Coolcation in Drevsjø — escape Europe's heatwaves

Across Europe, summers are getting hotter. Heat records keep falling, and the idea of a sweltering city break is losing its appeal. That is why "coolcation" — a holiday built around cool air, cold water and forest shade — has become one of the fastest-growing travel trends. Drevsjø, at around 670 metres above sea level in the Norwegian mountains, is one of the coldest inhabited places in Southern Norway. And it is only 2 hours 54 minutes and 247 km from Oslo Airport — close enough for a long weekend, far enough to feel like a real escape.

The numbers: a year at the farm

The chart below shows the temperature range at Nordre Drevsjømoen, the area where the farm sits, from June 2025 to June 2026. Even in mid-summer, the average stays in the low teens, and the nights often drop to single digits. August 2025 averaged just 11.1 °C — almost exactly on the long-term normal for the month.

For a current forecast, see the Nordre Drevsjømoen weather forecast on Yr.

What "cool" feels like here

Cool does not mean uncomfortable. In July and August, the days are long, the sun is warm, and the forest is green — but the air stays fresh. Mornings are crisp enough for a fleece. The rivers and lakes are cold and clear. You can sleep with the window open and never think about air conditioning. After a day of hiking, fishing or paddling, the evening temperature drops to something that actually helps you sleep.

This is not a coincidence of one summer. Drevsjø sits in a high inland valley, surrounded by forest and mountain plateaus. The elevation keeps the heat away, the trees keep the shade, and the water keeps the air from ever feeling sticky. For families, anglers, hikers or anyone who finds southern Europe's summers exhausting, it is a very different kind of summer holiday.

What to do on a coolcation

The cool air is only part of the reason to come. The area around Forest Ranger Farm is full of things to do in summer:

• Hiking — climb Mount Sølen or take a longer trek across the Femund-Engerdal highlands.
• Fishing — the lakes and rivers of the region hold trout, grayling and char. See our World Masters Fly Fishing Championship post for a sense of the water quality.
• Wildlife watching — moose, reindeer, red fox, bear, lynx, wolverine and wolf all live in the district. Read more on our Wildlife page.
• Paddling and swimming — Femund lake and the smaller mountain lakes are clean, quiet and refreshingly cold.

Stay at the farm

Forest Ranger Farm is a historic government forest ranger home, restored for guests but still sitting in the same forest it was built to watch over. It is a quiet base with wilderness on all sides — the kind of place where a coolcation actually feels like one.