Photo: L.G.foto, CC BY-SA 4.0
Orsa Finnmark · Ljusdal Municipality · Gävleborg County, Sweden
Fågelsjö
A Forest Finn village by a lake, with a World Heritage farm in its midst, a national park around the corner and some twenty residents who are happy to have company.
Welcome to Fågelsjö
Fågelsjö lies in Orsa Finnmark, deep in the forest where the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland and Härjedalen meet. The village belongs to Ljusdal Municipality in Gävleborg County, but geographically to Dalarna – and culturally, above all, to the Forest Finns. The first settlers arrived in the 1670s, descendants of slash-and-burn farmers from Savonia in Finland, and their farms, gunsmith forges and way of life still shape the village today.
In the middle of the village stands Bortom Åa, Fågelsjö Gammelgård, one of the seven Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2012. When the owners moved into their new house at Christmas 1910 they left the old one untouched – and so it remains, with clothes in the wardrobes, rifles on the wall and an unfinished letter on the table.
Around the village: lake Fågelsjön with its many islands, Hamra National Park with 400-year-old pines four kilometres away, mile upon mile of forest with bears and moose, and in summer the Inlandsbanan railway stopping by for coffee. This site gathers what we know about the village – for those who want to visit, and for those who live here.
Explore
History The history of Fågelsjö: the Forest Finn colonisation of Orsa Finnmark, the settler Sigfrid Markusson, the gunsmith trade, the Bortom Åa farm, the chapel, the Inlandsbanan railway and the village today.
Bortom Åa farmhouse Fågelsjö Gammelgård Bortom Åa – a World Heritage farm in Orsa Finnmark. Opening hours, prices, guided tours, café, courses and what you will see.
Nature and outdoors Nature and activities around Fågelsjö: lake Fågelsjön, Hamra National Park, fishing in the Finnmarken area, canoeing, hiking, berries, wildlife, snowmobiling and skiing.
Stay and eat Accommodation and food in Fågelsjö: STF Fågelsjö Gästis hostel, cabins, motorhome pitch, Café Bortom Åa, and places to stay and eat in Hamra, Los, Tandsjöborg and Sveg.
Getting here How to get to Fågelsjö: directions via the E45, the Inlandsbanan summer trains, bus 46 Mora–Östersund, distances to Sveg, Orsa, Mora, Ljusdal and Stockholm.
Practical information Practical information about Fågelsjö: nearest shop, health centre and hospital, Ljusdal Municipality, Los-Hamra parish, the heritage society, the community hall, fibre broadband, post and emergency numbers.
Events The year's events in Fågelsjö: the Priest's Weekend, the craft festival, the Inlandsbanan festival, midnight walks in Hamra, Loos Week and the farm museum's programme.
Map Interactive map of Fågelsjö with the farm museum, the chapel, the hostel, the station, lake Fågelsjön, Hamra National Park and the nearest towns.
Photos Photographs of Fågelsjö, Bortom Åa, lake Fågelsjön and Hamra National Park, freely licensed via Wikimedia Commons.Good to know
The farmhouse museum
Open 1 June–13 September, daily 10–17. Guided tours at 10, 12, 14 and 16. SEK 160, children under 15 free. Read more
Shop & fuel
No shop in the village. Nearest grocery stores are in Los (about 30 km) and Sveg (about 40 km). Fuel up in Sveg or Orsa.
Stay the night
STF Fågelsjö Gästis hostel is open all year with self check-in. Book on +46 657 300 30. Where to stay
By car
Take the E45 (Inlandsvägen) between Orsa and Sveg. Turn off at Fågelsjö vägskäl; the village is about 3 km along Fågelsjövägen. Getting here
By train & bus
The Inlandsbanan tourist railway stops at Fågelsjö in summer (mid-June to mid-August). Bus 46 Mora–Östersund stops at Fågelsjö vägskäl all year.
Hamra National Park
One of Sweden's first national parks (1909), 4 km from the village. Old-growth forest, mires and the never-logged Svartån river. Nature
Fishing
Lake Fågelsjön and some thirty other waters belong to the Finnmarken fishing conservation area. Permits via iFiske; free for anyone 16 or under.
Emergency
Call 112. The nearest hospital is Mora (about 100 km); the local health centre is in Färila/Los. Medical advice line: 1177.
Pictures from the village All photos →
