the forest. With warmth close by.
Perhaps winter camping has always sounded appealing. Until the practical questions begin.
How far do we have to walk?
What if I get very cold?
Do I need specialist experience?
That is precisely why our winter camp is located only a short walk from Näsets Marcusgård, in our own forest. You still spend the night surrounded by snow, trees and winter silence. But the farmhouse, warm indoor facilities and sauna remain close at hand.It gives you the feeling of stepping properly into the winter — without the isolation of a remote expedition.
For anyone who has ever thought: “Winter camping sounds wonderful, but…” we have taken care of much of the but.
Maximum four guests
Vinterliv is intentionally small. No coach groups. No line of twenty people on snowshoes. No guide rushing everyone towards the next scheduled activity. There are never more than four guests. That gives Daniel the time to guide each person properly and allows the programme to move with the group, the weather and the winter itself. Sometimes that means learning. Sometimes walking. Sometimes sitting beside the fire for longer than planned. There is room for both.
Authentic winter. Without the survival mentality.
You do not need to prove anything here. Daniel introduces you step by step to the practical rhythm of Scandinavian winter life: dressing in layers, moving through snow, staying warm, making fire and preparing food outdoors. You learn by doing. Not because you are expected to survive on your own afterwards, but because knowing a little more about the winter changes the way you experience it. This is immersion, not endurance.
The power of contrast
Vinterliv is not simply about spending a night outdoors. Its character comes from moving between two worlds. One moment, you are standing beside an open fire in the snow. Later, you are back inside with warm food and dry clothes. One night, you sleep in a winter tent surrounded by forest. The next, you return to Scandinavian design, a proper bed and the warmth of Näsets Marcusgård. There is cold. And there is deep warmth. Effort. And recovery. Simplicity. And comfort. That contrast is not something we try to remove. It is the heart of Vinterliv.
Design meets the winter forest
Näsets Marcusgård is not a conventional outdoor centre. The historic farm is home to distinctive architectural stays including Fähus, Oddis Öga and the internationally recognised treehouse Supermåne.
Wood, art, architecture and Scandinavian design are part of the experience. Your first nights use the spacious Fähus as a warm base. After your night in the winter camp, you return there to rest and recover. For your final night, you stay in Fähus, Oddis Öga or Supermåne, depending on group size and availability. The accommodation sequence is deliberately designed as warm base → winter camp → restored return.
A genuine digital break
There is very little reason to travel all the way into a snowy Swedish forest only to spend the evening looking at somewhere else through a screen. Vinterliv is therefore designed as a phone-free experience. We invite you to put your smartphone away and simply be where you are. Walk without documenting the walk. Sit beside the fire without posting the fire. Look at the stars without trying to photograph them. We document parts of your journey with photography and send you the images afterwards. So you can keep the memories without needing to collect them while they happen.
Highlights of your winter journey
Your five days include:
- A warm welcome and home-cooked dinner at Näsets Marcusgård
- A personal introduction to the journey and your winter equipment
- Sauna and time to settle into the rhythm of the farm
- Practical guidance in layering, staying warm and fire-making
- A guided snowshoe walk through our private forest
- Learning basic winter camp skills with Daniel
- Setting up your winter camp together
- Cooking and eating around an open fire
- An evening beneath the winter sky
- One guided night in a heated tipi-style winter tent
- Professional winter sleeping equipment
- Waking up in the quiet of the forest
- A slow return to the warmth of Näsets Marcusgård
- Brunch, sauna and time for recovery
- A day deliberately left spacious for walking, reading, writing, resting or simply doing very little
- A final night in Fähus, Supermåne or Oddis Öga, depending on availability and group size
- A photographic collection after your stay
What is included?
Professional guiding & winter equipment Särna Adventures
- Professional guidance by Daniel Modigh
- Certified nature guide with Wilderness First Aid training
- Snowshoes and walking poles
- Heated winter tent
- Thermal sleeping bag suitable for temperatures down to –20°C
- Comfortable sleeping mat
- Specialist outdoor cooking equipment
- Practical winter and camp guidance
- Fire-making skills
- Safety and communication equipment
- Clear packing information before departure
Comfort & hospitality Näsets Marcusgård
- 2 nights in the warm and spacious Fähus
- 1 guided night in the winter camp
- 1 final night in Fähus, Supermåne or Oddis Öga, depending on party size and availability
- Full board throughout the stay
- Welcome dinner
- Outdoor meals prepared around the fire
- Comfortable indoor dining
- Predominantly vegetarian food with Swedish influences and seasonal ingredients
- Sauna access throughout the stay
- Bed linen
- Towels
- Bathrobes
- Final cleaning
- Photography during the experience
- Return transfer from Rättvik railway station on request
You bring your winter clothing. We take care of almost everything else.
Winter in Dalarna
Näsets Marcusgård lies near Furudal in Dalarna, surrounded by forests, frozen lakes and small villages. For international travellers, Dalarna offers something rather valuable: a real Swedish winter without having to travel to the far north of the country.
From Stockholm, the train journey to Rättvik takes around three hours. From there, we collect you on request. There is no need for a rental car. This makes Vinterliv particularly attractive as part of a longer Swedish journey — for example after a few days in Stockholm — but it is equally suitable as a destination in itself. The trade programme was specifically designed to work as an easily accessible countryside extension from Stockholm.
And once you arrive? Stockholm feels considerably further away than the train timetable suggests.
Before you travel
A few weeks before your stay, you receive a concise packing list explaining what clothing to bring. We also arrange a short online introduction. Daniel talks you through the journey, answers practical questions and explains the equipment and winter conditions.
You therefore arrive knowing what to expect. No expedition planning. No specialist shopping list. No wondering whether you have forgotten something essential.
Just pack your winter clothes and come to Sweden.
Prices & Availability
- a couple of weeks before your trip
- Day 1 – Warm beginnings
- Day 2 – Into the snow
- Day 3 – Return to warmth
- Day 4 – Rest, reflection & design comfort
- Day 5 – Restored departure
- soon after your wintertrip
After booking, you’ll receive a short and practical packing list.
We’ll also arrange a brief online introduction before your trip. Daniel, your guide, will walk you through the programme, answer any questions you may have, and make sure you can set off feeling fully prepared and at ease.
Your journey begins with arrival in Rättvik, where we collect you from the railway station on request. From there, it is a short transfer to Näsets Marcusgård. There is no rush to start “doing” things. You arrive. Settle in. Meet your hosts.
Daniel introduces the coming days, talks you through the equipment and gives you a practical safety briefing.The evening continues with a home-cooked welcome dinner in the Fähus and, if you wish, warmth in the sauna.
After breakfast, you begin learning the practical art of winter living. How do you dress so you stay warm without overheating? How do you move comfortably through snow?How do you build and maintain a fire when everything around you is frozen?
Then you put on your snowshoes and head into the forest with Daniel.Together, you make your way towards the winter camp and help prepare the place that will become home for the night. Food is prepared over an open fire. As daylight disappears, the pace becomes slower still.
Fire. Warm drinks. Winter sky. Conversation. Silence. And eventually, sleep.
Coffee, breakfast and cold forest air. Then you make the gentle journey back towards Näsets Marcusgård. And this is where the other half of Vinterliv begins. Warm food. Dry clothes. A sauna. A proper bed. Nothing you urgently need to achieve.
After a night in the winter forest, the simplest comforts suddenly feel remarkably luxurious.
There is no second expedition waiting for you. That is deliberate. Day four gives the experience time to settle.Walk through the forest. Read. Write. Take photographs. Sit by the fire. Use the sauna. Or do remarkably little.
Your final night is spent in Fähus, Supermåne or Oddis Öga, depending on your group and availability. The day ends with a final dinner together.
Breakfast is unhurried. There is time to pack and say goodbye before your transfer back to Rättvik railway station on request. From there, the train takes you south towards Stockholm again.
Five days after arriving, you leave with considerably less winter expertise than an Arctic explorer.
But probably a much better understanding of what Scandinavian winter actually feels like.
We take the photos for you and send them digitally afterwards, so you can spend more time simply enjoying and experiencing the moment. More time for yourself — and for each other.
Vinterliv · 1–5 February 2027
- 30500 kr per person5 days / 4 nights
- 3 nights at Näsets Marcusgård
- 1 guided night in the winter camp
- Professional nature guide
- Winter equipment and snowshoes
- All meals
- Sauna
- Bed linen, towels, bathrobes and final cleaning
- Photographic documentation
- Return transfer from Rättvik station included on request
For those who want to feel winter, not tick it off
Guaranteed from 2 guests · maximum 4 guests
Stay warm and comfortable at Näsets Marcusgård, spend one guided night in the winter camp, then return to sauna, good food and rest. No previous winter camping experience is required.
Approx. €2,650 / CHF 2,590 per person
Included:
Book with confidence
You book through recognised tour operator Särna Adventures, covered by Sweden’s statutory travel guarantee administered by Kammarkollegiet (the Swedish statutory travel guarantee compliant with the EU Package Travel Directive / Reisesicherungsschein). Booking your adventure should feel simple and reassuring. Clarity, security and flexibility — so you can focus on the most important part: looking forward to your trip.
Our promise
This is not about performance. It is about slowing down and being present. Snow, fire, silence and warmth — a few days in which you do not tick winter off a list, but truly experience it.
Vinterliv · 15–19 February 2027
- 30500 kr per person5 days / 4 nights
- 3 nights at Näsets Marcusgård
- 1 guided night in the winter camp
- Professional nature guide
- Winter equipment and snowshoes
- All meals
- Sauna
- Bed linen, towels, bathrobes and final cleaning
- Photographic documentation
- Return transfer from Rättvik station included on request
For those who want to feel winter, not tick it off
Guaranteed from 2 guests · maximum 4 guests
Stay warm and comfortable at Näsets Marcusgård, spend one guided night in the winter camp, then return to sauna, good food and rest. No previous winter camping experience is required.
Approx. €2,650 / CHF 2,590 per person
Included:
Book with confidence
You book through recognised tour operator Särna Adventures, covered by Sweden’s statutory travel guarantee administered by Kammarkollegiet (the Swedish statutory travel guarantee compliant with the EU Package Travel Directive / Reisesicherungsschein). Booking your adventure should feel simple and reassuring. Clarity, security and flexibility — so you can focus on the most important part: looking forward to your trip.
Our promise
This is not about performance. It is about slowing down and being present. Snow, fire, silence and warmth — a few days in which you do not tick winter off a list, but truly experience it.
Näsets Marcusgård
Näset Timmervägen 28
79 597 Furudal
Call us: +46 (0)258 10514
WhatsApp: +46 (0)72 3410908
Frequently asked questions
Do I need winter camping experience?
No. Vinterliv was specifically designed to be accessible to people who have never slept outdoors in Scandinavian winter conditions before. Daniel guides you through the practical skills step by step and all specialist camping equipment is provided. You do not need outdoor expertise.
How far is the winter camp from Näsets Marcusgård?
Only a few minutes on foot. The camp is situated in our own forest close to the facilities of the farm. That location is deliberate. You experience a genuine night surrounded by winter forest while warmth, support and indoor facilities remain nearby.
How cold is it inside the winter tent?
The winter tent is equipped with a stove, and you sleep in specialist thermal sleeping bags suitable for temperatures down to –20°C. Daniel is responsible for the camp setup and guides you in how to remain comfortable during the night Outdoor temperatures naturally vary, and the experience is adapted to the actual weather conditions.
What should I bring?
Your own good winter clothing. We recommend proper layers, insulating clothing, a weather-resistant outer layer, warm gloves or mittens, a hat and suitable winter footwear. After booking, you receive a detailed but simple packing list.Specialist winter camping equipment is supplied by us.
Are all meals included?
Yes. Vinterliv is full board.Meals range from food prepared outdoors over the fire to warm, carefully prepared meals at Näsets Marcusgård. Our food is predominantly vegetarian and takes inspiration from Swedish ingredients and flavours.
Is Vinterliv really phone-free?
Yes — that is part of the experience. We ask guests to put their phones away during the core parts of Vinterliv so there is less distraction between you and the place you have travelled to experience. We take photographs during the journey and send you a collection afterwards.
How do I get to Näsets Marcusgård from the UK, Germany, Austria or Switzerland?
The simplest route is generally via Stockholm. From Stockholm Arlanda Airport or central Stockholm, you can continue by train to Rättvik, with a journey time of approximately three hours. Return transfer between Rättvik station and Näsets Marcusgård is included on request, so there is no need to rent a car.
For guests travelling from the UK, direct flights to Stockholm are available from several major British airports. Travellers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland can either fly to Stockholm or travel partly or entirely by train. Once you reach Rättvik, we take care of the final part of the journey.
Is Dalarna an alternative to Swedish Lapland?
It depends on what you are looking for. If your priority is a long list of Arctic excursions, huskies and snowmobiles, Lapland may be the obvious choice. Vinterliv offers something different. Dalarna gives you snow, forest, frozen landscapes and Scandinavian winter, but in a quieter setting much closer to Stockholm. You stay in one place. You travel less. And instead of moving from excursion to excursion, you have time to experience the winter itself.