Five clearly separated older village clusters, an open, cultivated area at the centre and a direct connection to Lake Siljan define Hjortnäs. The village also has distinctive farm layouts, traditional homes and cycle routes that pass through it. When planning your trip, you can explore different aspects of the village: its settlement history, agricultural landscape and historic shipping. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment in Hjortnäs, these themes can help you plan a stay around your interests.

Village Clusters and Storåkern

The five older village clusters lie clearly separated from one another in the landscape. Four of them are located around Storåkern. This spatial layout has remained largely unchanged since the land redistribution of the 1820s. Hjortnäs also has a long history: in the 16th century, it was one of the largest villages in Leksand. Taken together, the number of clusters, their separate locations and this historical connection give a tangible impression of the village’s layout.

Storåkern lies at the centre of Hjortnäs and is a large, open, flat landscape area. The village’s clay- and silt-rich grazing and cultivated land is concentrated here, and the area continues to be fully farmed. This open landscape is therefore also agricultural land in active use. For those interested in cultural landscapes, it offers a different way to explore the village’s history than individual buildings do: the continuous, still-cultivated area is also part of the village’s character. Storåkern is considered to be of very high cultural-historical value.

Farms and Wooden Houses

Hjortnäs has an unusually high proportion of older farms laid out in a square or enclosed by buildings on three sides of the farmyard. The two forms describe different layouts: in one, the farmyard is square; in the other, buildings enclose it on three sides. The distinctive farm layout can therefore be understood by looking at how the buildings are arranged.

Traditional Swedish homes in Hjortnäs include parstugor, houses consisting of two room sections. There are an unusually large number of well-preserved examples of this house type here. Together with the different farmyard layouts, this draws attention to two aspects of building history: the design of individual homes and their arrangement around the farmyard.

The wooden houses of Hjortnäs and Sunnanäng are considered an important source for understanding Leksand’s wooden-house culture and have particular cultural-historical value. This connection broadens the view beyond individual house types to the building culture of both villages.

By Lake Siljan

Hjortnäs lies directly on Lake Siljan. Together, Hjortnäs and Sunnanäng have more than 90 boathouses, which bear witness to the lake’s historic shipping. Alongside the agricultural landscape, the use of the lake is therefore also part of the village’s history. There is also a festival site at Hjortnäs brygga, which is still frequently used for events including dances. If you want to plan your visit around a particular dance event, it’s best to check the dates in advance.

Art enthusiasts will also find a specific point of interest: Hjortnäs Handel Galleri is listed as a venue in the Dalarna Art Trail 2026 programme. If you’re planning a visit around a particular date, it’s worth checking the relevant programme.

Cycling and Planning Your Stay

Two cycle routes pass through Hjortnäs, each offering different points of reference. Tällbergsrundan runs through the village and then climbs towards Tällberg. Leksandsturen Nord also passes through Hjortnäs, is about 40 kilometres long and, among other places, goes past Hjortnäs brygga. The stated distance is approximate. This makes it possible to compare specific features: the climb towards Tällberg after the village on one route, and the approximate total distance and the section passing Hjortnäs brygga on the other. Check the route details before setting out, as they may change.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Hjortnäs, you can choose what to focus on based on your interests: the village layout and building history, its connection to Lake Siljan and the lake’s historic shipping, or the cycle routes described here. These themes offer different starting points for planning a stay, without requiring you to follow a set sightseeing itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Leksand, Tällberg, Insjön, Siljansnäs, Djura

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