Wildlife Cottage with Lake Views & Fireplace

Take a front-row seat to the changing seasons at Fågelviken Cottage (The Bird Bay Cottage), overlooking a wildlife-rich bay of Lake Mälaren. 50 minutes from Stockholm Arlanda airport, this lovingly restored Swedish cottage is a great place for birdwatching, cycling and slowing down. Spot white-tailed eagle, osprey and red kite from the cottage, as well as geese, cranes hares, deer and moose. Enjoy coffee on the terrace or settle into a comfortable chair beside the fire with a good book. The space The 45-m2 cottage has an open plan kitchen-dining area and is equipped with all the necessary appliances and utensils you'll need to cook a lovely meal. The kitchen/dining space flows into a spacious and bright living room with comfortable reading chairs, a fireplace and a cosy double bed. An additional single bed can be added on request. The newly renovated bathroom includes a shower, toilet, sink and washing machine. Bed covers and towels are provided. There is also a small entrance hall with a traditional Swedish drying cabinet - especially useful after a walk in changeable weather. In addition to the fireplace, the cottage has an air source heat pump for heating in winter and air conditioning in summer. Fågelviken cottage is within easy reach of Stockholm, Uppsala, Västerås and Arlanda airport (50 min drive), yet feels peacefully removed from city life. Hjälstaviken Nature Reserve, one of Sweden’s best-known birdwatching areas, is within cycling distance. Situated on a small working farm at Lake Mälaren, you may see cows in the paddock near the cottage or a tractor passing by during the farming season. There are no neighbours in close proximity except for the main farmhouse where our friendly, multilingual family lives. The cottage is a semi. However, the other half is not in use during your stay. Guest access Relax indoors or outdoors. There's a terrace and a spacious garden with a BBQ overlooking the surrounding countryside and bay. Firewood is included, so you can cook outside all year round or simply sit by the fire as evening falls. You are welcome to pick a a few herbs for your meals from the little herb garden. Parking is included in the price. Bicycles and binoculars are included in your stay too, together with a picnic basket and blanket. Inside, read beside the wood-burning stove, play a board game and enjoy the rare luxury of having nowhere else to be. The farm has two small jetties a short walk from the cottage. There are two nice village beaches too, approximately 10-15 minutes away by bike. Kayaks are available to hire during the summer months. The area around the cottage is ideal for: - Walking, running and cycling - with great paths in the nearby forests and along the lake - Birdwatching and wildlife photography - Reading, writing and relaxing by the fire - Painting - the light's amazing! - Picnics at the lake or in the forest - Berry and mushroom picking - Cross-country skiing and snow-walking, ice-skating - depending on weather - Sightseeing in Stockholm & Uppsala - Uppland There are a few excellent golf courses in the area - less than a 30-min drive away. Other things to note WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE Every season brings something different. In spring, cranes and geese return to the bay and the deep, booming call of the elusive Eurasian bittern carries across the reeds. A rich selection of songbirds provides the soundtrack at Fågelviken cottage, particularly during spring. You can watch swallows race through the skies and observe jackdaws help their young leave their nests in the summer. During autumn, large gatherings of migrating geese can be seen outside the cottage as they prepare for their journey south. White-tailed eagle and osprey are frequent visitors. A red kite, rare in this part of Sweden, makes an occasional appearance. Hares and deer may appear near the terrace, especially during the colder months. Occasionally, a moose passes through the surrounding fields. INCLUDED IN YOUR STAY - Two pairs of binoculars - Bird guides in English, Swedish and German - A map with recommended wildlife-viewing spots, running and cycling tracks - Bicycles - A picnic basket and blanket - Firewood - Bedding and towels - Free parking - Wi-Fi As is customary in Sweden, please leave the cottage tidy. Final cleaning is therefore not included in the price. SUSTAINABILITY The cottage has been carefully restored using timber from our farm’s forest. Our photovoltaic panels produce more energy on average than our farm uses, helping us keep our CO2 footprint low. Recycling is important to us; we compost food waste on the farm. GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE BOOKING A railway line runs approximately 500 metres behind the cottage. Trains pass a few times per hour during daytime, less during the night. The wildlife-rich bay and main views are on the opposite side of the cottage. Fågelviken is best suited for two people looking for a relaxing countryside escape. Come to watch the birds, explore the landscape, exercise, finish a book - or simply enjoy doing very little.