Up on the mountain there is no shop

This is part two of four. You can read part one here, part three here and part four here.

A little further into the Härjedalen, the landscape begins to change. The undulating hills of the valleys are replaced by steep mountains and deep valleys, while there are very few straight stretches. In the distance you can see snow-capped peaks that gossip that the seemingly high mountains you pass may not be so impressive in comparison.

Before the trip, we learned that Härjedalen has by far the highest average height of all the landscape with one lowest point at 230 m.a.s.l. The area has Sweden's highest location, Högvålen, which is at a full 830 m.a.s.l. Other things that stand out are that the vast landscape only has 10,000 inhabitants.

It had been a very quiet trip since we left Dalarna with barely a single encounter on the way and we almost began to wonder if anyone lived in these parts at all. However, this changed drastically when we entered Funäsdalen where it was full of life and movement. We continued towards Tänndalen, which felt significantly more convivial with a slower pace and significantly fewer tourists. Finally we arrived at the final destination which was Fjällnäs.

The small village is dominated by lake Malmagen, which is framed by high mountains in all directions. Out on a small peninsula is Sweden's oldest mountain hotel with the same name as the village, i.e. Fjällnäs. We were a little tired when we arrived, but it was still impossible not to be captivated by the incredibly beautiful location. The hotel is right down by the water and only a few hundred meters away the mountain fades into view. We southerners are also used to lakes being at sea level, but this lake does not follow the logic and is instead located at 782 m.a.s.l.

The hotel was already started in 1882 and they were then pioneers in mountain tourism as most people at that time considered a summer in Skåne to be exotic. Over the years, they have had both celebrities and royalty as guests. Ever since the start, they have had an ambition to provide a stripped-down and authentic experience that can perhaps be seen as a tribute to the Swedish mountain world.

The main building is quite unassuming but well-maintained and gives the feeling of a bygone era of charming guesthouses where the well-to-do went to spend their holidays. Right next to it are some other buildings of a more modern design that contain, among other things, premium rooms, spa and conference rooms.

We also can't help but mention the insanely cozy mountain cabin that is up on the mountain. Read more about it and our hikes around Fjällnäs here.

Even on the inside, you get a warm, comfortable boarding house feeling where everything is calm and harmonious. Bright woods and tasteful colors together with a fantastic view of the beautiful mountain landscape.

In the area there is something they call Aula Capella, a meeting room that is used for everything from yoga, weddings, conferences, religious services, etc. and the room itself is quite unique both inside and out.

Mii Gullo spa is within walking distance, where you can take a sauna, get treatments and take a dip in the cozy outdoor pool. It's hard not to enjoy the experience with such a setting. There is also a room where you can sit and relax in comfortable sun loungers with a view of the mountain.

Then we come to the food. We expected a bit of rustic home cooking, as is usually the case at mountain hotels, or rather something similar to our trips to Lake Grövelsjön or The seal. We can state that we were completely wrong in a very positive way. The food at Fjällnäs is on a completely different level than we got used to on our mountain adventures. Admittedly, there are clear local influences with e.g. clean, fish and berries but still with a finesse and feeling that you might mainly associate with the slightly more advanced cuisines.

Another thing that really stood out was the wine suggestions. Normally, restaurants tend to be a bit cowardly when it comes to wine packages, a lot because it should suit everyone, but here they really didn't follow that philosophy. Almost all the wines were different and brave choices that, somewhat unexpectedly, went well with the food. Hats off to their sommelier.

Another thing that contributed to the guest house feeling was that the owners of Fjällnäs ate dinner in the dining room and after the meal they went around the tables to talk a little with the guests. We also bumped into them on a number of other occasions during our stay and they seem like a very nice couple who are really passionate about their little mountain hotel.

In addition to the excellent dinners, they also had a slightly special breakfast. Buffet breakfast is pretty much the standard today in Swedish hotels, but here they had chosen a different path. You received a tray with freshly baked bread and some cold cuts as well as a menu with slightly odd but good breakfast choices. You can see some of them below but another favorite that we unfortunately didn't get a picture of was yogurt with berries and dulce de leche.

How then should all this be summed up? Everything was absolutely fantastic! The food, the environment, the service and nature were in an incomparable harmony, which made this our best experience so far. We have been to many nice places over the years but this is the first one that we give ten points by a good margin.

If you want to read more about our hikes during your stay, click here.