NAVARDALEN
A MAGICAL WILDERNESS WORLD
Navardalen is a place that is difficult to describe in words. It is mainly the feeling that you already experience & feel when you drive on the dirt road. The dirt road that leads to a beautiful wilderness world hidden behind the magical forest that surrounds Navardalen. When you have parked the car, you are greeted by a portal that welcomes you in to green moss beds & tall fir trees. A bit into the path, it opens up & you are surrounded by the three mountains & mighty Lake Navar. It's a bit of a walk towards the main facility, but with each step you already feel here how body & soul slowly come to rest. You pass a stream, here you can get water, water that is cleaner than from the tap. At this very moment, you are surrounded by more wild animals than people. In the forests there are bears, eagles, moose, wolves, wolverines & loons. Trout & char swim in the water.
There is no electricity or any amenities here.
You feel the smell of birch wood & you are greeted by the fire, lanterns & lighted candles.
Navardalen is a place where the soul rests & a place where time stands still.
OPENING HOURS - THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR
Our most common question? How are you open?
We are a year-round facility & a retreat center that offers different experiences, activities, etc. depending on the season. See below to understand how we work & when we are open to the public.
January - March: During these three winter months, we have a collaboration with Do The North, which arranges winter tours to Navardalen. Read more about them & book their winter trips here.
April - June: These months you can book accommodation & retreats as well as groups & conferences.
July: This month you can book accommodation. Visit our café, rent a SUP, listen to live music and more. In July, we always have staff on site. Exact opening hours for the cafe in the summer of 2025 will come soon.
Aug - October: These months we focus mostly on retreats, groups & our exclusive packages . You can also book our screen-free couple's weekend package.
December: From and including 2025, in December we will offer magical Christmas overnight packages, Christmas table & Christmas market.
HISTORY
Navardalen Wilderness Station is located three kilometers north of Älvdalen, Norra Dalarna. Navardalen.
Potential then saw Ove Zacheusson, then head of tourism in Älvdalen municipality & chairman of Älvdalen's tourist association in the 1960s. Ove was a man with big visions for tourism in Älvdalen.
Parts of the main building, which today are part of the main facility with accommodation, were transported over the ice in the winter of 1959/60 by horse & sleigh & built by the construction company Knuts. In 1961, a wilderness day was arranged in Navardalen & that was the start of the wilderness facility. In the coming years, the main building was further expanded with a serving area. The well-known concept of "bear-strong coffee" came into being & Navardalen has since been a popular destination both for locals & tourists from both Sweden & internationally.
The little red cabin also called dammkojan (cottage suite) which is located along the shore of Navarsjön was used by those who worked as dam watchers during the floating that took place in areas for almost 100 years until the 1970s.
Long ago there were living shacks in the area & grazing animals walked in the forests. The shacks that are reasonably preserved are not at all far from the facility. Yttre Navardalen's farmsteads & Upper Navardalen's farmsteads.
We are grateful that Ove saw the potential in this amazing place & that so many people have been able to visit & enjoy the place since then. Navardalen has been run by several different people since Ove's time. As a hostel, catering, STF facility and more.
About three years ago we took over the operation of Navardalen & since then have developed the place in our own way but of course in Ove's spirit. We want the place to attract people from all over the world as we, Ove & many others believe that this is one of Sweden's most beautiful places. And the place is not only beautiful, it really gives people a chance to recover for real.
The whole story about Navardalen & the area will come shortly.
FACILITY & ACCOMMODATION
In Navardalen there is neither electricity nor running water. Here we make a fire for warmth & fetch water from the stream when we are thirsty. It is a journey back to wherever we once came from. Knowledge that may have been forgotten is trained again. We have to work a little extra for food, water & heating.
Even if we have to fight a little extra, it pays back double, the food tastes better, the heat is appreciated in a completely different way & the water has never tasted so good.
There is neither toilet nor shower here. We have furnished cozy outdoor toilets where you relieve yourself & if you're lucky & leave the door a little ajar, you can see a magical starry sky outside.
If we wash, we do it in the wood-burning sauna, where you can heat up hot water in the stove or take an ice-cold, refreshing dip in the crystal clear lake.
Wilderness Lodge: The main building consists of a living area & a restaurant area as well as a terrace with an outdoor kitchen. This building with accommodation has been on the site since the 1960s. Here there are five rooms & a total of 12 beds. We call this accommodation today the Wilderness Lodge. All the rooms are super cozy & cool decorated with different themes. There is also a small kitchen that runs on gas and a total of 4 wood-burning stoves.
The cabin suite : In the area there is also a charming red cottage (the cabin suite) on the shore of Lake Navar. Also called dammkojan, dammkojan was used as accommodation during the the fleet age by the dam guards. Today it is an incredibly cozy cabin that you can book with charming interior, wood-burning stove & a double bed
Wilderness glamping : In 2024, our wilderness glamping was built with a magical view of Lake Navar. This accommodation is for those who want to live close to nature & animals. Here there is an outdoor kitchen, wood-burning stove & double bed.
Raven: A major investment in a unique residence in the middle of Lake Navar took off in 2023 & construction began at the end of 2023 by Alm & Backsells bygg, a local construction company from Älvdalen. In mid-summer 2024, Raven floated on Lake Navar. With a glazed sleeping area, combustion toilet, wood-burning stove, sauna on the roof & with an absolutely unbeatable view over the Navar valley, it is ready for guests for the summer season 2025.
Wood-burning sauna & jetty: Down by the lake is our popular wood-fired sauna & jetty that goes out onto the lake.
Restaurant & café building: In close proximity to the wilderness lodge, there is a large & cozy room with a wood burning stove, sofas & which we use in several different ways. As a restaurant when we have dinner reservations, a café or as a cozy family room where you can sit in front of the fire and just enjoy the warmth.
TO DO - ACTIVITIES
Hiking trails: Two hiking trails start from the facility. Björn round & Alpled round.
More information will come about our hiking trails.
Fishing water: In Lake Navar there are both trout and char. With us you can rent rowing boats, canoes and paddleboards. Fishing licenses are bought at Älvdalen's Sportcenter in Älvdalens city.
Sauna & bath: Down by the water we have a wood-burning sauna & jetty out onto the lake.
Waterfalls & sights in the immediate area: Around the Navardalen there are lots of sights. Beautiful waterfalls, rivers, nature reserve & hiking trails. Ask us and we'll tell you more about what you can do in the local area. A tip is to look here: Älvdalen Tourist map
Guided activities: If you book as a group, we can offer lots of activities: Guided hiking, guided meditation & yoga, waterfall safari, moose & bear safari and more.
SUSTAINABILITY - FURNISHING
Something we are passionate about, especially Lina.
Is decor & cozy factor. All our furnishings are bought at second-hand & flea markets.
Everything from coffee cups to paintings & furniture. Some interior design is also redesign. Things from flea markets that we repaint so it's exactly the color we want. Shopping second hand not only makes the place more charming, it's also good for mother earth. In Navardalen, we live so close to both the animals and nature. It is with the heart that we do what we can for a better, healthier planet.
In our lake, we only use completely natural products that do not harm in any way.
We simply care & we want to inspire others to do the same.
