On Sweden’s sun-drenched island of Gotland, a new kind of destination is quietly redefining the idea of rural escape. Sibbjāns, a regenerative farm stay shaped by friendship, craftsmanship, and a deep respect for nature, officially opens on April 2, 2026 for its first full season. More than a hotel, it is a living landscape where agriculture, design, and Nordic tradition come together in thoughtful harmony.
Sibbjāns began as a shared dream. Couples Pontus and Sanna Rönn, and Jonas Nordlander and Kira Zeidler, longtime friends who divide their lives between Stockholm and Gotland, envisioned a place that would feel personal, intentional, and rooted in the land. Over the past four years, they have transformed a former horse farm into something entirely singular in Scandinavia: a regenerative retreat where guests are invited not simply to stay, but to participate in a slower, more grounded way of living. After a soft opening in 2025 for friends and family, Sibbjāns now steps into its first full season ready to welcome a broader, like-minded community drawn to nature, food, and meaningful design.
A Place to Rest and Reconnect
At the heart of Sibbjāns are 22 individually designed rooms spread across the Farmhouse Hotel and The Bunkhouse. Each space is named after important women in the founders’ families and circles, weaving personal history into the guest experience. Interiors balance classic Scandinavian touches with contemporary art, sheepskin throws, limewashed walls, and soft, muted palettes that echo the surrounding fields and sea.
The buildings themselves were constructed and restored using traditional methods, with much of the work completed by hand. Local craftsmanship is central to the project’s ethos. Architect Maja Berg played a key role in shaping the property alongside Erik Larsson, a Master of Gotlandic Craft Heritage, who built some of the original structures and continues to preserve traditional building knowledge. The result is an atmosphere that feels both timeless and quietly modern, designed not for spectacle but for endurance.
The Kitchen Follows the Farm
Sibbjāns is not simply inspired by farm life. It is farm life. The property is home to hens, mangalitza pigs, horses, and sheep, with agriculture forming the backbone of both the guest experience and the kitchen philosophy.
In the gardens, lead gardener and local Karin Winberg tends to meadows, vegetable beds, and fruit-growing plots with a gentle, attentive hand. Produce is grown on-site and harvested seasonally, supporting a true farm-to-table approach. Menus shift with the land, and when winter arrives, the kitchen rests alongside it, honoring the natural calendar rather than resisting it. This pause is intentional. Sibbjāns closes entirely during the darker winter months, reopening in spring when light and growth return.
The dining experience reflects this rhythm. Ingredients are simple yet expressive, allowing flavors to speak for themselves. Meals feel communal, rooted in the pleasure of gathering around food that has been grown just steps away.
Experiences and Viking Wellness
For the 2026 season, Sibbjāns introduces a restorative approach to wellbeing described as Viking Wellness. Inspired by Nordic traditions and the physicality of outdoor life, the offering emphasizes immersion rather than prescription.
Guests can join hand-built yoga sessions in the evolving wellness spaces, unwind in a wood-fired sauna, or use outdoor recreational areas designed to reconnect the body with the landscape. Plans are also underway for one of the world’s most beautiful tennis courts, blending sport with scenery.
Beyond structured activities, the island itself becomes a playground. Cycling across open farmland, riding horses through fields, or kitesurfing along Gotland’s windswept coastline allows visitors to engage with nature on their own terms. This is wellness grounded in earth and wind, elemental rather than elaborate, and transformative in its quiet simplicity.
Sweden’s Sunshine Island
Gotland is often called Sweden’s Sunshine Island, known for its distinctive limestone landscapes, wide skies, and strong right to roam ethos. The island’s capital, Visby, offers medieval charm, but beyond the town lie open stretches of coast and countryside that feel refreshingly untamed.
Reaching Sibbjāns is part of the experience. Visitors may take a short flight from Stockholm to Visby, followed by a scenic drive across the island. Others choose the ferry crossing, allowing the mainland to fall away before arriving somewhere distinct and deliberately unhurried. For those seeking a more direct approach, helicopter arrival is also possible, adding a touch of drama to the pastoral setting.
Open from Easter through Christmas, Sibbjāns embraces the seasonal arc of light and darkness. By closing during the deep winter months, it aligns itself with the island’s natural rhythms, inviting guests to experience Gotland as it truly is rather than as a year-round resort fantasy.
Built Slowly, Designed to Endure
At its core, Sibbjāns is a place for friends, old and new. It is built slowly, grounded in regenerative principles, and guided by a belief that hospitality should feel personal and rooted in place. Every decision, from construction methods to menu planning, reflects a desire to create something that will last.
As it opens its first full season, Sibbjāns offers more than a farm stay. It offers a vision of how travel might feel when shaped by seasons, friendship, and a respect for the land. In a world that often moves too quickly, this corner of Gotland stands as an invitation to pause, breathe, and belong.
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