At the southernmost tip of Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, lies Sibbjäns, a family-owned restaurant and hotel spread across 123 acres of meadows and woodland. Self-positioned as “Sweden’s first boutique farmstay,” the 22 individually designed rooms are furnished with vintage pieces by Alvar Aalto, Carl Malmsten, and Charlotte Perriand, as well as artworks brought in by the family, which lend the warmth of a private home.

The property, which opened in April, feels at one with its natural surroundings and takes regenerative principles seriously, practicing small-scale farming and using ingredients from its kitchen gardens and neighboring producers. Beyond the standout terroir-driven dining, highlights include a natural pool, a yoga barn, a wood-fired sauna, chef-led foraging, and beach excursions along the island’s wild coastline. The property is also available for private booking for up to 46 guests.

Left: Flower-filled garden with stone paths outside a white countryside building. Right: Two sheep standing in a grassy paddock near a wooden fence. — Courtesy Sibbjäns

When

Sibbjäns opens for the season at Easter and closes after Christmas. From April through early June and again from October to December, it operates on weekends only; in summer, it’s open daily, and then pares back to Wednesday through Sunday service in September.

Where

The southern tip of Gotland—Sweden’s largest island, about 50 miles from the mainland—is well outside the main tourist circuit. It’s known for its open landscape and dramatic limestone formations, deep heritage and historic settlements, and a food culture that is closely tied to the land and sea.

Visby, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the edge of the Baltic Sea, is Gotland’s largest town and was once a major trade hub for Vikings and, later, the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval network of merchants. Today it has the closest airport to Sibbjäns, and ferries shuttle there from Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn. From Visby, it’s an hour car ride to the property; the hotel can arrange for private transfer.

Left: Rustic tiled hallway with wooden ceiling beams, bench seating, and built-in storage. Right: Warm dining room with a long wooden table, sheepskin-covered chairs, and soft natural light. — Courtesy Sibbjäns

The Proprietors

Sibbjäns is independently owned and operated by two families: Jonas Nordlander and Kina Zeidler and Pontus and Sanna Rönn. The neighbors and close friends rebuilt the 19th-century limestone estate from near ruin, sourcing reclaimed materials locally and working with architect Maja Berg to restore the original tiled stoves. The families also developed a regenerative farming operation that supports the hotel and restaurant in a closed-loop system.

Design

The restoration preserved original oak floorboards, roof tiles, and stones from the stoves. Each of the 22 rooms was designed independently, with its own color scheme and collectible Scandinavian vintage furnishings. The yoga barn, built to resemble a traditional tröskvandring (circular threshing building), has dry-laid limestone walls, large windows offering views of the garden from all sides, and a 30-foot roof made of local sledge grass by master thatcher Erik Larsson.

Rooms

The property’s rooms are spread across two buildings: The Farmhouse and the Bunkhouse. The former features nine rooms and shared spaces that recall a private home, including a fully equipped kitchen with stocked cookie jars, fresh-baked Swedish pastries, and herbal teas ready for steeping. Guests also have access to the living room, dining room, and a boot room that’s stocked with Tretorn boots, umbrellas, and raincoats to protect against the tempestuous Baltic weather.