Urnatur: The essence of Swedish nature

Getting a memorable time away from your everyday life is perhaps not as easy as it once was. In a society where everything strives to be unique, things tend to follow the same path and structure. However, if originality is what you are after, Urnatur is the perfect destination for your next getaway. Peace, serenity and a rich, lush nature awaits along with the experience of a lifetime.

“It’s a special place to say the least,” says Ulrika Krynitz, owner and co-founder of Urnatur. “We try to think of the whole area as an entity, from the tree houses, to the farm and the activities we offer. They are all characterised by the surrounding nature and our focus on preserving the nature and sustainability.”

Together with her husband, Håkan Strotz, Krynitz acquired the farm Sjögetorp with the grounds and went into ecotourism in 2007. “Owning the farm and its grounds is of course an amazing experience in itself,” says Krynitz. “But with that kind of ownership comes a great responsibility to the land you use and live off.” The couple started building a handful of log cabins and today Urnatur offers the same cabins alongside charming tree houses, and experience packages for families, couples, groups of friends and smaller company retreats. “We had no thoughts of turning it into a business when we first bought the farm,” Krynitz says, “but it has become wildly appreciated, and guests often say that they wished they’d stayed longer when it’s time for them to pack up and return home. A couple of days are simply not enough.”

Urnatur is a destination for people who want to balance their multitasking, busy lifestyles with the true basics and the very essence of nature and life. “Visitors get to experience how fantastic it is to live in nature as opposed to the city life,” says Krynitz. “Here, they get to meet the pure simplicity of life. It’s based on cause and effect, if I’m cold I need to light I fire, if I’m hungry I need to provide myself with food. That way of thinking is somewhat lost nowadays, we are used to getting everything we want with the smallest amount of effort in return. You should never underestimate the reward of doing something on your own, working for what you want and need. People come in contact with their very essence.”

This summer at Urnatur, you can start the day with an assisted breakfast buffet where wonderful delicacies will provide a good start, and then join nature in an adventure unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Eat what you get your hands on, fish in the lake, live off of nature, cook meals over an open fire, swim in the warm waters, sweat in the sauna (that you of course heat up with wood that you’ve chopped yourself) and make this remarkable place your own for a few days. But Urnatur hasn’t taken all life’s essentials away, Krynitz ensures with a laugh. “There are cupboards filled with what you need to cook; a good, vegetarian and ecologic meal as well as fresh vegetables and herbs from our garden in the outdoor kitchen,” she explains. “In addition to that you can order beer and wine or fish and lamb from us.”

Staying at Urnatur is a fantastic experience for all who are willing to give it a go. “We see families coming together like they haven’t been able to before, bonds strengthened between friends and couples and teams growing stronger by the minute,” says Krynitz enthusiastically. “It’s a way of life which is incredibly contagious. Seeing the nature and humanity at its core is something many people find fascinating and we constantly get people coming back year after year to experience it all over again.”

The popularity of ecotourism is on the uprising. The wave of consciousness spreading through Europe has opened people’s eyes to alternative ways of living, holidays and getaways, and the inspiring duo behind Urnatur couldn’t be more pleased. “Sweden should, as a country, see the potential of the nature and become more of a spokes nation for ecotourism than it is now,” Krynitz says. “We have incredible nature and the resources and knowledge needed to protect and maintain it. Preserving the moments we get in places like ours is immensely rewarding and a great complement to the ways most people go about their lives today.”

For more information, please visit www.urnatur.se