Stories
Field notes, hotel discoveries, and seasonal routes from the collection.
If experiences around nature, activity and great food inspire you — keep reading. I have some hidden gems to share.
Through a wonderful connection in Switzerland who has been supporting our metsa journey, a few introductions were made, and before I knew it, I was on a train or in a car heading toward some truly remarkable people and places. At metsa, we're all about opening doors for our travelling guests matching you with genuine people and beautiful spots around the world. First stop: Engelberg Andreas, Managing Director of the grand Kempinski 5-star luxury hotel in Engelberg, had invited me for lunch an
Hiking - the Nordic, King Charles III and Singapore ways
Hiking is one of the strongest intent drivers we see on metsa.ai. But interestingly, people almost never search just for “hiking”. They search for something more layered: hiking with a sauna, hiking with great food, hiking with architecture, hiking with silence. That tells you everything. Hiking is no longer the goal. It’s the backbone of a much bigger experience. And if you look at what’s happening globally, the same pattern is emerging. On metsa.ai you can find 4000+ hiking routes alone in
Peace & Quiet Nature Hotel, Swedish Lapland
At the edge of the world, where the forest gives way to tundra and silence becomes a presence of its own, lies Peace & Quiet Nature Hotel — now part of the Metsa curated collection. Hidden deep in Swedish Lapland near Jokkmokk, on the fringe of the UNESCO-listed Laponia wilderness, this is not a place you simply arrive at. You earn it. And the hotel experience starts right at the airport because you can get to the hotel by dog sled across frozen plains, by snowmobile through silent forests, by
From forest with recognitions by Michelin and White Guide
Remarkable examples of finest Nordic cuisine from our collection.
Metsa.ai: The Future of Travel Discovery
Most travel now begins with an intention. A desire to spend days hiking through open landscapes. To ride long gravel cycling routes without traffic. To ski through quiet Nordic forests and recover in a sauna at dusk. Increasingly, travel planning starts with the experience itself, with how you want your time to feel and only later with where it might take place. Norway, Sweden, Austria, and Estonia, these are settings. What comes first is movement, immersion, and time outdoors. The priority is
From bog to marathon: a winter weekend the Metsa Way
Winter in the Nordics right now? Unfairly beautiful. And the Metsa team did what we always preach—we went out to live it. Because if we don’t walk the talk, who will? The weekend keywords: snow, skis, kilometres, firsts, and an unexpected rescue mission for Kliff. Our CPO Lauri casually decided his first ski season should include a 31 km freestyle marathon. For context—he bought his first pair of skis just one month ago. Normal behaviour at Metsa. Founders Kaidi & Stine took different compas
Stine — from winter Olympics to sustainability and Metsa
“There’s a moment in every story where something that sounds strongly irrational starts to make perfect sense.” For Stine Lise Hattestad Bratsberg, that moment began with a regular catch-up call. On the other end was Kaidi Ruusalepp, talking about building nature hotels. The immediate reaction was honest and instinctive—“are you crazy?”—the kind of response that usually protects you from unnecessary risk. And yet, within a year, that same idea had turned into something entirely different. Not j
Triin Oselein: The best ideas don't come to me at desk
Triin Oselein, a close friend of the team, is a nature enthusiast. For her, quiet and remote hiking trails are a must—either at home in Estonia or abroad. Here's her take on nature activities–the why and how. Triin, how often do you step into nature? At least once or twice a week. Honestly, it's something my heart and body simply need, I can't do without! What's nature for you - more of a beautiful park in the city or a deep forest somewhere faraway? For me, nature first of all means deep fo
The era of experience economy and adventure travel
Adventure travel has moved decisively from niche to mainstream and is by now a trillion-dollar industry. According to Adventure Travel News and data from the global adventure travel industry, the sector is now valued at over USD 1 trillion and continues to grow faster than conventional leisure travel. The numbers behind the growth Recent industry reports highlight several defining facts: * The adventure travel market has grown at an estimated 10–15% annually over the past decade, consisten
Winter adventures in Lapland – where Arctic traditions meet pure play
At the far north of Europe, Cahkal Hotel sits at the meeting point of three Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Located in Kilpisjärvi, deep in Finnish Lapland, the hotel is surrounded by open fells, vast skies, and plenty of nature providing many opportunities for adventure and active discoveries. Ice fishing with nets: a living Lapland tradition Imagine stepping onto a vast frozen lake in Finnish Lapland. The air is crisp and clean, the forests around you heavy with snow, and t
Nature will define travel in 2026
In 2026, the ultimate luxury isn´t more - it´s less. Here are some of the trends shaping travel and hospitality this year. Nature, with momentum First of all, travel is becoming quieter, but not necessarily slower. While data shows that more and more travellers are seeking calm, space, and escape from crowds, they are increasingly pairing that desire with active engagement in nature. Think trail running through alpine forests, multi-day scenic hiking, gravel biking in remote regions, and lon