Hotels of the Month

Photo: Dan Aagren

Hotel of the Month, Norway A chic, eco-friendly summer by the sea

Stokkøya Strandhotell lies tucked away on an island in Trøndelag, situated near one of Norway’s finest beaches. Surrounded by the most stunning landscapes, with a vast variety of bird and sea life, as well as serene waves, Stokkøya Strandhotell has a nature experience for everyone.

By Celina Tran

You’ll find Stokkøya Strandhotell on the hidden Norwegian pearl that is Stokkøya island. Once you set foot on the island, you’ll be met by rippling waves and a fresh sea breeze. With a tropical freshness to the air, there is no way of knowing that this beach is, in fact, closer to the North Pole than the Mediterranean Sea.

Torild Langklopp, who owns and runs Stokkøya Strandhotell with her husband, Roar Svenning, as well as her sister, Ingrid Langklopp, explains that a sense of calm washes over visitors upon arrival. “It’s like time stops,” she says. “The sound of waves, birds soaring overhead, it’s all just very peaceful.”

From tents to the tropics The beginning of Stokkøya Strandhotell’s adventure began long before it was officially established in 2000. Roar Svenning grew up on a farm on Troningen, where his family provided accessible and simple camping spaces for campers and tourists. The waters surrounding Stokkøya have always been a place of pilgrimage for divers. Perhaps it was fate, then, when Roar and Torild eventually met at one of the divers’ meetings. In 2000, when they inherited the sheep farm from Svenning’s parents, they were left wondering how to make a living out of the space. Ideas were exchanged, thought-wheels began turning, and a grand plan was soon set in motion. They believed Stokkøya deserved its place in the sun, and decided to make it an attractive travel destination.

Today, Stokkøya Strandhotell has caught the eye of the international press for its sustainable, contemporary design, as well as its exotic and luxurious – yet eco-friendly – nature experience.

Eco-friendly and chic From the very beginning, Stokkøya Strandhotell’s goal has been to create a gorgeous travel destination while preserving the nature that surrounds. Along with the architecture company, Pir 2,

they have built chic, modern and sustainable SUB-houses along the beach, larger coastal homes, and a beautiful bar and restaurant space called Strandbaren – ‘The Beach Bar’.

“When we first built the SUB-houses, we invited master’s students from Gothenburg to help us design and create recycled and refurbished furniture from old bits and bobs,” Langklopp says. The results of the collaboration are the chic holiday homes that line the beach today.

Stokkøya Strandhotell’s team applies environmental awareness, eco-friendliness and locality to every aspect of their business, including the food and drinks service. Old, unused or inedible bread is passed on to the local distillery, where it’s used to produce world-class gin. Similarly, the hotel only uses local or onsite produce.

“We grow our own vegetables and berries and still have sheep. All our food sources either come straight from here, the ocean, or other local producers. We work with local farmers and cheese producers, and we grow our own vegetables, so our food menu is seasonal and ever-changing,” says Langklopp.

At Stokkøya Strandhotell, the staff practice composting and recycling, and encourage their guests to do the same. “We want to make the world a better place. Therefore, we really push sustainability, which is why we not only encourage our guests, but also our business partners to do the same,” Langklopp adds.

The best of Norwegian nature and entertainment If you’re looking to spend a summer in the magical, Norwegian nature, there’s no place better than Stokkøya. In addition to one of Norway’s most beautiful beaches, the island is home to mountains and nature trails. They might not be Mount Everest, but they boast great grandeur and beauty, ideal for new and experienced hikers alike.

“On this island, we bathe and swim all year round,” Langklopp says. “The waters are also great for fishing and div-

Photo: Per Erik Jæger Photo: Stokkøya Strandhotell

Photo: Jarle Hagen ing, especially free divers.” After a swim, guests are welcome to use the sauna on the beach. If a dip in the sea isn’t quite up your alley, there is more than enough space to sunbathe and dig your toes in the sand, or grab a drink at the beach bar. Stokkøya Strandhotell also hosts plenty of concerts for the entertainment of guests and locals. No matter the intention of your trip, Stokkøya Strandhotell has something for everyone.

“We offer stays of every size and for every budget. For those who want an even more nature-immersive, yet luxurious stay, we also offer glamping experiences, which include furnished, fully-fitted tents on the beach,” Langklopp says.

Despite the vast upgrades that the small sheep farm and campsite has seen, Stokkøya Strandhotell still offers sites for visitors to pitch their own tents. There is truly something for everyone.

www.stokkoya.no Instagram: @stokkoyastrandhotell Facebook: Stokkøya Strandhotell og Strandbaren

UPCOMING CONCERTS: Ola Bremnes – 16 June Ingrid Olava – 29 June Erlend Ropstad – 06 July Best Western Swing – 02 September Silver Lining – 09 September Thorleif Bratval – 01 October

Hotel of the Month, Finland A luxurious retreat for peace-seekers

In this world, where busy calendars, phone screens and constant notifications are the norm, Kuru Resort has gone in the opposite direction. The private, adults-only luxury resort offers guests a chance to switch off from the hectic daily grind and unwind in the breathtaking setting of Finland’s Lake Saimaa.

By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Kuru Resort

“Everyone deserves indulgent moments. That thought is at the heart of everything we do. We’re in the business of making sure our guests are able to relax as much as possible,” says Kuru Resort’s CEO, Tiina Seppänen.

The resort is open only for adults and has 20 villas, located in the middle of a breathtakingly beautiful pine-tree forest with a lake view. Each villa has its own bathtub and sauna – and breakfast is delivered to the villa every morning. The villas have been designed with the surrounding nature in mind: the room décor works in harmony with the nature, and each villa has floor-to-ceiling windows.

Located in Rantasalmi, in the Southern Savonia region of Finland, Kuru is all about taking it slow and being gentle. The carefully thought-out details – the smells, the music and materials – are designed to appeal to the senses and help guests calm down and relax. “There is a lot of evidence to support the healing properties of being in nature. The constant flood of information and stimuli puts our minds and bodies under a lot of stress. In order to reverse the effects of this, we need to allow ourselves some time away from the constant demands of our daily lives. At Kuru, guests can be close to nature in a

luxury setting. It’s where luxury and nature meet,” Seppänen explains.

From enjoying pampering body treatments at the spa, or at the guests’ private villa, to lounging on the villa’s terrace and taking in the stunning lake views, everything at Kuru Resort is centred on one thing: how to maximise guests’ relaxation. “Small details, like having breakfast brought to you instead of having to get up, can have a big impact. Kuru is more than just a destination. It’s a place where adults can relax and truly forget about the hectic daily grind back home,” Seppänen explains.

Quieten your mind With a variety of stress-relieving and relaxing activities available, such as yoga, breathwork classes, meditation and sound-bowl sessions, Kuru Resort invites guests to shut out the noise and quieten their minds. A relaxation programme and daily guided relaxation lessons are included in the price of the accommodation. In addition, each villa comes kitted out with a booklet, titled The Art of Relaxation, which includes gentle exercises to support unwinding. “Relaxation can look different for each person. For one person, it can be laying on the terrace in a bathrobe all day – and for someone else, it might be a hike in the forest, or a snowmobile safari. Whatever relaxation looks like for our guests, we are here to make it happen,” says the CEO.

The cherry on top for the ultimate indulgent holiday is a relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatment, of course. Kuru is also the first place in the Nordics to be home to the prestigious Sisley Day Spa. Sisley products utilise essential oils and plant extracts, and their treatments soothe the body and mind through massage rituals from around the world. There are a number of treatments to choose from, and the resort also has a steam sauna and an outdoor hot tub to really make the most out of the relaxation.

Just a short walk from the resort, The Lake Spa incorporates wellness with Finland’s famous Lake Saimaa. The spa is built in the middle of natural rocks, and large windows offer an uninterrupted view of the adjacent Lake Saimaa.

The nature theme extends to Kuru’s restaurant, too: the menu is inspired by Finnish nature and Lake Saimaa. The ingredients are fresh and sourced locally whenever possible. “Our head chef, Remi Trémouille, prepares meals with passion from the purest, freshest locally-sourced ingredients available,” says Seppänen.

“We offer a selection of tailored packages to ensure your vacation is everything you dream of. But the main thing to remember is that, in Kuru, you don’t necessarily need to be doing anything. Being ‘lazy’ and just learning to ‘be’ is the most important activity here,” Seppänen concludes.

www.kururesort.com Facebook: kururesort Instagram: @kururesort

Hotel of the Month, Denmark A seaside retreat in Denmark’s northernmost village

In recent years, Denmark’s traditional seaside inns have surged in popularity, thanks to the wildly popular historical drama Badehotellet. The TV series is set close to Skagen – Denmark’s northernmost town – where the Kattegat Sea and the Skagerrak Strait meet. But the history that the show brings to life isn’t lost: in Hulsig, 13 kilometres south of Skagen, lies Hotel Inger – a family-run inn, due to celebrate its 75th anniversary next year. The seaside retreat is a time-warp to the 1970s.

By Lena Hunter | Photos: Hotel Inger

“People come here for the peace. We’re close to Hulsig beach, Kandestederne beach and the migrating sand dunes at Råbjerg Mile. Both are picture-perfect,” says Anne Christine Nielsen, who runs the hotel together with her mother Else. Though Hotel Inger is just nine minutes from Skagen by train, it’s startlingly quiet – nestled in a serene pocket of nature. “The evenings here are magical. Last night, a couple of guests ate dinner with us, then took a cold bottle of white wine up to the sand dunes to watch the sunset,” says Else. “We also get a lot of cyclists who are here to bike the coastal tracks, and bird-spotters who come for the guided walks.”

Living history Else and Anne Christine are second and third-generation family of Inger Nielsen, who founded the hotel in 1948. “Inger grew up working at traditional coastal hotels and dreamt of starting her own – somewhere down-to-earth, with no snobbery. She started serving coffee and good Danish food in the garden and it became a local favourite. We run the place with respect for that vision,” explains Else. Today, a few things have been modernised. “The wine glasses are three times the size!” say the pair, flashing identical smiles. “But we don’t throw away, we repair.” In that vein, heritage furniture has been reupholstered, while new interior features in the hotel’s 20 rooms are integrated with original 1970s design.

Meanwhile, Hotel Inger’s kitchen has remained a word-of-mouth sensation – open for lunch and dinner visitors as well as hotel guests. “We’re famous for our plaice, fishcakes, pork roast and Inger’s Kringle – a type of sweet, spiced Danish pastry with hazelnuts and raisins,” says Anne Christine. Else even runs popular fried-eel nights that give diners the chance to try a forgotten Danish classic. There’s no affectation here. From the unspoiled coastline and stunning sunsets to the homely rooms and delicious cooking –Hotel Inger is as authentic as it gets.

Book a room, or a table for lunch or dinner via the website.

www.hotel-inger.dk Facebook: hotelinger

New Scandinavian music: July’s hottest tunes

By Karl Batterbee

Tove Lo has just announced the autumn release of her new album Dirt Femme. It will be her fifth but, rather excitingly, the very first under her own record label. On it, she will explore “the intricacies of her femininity” – without the interference of higher-ups, this time. New single True Romance is a welcome taste of what’s to come: an unfiltered tale about awkwardly falling for someone you know you shouldn’t, with a vocal delivery that incorporates all the passionate peaks and lows that come with such a scenario.

We have new music from one of Finland’s best popstars Jannika B - she’s back with her latest single P.A.S.K.A. In terms of musical references, this song has got it all. At least all the good stuff, anyway. Bombastic rock, ‘60s girl-band fabulosity, and hardcore electro, combined into a creatively brilliant pop tune. It’s a kitchen-sink approach that might read questionably on paper, but which has paid off on record.

Norwegian pop superstar Dagny is back again and, indeed, banging again. On her new single Brightsider, she explores being someone who always looks on the bright side. The bright side is the sole side to this song, however - no darker sonic realms. This euphoric pop number features drums beaten even harder than her usual, in an attempt to be heard over the ambitious melody of the chorus. All light, absolutely no shade.

The seasonally topical focus on light continues (and concludes beautifully) with Swedish duo Pure Shores, and their new release Light Of My Life. It’s an upbeat track with both feet planted unwaveringly in the sounds of the ‘80s. It eschews the usual neon hues that come with modern-day songs inspired by that era, and instead gives us a celebration of the carefree beats that represented commercial pop radio at that time. This song deserves to be a mainstay on today’s commercial pop radio!

www.scandipop.co.uk

Monthly Illustration Street cred

I went to a rough school. When moving to the UK, we had no idea how divided the English school system was: private, grammar, state run. All we saw were different coloured ties and varying degrees of castle-like buildings. In hindsight, the ‘better’ the school, the more outlandish they seemed. Which is how I came to choose what I thought was the most normal – and with that, apparently ‘the worst’ – a heaving, run-down comprehensive.

While attending this school, I had a limited notion of just how ‘the worst’ it was. Sure, lessons often ended with furniture being tossed out of windows, or ambulances being called. Yes, I was aware our uniform was a bit tatty and that (some) teachers had extremely limited expectations of us. But I still had no idea that the division was so large. A few years ago, I ran into a man with a familiar accent at a dinner party. Sure enough, it turned out he’d attended a school just down the road from mine, one that was of a considerably higher calibre. When I pointed out his luck, he shook his head. “No, no, it wasn’t a posh school,” he insisted. “In fact, it was quite a common one.” When I mentioned the name of my school, I had to repeat it twice, as if he didn’t quite believe me. Then he shrunk from me in fear, whispering “we NEVER dared walk past your school in our blazers. You lot would have done us in.” And that pretty much sums up the one thing that I gained from being at the bottom of a very broad spectrum. Over two decades later, I still have street cred.

By Maria Smedstad

Maria Smedstad moved to the UK from Sweden in 1994. She received a degree in Illustration in 2001, before settling in the capital as a freelance cartoonist, creating the autobiographical cartoon Em. Maria writes a column on the trials and tribulations of life as a Swede in the UK.

The blueprints of Google Maps as we know it were laid out by a pair of Danish brothers. Photo: Google

Leading the charge: Scandinavia’s greatest inventions

Today, Scandinavia is fertile ground for innovation. Its cosmopolitan cities champion a favourable work-life balance and generous welfare state, allowing for bold entrepreneurship and experimentation. In recent years, Sweden has been pegged as a haven for start-ups, home to the second-most unicorn companies per capita in the world. The focus is largely on fin-tech, but bootstrap companies of all orders are flooding to the Nordics to chase a billion-dollar valuation. With that in mind, let’s take a jaunt through Scandinavia’s innovative history and greatest inventions.

By Lena Hunter

Google Maps is about as indispensable an app as you’ll find. But when Danish brothers Jens and Lars Rasmussen co-founded a digital mapping app called Expedition, in 2003, they were breaking new ground – and their work quickly caught Google’s attention. The tech giant promptly gobbled up the start-up, tweaked the software and launched Google Maps in 2005. Another milestone in smart location technology was the STDMA data link. In brief, this 1980s breakthrough allowed the Global Positioning System (GPS) to send and receive location information every second – paving the way for accurate, real-time location reports. The inventor was Hakan Lans, a Swedish multi-engine plane pilot hobbyist, who immediately saw the STDMA data link’s potential in air-traffic management. Today, it has become integral to global flight-tracking systems.

The first ever unicorn While Lans’ invention is a behind-the-curtain hero, we’re all familiar with Niklas Zennström’s. The Swede co-developed Skype – just as faster internet connec-

Street art in Christiania, Copenhagen - thanks to a Norwegian invention. Photo: JRodSilva

tions were becoming standard – punting expensive long-distance phone calls into obsolescence. Speaking to the company’s head-spinning early growth, Skype was the first ever unicorn company in the Nordics and sold to Microsoft for 8.5 billion dollars in 2011.

20 years before Skype ended the party for landline calls, Bluetooth ended the party for data cables – sort of. Bluetooth was developed by Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson, and named after Harald Blåtand, a Viking king who ruled Denmark and Norway (touché, Ericsson). Today, the technology allows us to wirelessly send and receive data via short-wavelength UHF radio waves.

Speakers and screens Best of all, Bluetooth allows us to play tunes via our portable loudspeakers. Incidentally, the loudspeaker has its roots in Danish research. In 1915, Peter L. Jensen pioneered the field when he was the first to manufacture moving-coil loudspeakers. Though Edward W. Kellogg and Chester W. Rice are considered the inventors of those widely used today, Jensen’s visionary contribution, over 100 years ago, to our ability to turn it up should not be overlooked.

We take for granted the ever-thinner, lighter, brighter and more responsive screens that surround us. But they are only possible thanks to the discovery of ferroelectric liquid crystals by the Swede Sven Thorbjörn Lagervall in 1979. In the ‘80s, Canon, Seiko, Sharp and Mitsubishi were amongst the major companies to pounce on the discovery in the race to channel it into display-technology perfection. The upshot was the modern Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Display (FLCD) as we know it – and which we are helplessly glued to.

Pacemakers and explosives In the sphere of health, Sweden has also made major contributions. In 1958, Rune Elmqvist developed a battery-run

Thor Bjørklund’s invention could not have come sooner Photo: Arla

Scandinvia’s favourable buisness and leisure conditions have made it a haven for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Photo: Ulf Grünbaum, Imagebank.sweden.se

artificial pacemaker – a device which generates electrical pulses to regulate the heartbeat. The first pacemaker operation was performed by surgeon Åke Senning at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, and the medical breakthrough went on to help millions of people worldwide.

Arguably the biggest contribution by Sweden to science was in the 1860s, when Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and the blasting cap to ignite it. After being licensed for use in America, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution, as it enabled mines to be dug deeper and faster, and paths to be cleared for the construction of roads and railway networks.

From one end of the explosives-spectrum to the other: safety matches were also developed in Scandinavia. Matches were nothing new – though the heads were made of phosphorus, which was unpredictable and often dangerous. It was Swedish Gustaf Erk Pasch who had the simple but brilliant idea to move the phosphorus onto the side of the match box, and to replace it with a non-toxic version in 1844. The innovation blew up –figuratively – and saw Sweden charge to the top of the match-production leader board, making up to 75 per cent of the world’s total stock of matches.

Norway, reporting for duty 50 years later, the Norwegian chemical engineer Erik Rotheim was granted a patent for the aerosol spray can. It was Oslo in 1927 and – despite the later proliferation of his invention – commercial applications for the technology at the

Loudspeakers, and the Bluetooth technology that they make use of are Scandinavian inventions Photo: Bang & Olufsen

time were not forthcoming. Rotheim died in 1938 and the following year his aerosol company went bankrupt. An American company bought the patent for 100,000 Norwegian kroner, and the 1940s saw an about turn for the invention. The decade witnessed the birth of the airbrush, aerosol paint, and aerosol bombs for insect control. Today, aerosol cans are everywhere. Rotheim may have died before he was appreciated, but the pioneer can rest easy knowing that he made it onto a commemorative stamp in Norway, in 1998.

Stockholm has the second-highest concentration of unicorn companies per capita in the world, after Silicon Valley. Photo: Susanne Walström, imagebank.sweden.se

At times, Sweden has produced up to 75 per cent of the world’s matches. Photo: Peter Knutson

But forget aerosol cans for the moment. Norway’s real gift to mankind is the cheese slicer. Semi-soft cheese of the type found in Scandinavia has a curious consistency that will not be tamed by a knife alone. It’s soft – but it needs to be manhandled. In 1925, the carpenter Thor Bjørklund saw this and – a practical man as he was – designed and patented a plane-like tool for slicing cheese – a design still sold today. Cheese has been around for well over 7,000 years. It’s almost unthinkable that we, as a species, made do for so long without a cheese-slicer.

Scandinavian Culture Calendar

–Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here!

By Hanna Heiskanen

Savonlinna Opera Festival (1 to 31 July) If you love opera, you only need to get yourself to the eastern-Finnish town of Savonlinna for the entire month of July to get your fill. The setting itself is both unusual and impressive: a medieval castle in the middle of Europe’s largest lake district. The event dates back to 1912, making it one of the oldest of its kind in the world. This year’s programme includes crowd pleasers Aida, Tosca and Carmen (with BBC Cardiff Singer of the World winner Andrei Kymach), plus a number of concerts. Savonlinna, Finland www.operafestival.fi

Oslo Chamber Music Festival (12 to 21 August) Let Oslo Chamber Music Festival take you on a gentle journey this late summer. The event – run by a foundation – is renowned for the high quality of its programming. In a concert on 13 August, the focus is on two strong female composers hailing from France, Rita Strohl and Nadia Boulanger. While on 18 August, you will hear tunes from the US – including Bernstein, of course. Oslo, Norway www.oslokammermusikkfestival.no

Helsinki Festival (12 August to 4 September) Under the umbrella of Helsinki Festival, a culture lover can discover more or less any type of event under the sun. Running since the late ‘60s, the musical range of the 2022 edition extends from Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo, to songs based on children’s science questions. Renowned British choreographer Wayne McGregor’s company will be performing, and there will be a conversation on art and artificial intelli-

What a joy to be a sculptor! Photo: Anna Danielsson / Nationalmuseum

TheLight andSpace exhibition at Copenhagen Contemporary. Photo: Copenhagen Contemporary

gence. Many of the events take place at the Huvila tent near the city centre. Helsinki, Finland www.helsinkifestival.fi

Light and Space (until 4 September) The Nordic midsummer light is something special – but so too is this awe-inspiring exhibition taking place at Copenhagen Contemporary. Comprising works of light, colour and installation, old and new, this 5,000-square-metre experience is unlikely to leave you cold. You will be able to name check Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson and James Turrell, among others. Refshalevej 173A, Copenhagen www.copenhagencontemporary.org

What a joy to be a sculptor! (until 11 September) The National Museum in Stockholm is always worth a visit, and even more so now that it has been named Swedish museum of the year. This summer’s sculpture exhibition focuses on forgot-

Savonlinna Opera Festival. Photo: Hannu Luostarinen

ten Swedish female artists from the turn of the century. The name of the exhibition is inspired by a quote from artist Ida Matton – one of the female pioneers of sculpture, which had traditionally been seen as a male occupation. Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2, Stockholm www.nationalmuseum.se

Play Beyond Play (until 31 December) Computer games are not just for children, as this exhibition at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm shows. Gaming is a global phenomenon that taps as much into nostalgia as future digital technology. Enter this all-encompassing experience to learn more about the history of computer games, and to try playing a few yourself. Perfect for a rainy day! Museivägen 7, Stockholm www.tekniskamuseet.se

See Angélique Kidjo at the Helsinki Festival this summer. Photo: Fabrice Mabillot

Scan Magazine Issue 144 July 2022

Published 07.2022 ISSN 1757-9589

Published by Scan Client Publishing

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