Amazing treehouse designs of Scandinavia

Fall asleep like Norwegian royalty, high above the forest floor and surrounded by your very own moat (aka the lake) to keep the riff raff out. The cabin is elevated on a platform between three pines on an idyllic little island only accessible by kayak or a floating bridge. The kayak also serves as your mode of transport around the pond as you hone your fishing skills, and leap off it for wild swims in the peaceful waters. Inside the tardis-like space there’s room for five to snuggle up, with a cosy double bed and an ingenious bunk room for three. In between forest walks and elk spotting, you can visit the hot tub and outdoor sauna for some deep relaxation immersed in the majesty of nature. Even the compost loo has an epic view here.

Gaze down quietly from your magical tower and you might see moose and deer wandering past below as a convenient reminder of how far you’ve travelled from busy, modern life. The only light here comes from the sun, the stars and flickering candles. Wilderness Tower has been created entirely from local materials, and sleeps six over four floors, with the living space at the top for the best views. There’s even a woodworking barn on the lower levels, where you can unleash your inner Nordic craftsman – or just get the axe out and split some wood for the fire. It’s Wilderness by name, wilderness by nature – you’re fully off-grid with a compost loo and outdoor rainwater shower, but the simple facilities are worth it for the utter tranquillity. There are a hundred hectares of land with lakes and woodland to explore, and a local salmon centre where you can watch them swim upstream like true independent travellers.

Part treehouse and pure James Bond, The Dragonfly is weird, wonderful and utterly Scandinavian. Spectacular in style and size at 600 square-feet, its copper exterior rusts and changes with the weather, while inside the loft-like living space has panoramic views of the river valley and a blissfully hot shower that looks out over tall pines. Dragonfly is part of the famous landscape hotel – Treehotel – which has seven unique treetop rooms dotted across its vast site. Meals are served in Britta’s Guesthouse, the homely central hub that serves incredible cuisine from local chefs. For what would possibly be the most romantic dinner date of all time, you can even opt for a candlelit dinner under the stars (or northern lights) on a frozen lake.

Surreal Mirrorcube is an Instagrammer’s delight, covered with mirrored-glass walls on all sides that reflect back the surrounding pines, so that the treehouse becomes camouflaged. If you can actually find it, more surprises await inside, including a secret rooftop terrace hidden behind the mirror façade, allowing you to go outside without being seen. Decked out in chic pale wood, you’ll find a double bed, a lounge, private loo, cosy underfloor heating and six large windows that connect you to the glorious scenery outside. If you can tear yourself away from your ‘invisible’ house, there are adventurous activities for every season from canoeing, kayaking, horse riding and zip lining, to hiking, snowmobiling and husky sledding.

As enigmas go, a bright orange treehouse called ‘Blue Cone’ has got to be up there. In a deliberate attempt to be as different as possible from its shiny neighbour – Mirrorcube – the contrary design stands out magnificently in the landscape. It’s a simple, accessible space with a long, lightly sloping ramp suitable for wheelchair access and a pale, paired-back interior. Showers and meals are taken in Britta’s Guesthouse, reached via a dreamy ten-minute pad through the trees, where you’ll also find the hotel’s forest spa and sauna. Spend your days exploring a magical land of boreal forests in the freshest air you’ve ever breathed in. Afterwards it’ll feel like the most wonderful, surreal dream you ever had.

Transported up the cliffside by cable car, your luggage might arrive before you do at Cliff Cabin. Literally cut into a steep Norwegian mountainside, the views are so staggeringly beautiful that it's hard to do anything other than stare reverentially out over the pines, soaring birds and lake way down below. Stargazing from the hot tub at night is practically a spiritual experience. You’re a long way from civilisation, so you won’t find a local coffee shop, but there are invigorating outdoor adventures to be had all around. Chop wood for the fire, hike in the forests, visit the small waterfalls nearby or go for a wild swim in the lake. The owners provide a canoe and a rowing boat for guests to use and, just like Wilderness Tower, there’s a carpenter's shed with plank bits, a hammer, saw and nails. The simple life is calling.