Nordic Forest Experience: Slow Hike and Forest Bathing

Slow down and experience ‘friluftsliv’: Nordic outdoor life. Hike in Stockholm’s wild forest, explore its ecology and folklore, practise forest bathing, and enjoy a warm cup of tea by the lake. Meet your guide at Björkhagen metro station, just 10 minutes from central Stockholm, and step straight into Nacka nature reserve, a wild forest on the city’s doorstep. As soon as we enter the forest, we take a moment to leave the city behind and ease into friluftsliv. Guided forest bathing helps you slow down and notice the life around you: we breathe deeply, open our senses and get curious. Then we set off on our hike. Thanks to allemansrätten, Sweden’s right of public access, the forest belongs to everyone, and you’ll feel why Swedes feel so free and at home in nature. Along the way, we meet the species that live here, explore the ecology of the Nordic forest and hear the folklore that grew from it, from trolls to the skogsrå. In season, we may even pick a few berries. The hike is 5–7 km at a slow pace, leaving space for exploration, and is adjusted to the group. Towards the end, we pause for a warm cup of tea by the lake. We finish at Hellasgården, where you can stay on for fika at the café, try a Swedish sauna, take a dip in the lake or enjoy more outdoor fun on your own. Or you can easily take a bus back to the city.