Pan Treetop Cabins Norway
Perched high above a lush boreal forest in a remote corner of Eastern Norway, one of the world’s best alpine ski racers gazes out a massive pyramid-shaped window floating over an endless ocean of deep green pines and blue lakes.
Double Olympic silver medalist, and World Cup champion, Ragnhild Mowinckel is on a serenity break from the high-speed train that has become her life as she crisscrosses the globe in search of speed on snow. The getaway is courtesy of her big sister Christine, and her partner Kristian Rostad, owners of Pan Treetop Cabins, a luxury woodland lodge composed of two sleek A-Frame structures that almost seem like they’re levitating some twenty-five feet off the forest floor.
“This is not only my happy place, it’s also my enchanted space,” Mowinckel says, describing the chic steel, wood and glass cabin she’s nestled into for a much-needed escape, deep in the heart of one of Norway’s most untouched and beautiful nature reserves, the famed Finnskogen Forest.
Surrounding Pan Treetop Cabins, the verdant forest is an enchanting “north of the Wall” kind of location – if you’re familiar with the mystical landscapes depicted in Game of Thrones – but for some, especially those well-versed in the folklore of the region, it’s an enchanted wonderland.
According to local mythology, the real-life “wildlings” who settled the area known as the Finnskogen, which translates as Forest of the Finns, were masters of the art of healing, and rumored to have supernatural powers. The lodge itself is named after Pan, the Greek version of Tapio, a local forest god.
“The architecture of the cabins is truly amazing, and the scenery simply breathtaking,” says Mowinckel. “You have wildlife at the foot of your bed, the opportunity to explore untouched nature at your doorstep, and a magic vibe when staying in the cabins, which were built in harmony with this very wild setting.”
Designed by Oslo-based architect Espen Surnevik, Pan’s cabins pay homage to the Finnskogen people’s spiritual connection to nature, as well as their shamanistic traditions. Like a pair of ancient arrows pointing to the stars, the two buildings blend in perfectly with their environment, as if magically sunk into stone. The whirling vortex of air and black metal that make up the spiral staircases and pedestrian walkways attached to the cabins are masterpieces of form and function, spellbinding structures that are not only beautiful to look at, but the perfect doorways into the warm, wood-paneled inner sanctums of the treetop cabins – all of which are equipped with full designer kitchens, wood fireplaces, heated floors, and rain shower baths. Though the true standout features of these luxury forest watchtowers are their large panoramic windows, and the incredible light – morning, noon and night.
“The view and the effect of the sun were the main reasons why we decided to create the cabins,” says owner Christine Mowinckel. “Maximizing natural light was an important part of the building process for us.”
For those who want more than marveling at the wonders of nature, Pan’s offers all sorts of outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, canoeing, climbing and sleigh rides. For downhill enthusiasts, it’s but a quick ninety minute drive to Trysil, the Norwegian ski resort Mikaela Shiffrin snuck off to for a little “off the grid” training in between events at last February’s Alpine World Ski.
And then there’s also glamour. Quickly becoming the darlings of the European fashion set – thanks in large part to rave reviews in Vogue, Elle Decor, and Esquire – Mowinckel and Rostad’s Norwegian wood cabins recently received a heartfelt and very public stamp of approval from a lovestruck former Scandinavian supermodel.
Used as a location for Vendela Kirsebom’s reality show on Norway’s TV2 Livsstil network, Pan Cabins got top-billing as the Norwegian beauty’s uber romantic love-nest getaway with boyfriend Petter Pilgaard. Kirsebom’s initial reaction as the couple drives up to the cabins is priceless, and proof positive that the best way to win the heart of a supermodel is a romantic road-trip to a cabin in the sky.
Which comes as no surprise to Mowinckel. “Waking up to the sunrise, with the effect of the sun slowly increasing, and the sounds of nature coming to life is a majestic feeling,” she says.
“And the lake, it adds an extra perspective as the sunset reflects over the water. The Finnskogen has some of the most magnificent sunsets I have ever seen, and I never get tired of experiencing them.”
Seeing this wonderland bathed in pinks, purples, blues and yellows is truly a highlight. One that’s sure to take anyone’s breath away.
Pan Treetop Cabins is a two-hour drive from Oslo or Gardermoen Airport.
