Experience Smens
Sightseeing
This is our favourite nearby lake. In summer guests cycle here for their early morning swim or to drink coffee on the jetty. In winter we toast marshmallows over warming fires by the shore and ice skate on the frozen waters. In autumn we forage for mushrooms in the surrounding forest and cook them straight away by the water and in spring we watch nature wake up after winter and indulge in some lakeside yoga and forest bathing. Vatebosjön lake is a favourite all year round!
Vatebosjön
This is our favourite nearby lake. In summer guests cycle here for their early morning swim or to drink coffee on the jetty. In winter we toast marshmallows over warming fires by the shore and ice skate on the frozen waters. In autumn we forage for mushrooms in the surrounding forest and cook them straight away by the water and in spring we watch nature wake up after winter and indulge in some lakeside yoga and forest bathing. Vatebosjön lake is a favourite all year round!
30 minutes away by car you will find Gysinge - an old mining town which is now the centre of a nature reserve and activities centre. There is a good cafe called Cafe Udden, right on the river, a nature museum for kids, a building restoration shop that is known by anyone in Sweden with an interest in restoring old buildings and Swedish traditional interiors. The walking and fishing around the area are great.
Gysinge Centrum för Byggnadsvård AB
12 Byggesvägen30 minutes away by car you will find Gysinge - an old mining town which is now the centre of a nature reserve and activities centre. There is a good cafe called Cafe Udden, right on the river, a nature museum for kids, a building restoration shop that is known by anyone in Sweden with an interest in restoring old buildings and Swedish traditional interiors. The walking and fishing around the area are great.
These lakes are fantastic for outdoor cooking, a nice long bike ride through endless woods or a 15 min drive away. We do a lot of cooking during foraging season by these lakes and guests love sitting in the wooden shelters looking out over the lake and fires. The fishing here is also good! Make sure to get a fishing permit from the local supermarket before fishing though, or ask us for help.
Klar-Skissen
These lakes are fantastic for outdoor cooking, a nice long bike ride through endless woods or a 15 min drive away. We do a lot of cooking during foraging season by these lakes and guests love sitting in the wooden shelters looking out over the lake and fires. The fishing here is also good! Make sure to get a fishing permit from the local supermarket before fishing though, or ask us for help.
Food scene
This is a great little cafe in the centre of Nearby town Hedemora. The cafe makes delicious homemade pies and offers a great setting in a very traditional Dala house. It also sits within a shop for interiors and home restoration. In the summer you can eat in the courtyard and in the winter you can try and get a seat on the sofa in front of the fire place. They cater very well for gluten intolerances and other food allergies.
Café Wahlman
6 Stora TorgetThis is a great little cafe in the centre of Nearby town Hedemora. The cafe makes delicious homemade pies and offers a great setting in a very traditional Dala house. It also sits within a shop for interiors and home restoration. In the summer you can eat in the courtyard and in the winter you can try and get a seat on the sofa in front of the fire place. They cater very well for gluten intolerances and other food allergies.
This is one of those amazing places where you can go with the whole family and pick your own summer strawberries directly from the field. It’s a Swedish summer must! You pay for what you have in your bucket at check out, and children (well, and adults of course) can eat all they like while picking, free of charge!
Brandts Gårdsbutik
3 NygårdsvägenThis is one of those amazing places where you can go with the whole family and pick your own summer strawberries directly from the field. It’s a Swedish summer must! You pay for what you have in your bucket at check out, and children (well, and adults of course) can eat all they like while picking, free of charge!
This old fire tower in the middle of the forest is such a surprise and an almost surreal experience. It’s best reached by bike, for that fully immersive nature experience, although you can also drive almost all the way there. Once you reach the top of the tower (not for those with a fear of heights) you will see forest and lakes for miles and miles. A Smens guest has proposed to his now wife up there, it’s a special place!
Brandtornet Kungshögshällar
This old fire tower in the middle of the forest is such a surprise and an almost surreal experience. It’s best reached by bike, for that fully immersive nature experience, although you can also drive almost all the way there. Once you reach the top of the tower (not for those with a fear of heights) you will see forest and lakes for miles and miles. A Smens guest has proposed to his now wife up there, it’s a special place!