Comfortable wilderness experiences are known to relax and rejuvenate, but in West Sweden, actual data has been collected to prove the benefits of spending just 72 hours in nature. As part of the study, a series of glass cabins have been built into the countryside as tiny refuges for people who are searching for that sense of stillness and calm we only seem to find when surrounded by wilderness – and you can book your stay in one. In this birthday bucket list feature, we’re exploring the Dalsland environment and fantasizing about a lush, lakeside setting as a place to kick off another year around the sun.

Photography by Jonas Ingman for West Sweden





A Pair of Glass Cabins

The 72 Hour Cabins at Baldernäs Herrgård Manor are dotted into the landscape on Lake Laxsjön’s edge. The cabins are simple, modern glass-and-wood structures with nothing but a bed inside, allowing the optimum spot to stargaze at night and wake to the sunrise in the morning. Here, you might awake on your birthday morning to the rustling of trees and spot a bird or two flying by. Open the doors and let the fresh breeze inside the cabin as you take in the scenery.





The Back Story

A Swedish initiative invited five people from around the world with high-stress jobs to stay in glass cabins in the wilderness of Sweden for 72 hours. The experiment measured blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels before and after the stay, with a stress decrease of 70 percent reported and a boost to mood, creativity and relaxation. So, if you’re looking at your next birthday and wondering what changes you can make in the year ahead, this experience may just be the place to explore that idea and release some of the stress you’ve been carrying of late.





The Stay

While the cabins are completely secluded and off in their own private nooks of land, they’re still in close proximity to the creature comforts of the manor. There’s a lovely restaurant on the grounds that serves dishes inspired by the Dalsland wilderness, and there’s an English style park where you can set up a birthday picnic with the lunch basket that’s included in your stay. There’s a lakeside sauna, a campfire and plenty of canoes and fishing gear to take out on the lake, providing no shortage of opportunities to connect with nature and recalibrate before beginning the year ahead.





Intrigued? Book your stay in one of the glass cabins →