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For our final night in the Vasterbotten region, we traveled to Granö Beckasin. Granö Beckasin is a lodge with a variety of accomodations, from bird’s nests in the trees to camping, plus a variety of activities.
Following our afternoon of whitewater rafting, we arrived and checked into our rooms. We were staying in the Bird’s Nests, which overlook the river. Between the light-filled rooms and the amazing views, it was a unique experience.
After relaxing for a little bit, it was time to head to dinner in the resort’s lodge. While we ate, we learned about the property from Annika, the CEO. The idea behind it is to create an eco-friendly retreat where visitors can experience nature. The hotel uses recycled and used items wherever it can. The town itself has just a couple of hundred restaurants, so the hotel & affiliated businesses help provide jobs. The strong community has banded together to save the local school, while there is a strong sense of preservation & respect for the beautiful surroundings.
Activities at Granö Beckasin include camping, hiking, boating, log rafting, mini golf, dog sledding, a sauna, and much more.
For dinner, we ate reindeer carpaccio with cheese and balsamic vinegar as an appetizer, then we had beef & potatoes with salad and bernaise sauce for our main course. To wash it all down, I had a local Hummelholm IPA from Westerbottens.
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After dinner, some people went on a boat ride & hike around the area. I opted to stay closer by and take photos along the river. The extended sunset and full moon made for some incredible views.
In the morning, first we had breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Then we took a tour of the 18th-century farmhouse complex called Sjungaregården. Sjungaregården’s main building has artifacts & decor from the region. The building’s contents have looked the same since the first half of the 20th century.
In addition to natural preservation, historic preservation is also important in Granö. Sjungaregården provides pamphlets for locals on how to take care of and restore old houses. The more that locals do that, the more history will be preserved, making the area even more appealing as a destination.
The other buildings on the property include an art gallery, as well as exhibits dedicated to local naturalist Jan-Erik Sjöblom. Throughout his life, Jan-Erik collected birds & animals. He donated over 1,000 specimens to Granö Beckasin, who hope to build a showcase for all of them in a bird-shaped building. For now, they exhibit a selection of his collection at Sjungaregården.
Granö Beckasin is truly a stunning place. It’s so relaxing, plus there are lots of activities. I wished that I’d been able to spend even more time there, but it was time to head back to Umeå and begin the journey back to Stockholm.
Disclosure: My visit to Umeå/Västerbotten was a TBEX press trip sponsored by Visit Umeå & Visit Sweden. All opinions are 100% my own.
