Free holiday in the woods: The experiment by a Nordic state that ends abruptly if the noise is too loud

A region in southern Sweden has offered tourists a free stay in a forest cabin, with one rule: the silence must not exceed 45 decibels. Any sound too loud would have resulted in the immediate end of the stay. The experiment was launched to draw attention to noise pollution, reports Euronews.

In October, the Skåne region launched an unusual tourism campaign. The authorities in the south of the country were looking for tourists willing to spend a few days in a cabin in the forest.

Johanna Holm, originally from southern Germany and a student of pedagogy, was one of the participants in the “Stay Quiet” challenge. Here's what she learned after a quiet weekend in a cabin in the woods.

Sweden is offering a free stay in a forest cabin, with one condition.

Visit Skåne has launched the 'Keep Calm' campaign in response to noise pollution, which project manager Josefine Nordgren describes as “one of the most underrated environmental issues of our time”.

“Studies show that constant exposure to noise increases stress levels, disrupts sleep, and affects both physical and mental health. Nature, on the other hand, has proven restorative effects. It lowers heart rate, improves concentration, and helps the body recover from stress,” she says.

The team wanted to give people a chance to experience what happens when the everyday noise disappears.

“The initiative became a kind of real-time experiment to see how the participants feel after a few days spent in nature, without screens, without distractions and without noise,” adds Nordgren.

Visit Skåne also wanted to show that modern tourism is not necessarily about doing as many things as possible.

“Sweden, and Skåne in particular, offers something increasingly rare in the world: access to true peace,” says Nordgren. “We wanted to emphasize that silence is not a void, but a resource, one that supports both human well-being and sustainable tourism.”

She also notes that in Sweden nature is easily accessible thanks to the principle of “Allemansrätten”, a public right that allows people to walk freely (and respectfully) in nature, including on private land.

“I was so happy I could have screamed for everyone to hear”

Visit Skåne launched an international open call in October and received more than 200 applications from 30 countries.

Three pairs of participants were selected, from Denmark, Germany and Great Britain.

Holm signed up with her sister. “Everyday life can be very hectic and noisy, so I thought this challenge can bring us closer to ourselves and nature,” she says.

The only real rule for the stay was that sounds stay below 45 decibels, roughly the noise level in a quiet library or office.

Holm says it wasn't hard to stick to the limit, aside from some communication difficulties with her sister because they had to speak in whispers.

“For us, staying quiet in this quiet area of ​​nature just seemed the only thing right,” she says.

The only really loud noise she wanted was when “I was so happy I could have screamed for everyone to hear.”

Holm says they had plenty of activities to keep them occupied without noise and without screens. They built a fire to cook, looked at the autumn leaves and spent time reflecting. Creative activities were provided in the cabin, including writing a letter to your future self.

“It was full of new adventures and experiences: walking into the forest at midnight with no light, cooking our food over the fire, feeling so connected to the nature around us and becoming so peaceful and rested within because of the silence,” she says.

“Just sitting still made me feel so balanced and calm like I haven't felt in a long time.”

Holm's stay was a success, both for her and for Visit Skåne.

“Silence helps you hear your inner voice”

As project manager Josefine Nordgren explains, “The idea was never about strict silence, but about awareness, to help visitors understand how their own sounds interact with the sounds of nature and what silence feels like when it's real.”

Holm says she wants to recreate the joy and peace she felt in the cabin and in her everyday life.

“During those days at the cabin I felt incredibly calm, happy, energized and fulfilled, and now I want to find a place like this for myself, my friends and family,” she says.

“And above all, I want to be silent more often, because it gives you the power to hear your inner voice even more clearly.”

Photo: © Sophie Mcaulay | Dreamstime.com