PAN Treetop Cabins: Norway’s Unforgettable Treetop Escape
Nearest Airport: Oslo Airport Gardermoen (OSL) – approximately 2 hours by car from PAN Treetop Cabins. PAN also offers a pick-up service from the airport.
Eight metres above the forest floor, with nothing but glass between you and the trees, PAN Treetop Cabins makes a compelling case for leaving the conventional Norwegian hotel behind. Hidden in Finnskogen, an ancient forested region of eastern Norway, the three cabins are as much an architectural destination as they are a place to stay, combining dramatic Scandinavian design with the quiet pleasure of being completely surrounded by nature.
PAN was founded in 2018 by Kristian Rostad and Christine Mowinckel on their forest estate beside Gjesåssjøen, with the ambition of creating a retreat where visitors could reconnect with the landscape. The result is deliberately intimate, it features three private cabins suspended above the woodland, with forest trails, wildlife and a remarkable collection of outdoor experiences on the doorstep.
The Cabins : Which One to Choose?
Designed by Norwegian architect MNAL Espen Surnevik, PAN’s cabins were created to make as little impact on the surrounding landscape as possible. Rather than being attached to the trees, each cabin stands on four pillars anchored into the natural rocky ground, leaving the woodland beneath largely undisturbed. The structure rises eight metres above the ground, while large glass façades bring the forest and changing light into the interiors. There are three cabins in total, all standing eight metres above the forest floor and offering 40 square metres.
PAN 1: Best for families and groups
PAN 1 sits on a small natural plateau and has the most expansive views of the three cabins, looking across the forest towards Østerdalen and the Hedmark highlands. It combines a dramatic treetop setting with a surprisingly practical layout, with six beds arranged across four singles and one double. The interior is divided into three separate areas that function as individual sleeping spaces, making it particularly well suited to families or groups of friends who want privacy without losing the sense of being together.
PAN 2: Best for wildlife and nature lovers
PAN 2 is the choice for anyone drawn to the quieter, more immersive side of Finnskogen. Nestled among dense birch, spruce and pine woodland, it overlooks the Gjesåssjøen Nature Reserve, an area known for its rich birdlife and opportunities to spot wildlife.
PAN 3: Best for couples and a more intimate escape
For a more secluded stay, PAN 3 is tucked further among the trees, creating the most intimate atmosphere of the three. It is also the smallest in terms of capacity, sleeping four. The interior again features three separate areas, allowing for privacy while retaining the open, connected feel of the cabin.
Despite the wilderness setting, this is not rustic camping dressed up as luxury. The cabins have electricity, running water, heated floors, a kitchen, fireplace, shower and toilet, alongside 4G, parking and electric-car charging. Bedding, towels and cleaning are included, and wellness products are provided in the cabins. The combination of bold architecture, wilderness and comfort is what makes PAN so unusual. Heated floors, a private bathroom, running water, a fully equipped kitchen and fireplace make the cabins wonderfully comfortable, but the experience remains firmly rooted in nature.
Food at PAN follows the same connection to its surroundings, with ingredients sourced from local producers and a menu that changes with the seasons and availability. Meals can be delivered directly to the cabins, while nearby Søstuen2280, a beautifully restored log-house farm café beside Gjesåssjøen, serves locally roasted coffee alongside local, organic and homemade dishes.
Why stay at PAN Treetop Cabins?
There is a particular kind of luxury to being able to disappear into the forest without giving up comfort. PAN offers a genuinely off grid luxury way to experience Norway, here you can wake up high above the trees, having everything needed for a comfortable stay close at hand, and spending the day immersed in nature rather than connected to a screen. Rather than simply providing a beautiful base for exploring the region, the cabins make the landscape the experience, with the forest surrounding you, the changing light coming through the glass and the treetop setting making even a quiet morning feel memorable.
There is also a welcome sense of disconnection here. There is no Wi-Fi, encouraging a proper break from screens and the outside world, while 4G is available when needed. Evenings are better spent by the fire, cooking in the cabin, following the stars or simply watching the forest settle into darkness.
It is also an opportunity to discover a less familiar side of Norway. Finnskogen has a distinctive cultural heritage shaped by Finnish settlers who began arriving in the region in the 16th century, bringing their traditions, beliefs and way of life to the Norwegian forests. PAN offers experiences exploring this Forest Finnish heritage and its folk traditions, adding a fascinating cultural dimension to a stay that could otherwise be simply about the scenery.
Sustainability is woven into the experience, from working with local businesses and producers to encouraging longer stays that reduce the environmental footprint of each visit. PAN is Green Key certified and works with local organisations to support small communities, while its sustainability programme also includes work training for people who may otherwise be excluded from the workforce.
Beyond The Treetops
It would be easy to spend an entire stay simply watching the forest from the cabin, but PAN has built an impressive programme of experiences around its setting. Marked walking trails lead directly from the cabins, including routes connecting with the historic Finnskogleden. For something more adventurous, guided tracking safaris venture into Finnskogen in search of moose, deer and other wildlife, while wolf safaris offer the chance to listen for wolves in the forest beneath the night sky.
Water-based adventures include canoeing on the area’s lakes and rivers, while the warmer months lend themselves to fishing and cycling. PAN says there are around 500 kilometres of forest roads to explore by bike, making this a particularly appealing base for anyone who prefers their wilderness with a little more momentum.
Winter brings its own appeal, with snowshoe adventures, cross-country skiing and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the snowy forest. There are gentler options, too, including forest bathing, spa treatments and a visit to PAN’s handmade treetop shelter, or gapahuk, around one kilometre from the cabins.
Related Reads: Best Hotels In Norway To See Northern Lights
A Hot Tub Beneath The Stars
One of PAN’s most distinctive experiences is the House with Three Walls, a secluded shelter in the forest built using materials salvaged from old barns in Solør. Its fourth wall and roof are, quite deliberately, the surrounding forest and open sky. At its centre is a pre-heated hot tub maintained at 40°C, making this an especially atmospheric place to spend an evening. PAN specifically highlights the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights from the tub, as well as the Milky Way and stars on clear nights. While Finnskogen is not in Norway’s Arctic Aurora belt, the experience is less about travelling specifically to chase the Northern Lights and more about having the night sky become part of the stay.
How to get to PAN Treetop Cabins
PAN Treetop Cabins is located in Gjesåsen, in Åsnes municipality, at the heart of Finnskogen. By car, it is approximately two hours from Oslo, and you can drive directly to the cabins, with parking available beside them. Electric-car charging is also available. Public transport is possible, although driving is the more straightforward option. From Oslo, you can take a train towards Hamar or Kongsvinger, followed by a bus to Flisa, with the journey taking approximately three hours. PAN can arrange a pick-up from Flisa if booked at least two weeks before arrival. A pick-up service from Oslo Airport Gardermoen is also available and must be arranged at least one week ahead.
For all its architectural drama, PAN’s real luxury is much quieter. It is the luxury of waking above a Norwegian forest, spending the day walking beneath spruce and pine, returning to a warm cabin as darkness falls, and ending the evening in a 40°C hot tub with nothing above you but the sky. In a country celebrated for its fjords and mountains, PAN offers a different kind of Norwegian escape, one rooted firmly in the forest.
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