A calm lake reflecting the forest under a clear sky

Flottstad

Nature & Activities

Northern Värmland is forest, water and a long sky. Flottstad sits in that countryside, near the village of Höljes. The notes below are about the region, and not every place is beside the house.

Snow-covered trees in low winter sun
Sunset light on a wide river, with forested banks on both sides
Mown grass and forested hills in northern Värmland, with a small dark outbuilding

The Klarälven

The Klarälven is one of the great rivers of Värmland. For centuries, timber from the northern forests was floated downstream towards Karlstad and the industries further south.

Vildmark i Värmland describes it as the last river in Sweden where commercial timber floating continued. That work ended in 1991. Rafting on the river is still offered in the region, as an experience of the old route rather than as something this house organises.

Log driving on the Klarälven

The Klarälven as a historic log-driving river

Höljes

Höljes is the nearby village: a small place among the forests, close to the Norwegian border. For most of the year it is quiet. Once a year it is also known to rallycross visitors.

Höljes — home of the Magic Weekend

The Höljes rallycross track publishes its events, including the Magic Weekend, on its own website. Some guests may be travelling for that weekend and looking for a house nearby. It is a useful thing to know. It is not the reason Flottstad exists. The house remains a place for people who want peace.

Höljes RX

Wildlife in Northern Värmland

The owners sometimes see a moose in the garden. During migration, cranes have landed nearby. Forest birds belong to the place as well.

These are things the owners have seen, not a promise. A moose or a crane is a gift when it happens.

Walking and Finnskogen

The forests around northern Värmland are reason enough to put boots on. Finnskogen, the forest of the Forest Finns, carries a cultural history of Finnish settlements as well as trees and quiet.

Visit Värmland describes the Tapioleden, near Torsby, as a 16 kilometre walk among forest and historic Finnish farms. That length is theirs, not a distance from our door. Brattfallet, further south, is a waterfall with waymarked walks, including the Halgå Trail. It can be a day out in the region. We have not published a driving time.

The history of Finnskogen

Tapioleden

Höljan nature reserve

The Höljan reserve, described by the County Administrative Board of Värmland, protects a stretch of running water, older forest and the nature that goes with them. It lies in the northern part of the county, towards the Norwegian border.

Höljan nature reserve

Brattfallet

Brattfallet is a waterfall south of here, with several walks. Visit Värmland introduces it together with the Halgå Trail. Treat it as a possible day trip, not as the view from the kitchen window.

Brattfallet and the Halgå Trail

Fishing

Fishing is part of a stay for some guests: a rod, a lake, and an unhurried afternoon. Waters in Sweden often require a permit, and this house does not grant fishing rights or access to private water. Check the local rules before you fish.

Northern lights in green and violet above a dark treeline
Fish cooking over an open fire in a wire basket