Ambassador: Martin

How did you find Sorsele municipality?

I was on holiday in Sweden and drove northwards. As I came farther north, I saw less people and more nature. Straight away I felt this was something I liked because in Germany there is a lot of people in a small area.

The reason I chose Sorsele is because I found a very good website in German where you could buy houses in Sorsele municipality. We did some reading, and Sorsele seemed like a good place to live. “This place is good,” was the feeling when I first came here.  

Tell me what you do in your everyday life and in your spare time?

I combine running my own business with working at Systembolaget (the liquor store) as an employee.
In my spare time I take care of the business Aha Lodge. I fix and repair things, help my guests with fishing and I like to tinker with wood and build all sorts of things. At the moment I am building outdoor furniture, and I have built our two rental cabins myself. 

Our basic idea for the business was horseback riding where you can choose to book anything from an hour to a multi-day overnight ride, but we soon realised when the families arrived that one half wanted to ride while the other half of the family had no interest in horses whatsoever. So, we bought fishing equipment and started offering forest walks where we tell our guests a little about what berries you can eat. We went from only horseback riding to outdoor adventures. We also ensure that guests can rent fatbikes and canoes. 

What is Sorsele municipality to you?

If you live in a German village, you just live, there is nothing more. But if you live here the infrastructure is perfect and you have everything you need. It is possible to live here, not only survive. Here people take the time to be kind to others and everyone is willing to help you.

Where is your special place in Sorsele municipality?

Ha-ha are you supposed to reveal your chanterelle spot. Perhaps not, but one place is the Aha cape. It is a place on the other side of the lake that you can reach neither on foot nor by car. There is a long sandy beach and for 360 days a year you will be alone there. The first time I went there I saw large bear tracks, so the beach belongs to the bear and the moose. 

In what sense does Sorsele municipality as a place help your dreams come true?

I sought solitude and wilderness and that is what I found. If I leave from the front of my house in Aha, I have less than 20 kilometres to Sorsele where you can find a school, health care, police, and shops. But if I leave from the back of my house there is only wilderness. I have a good combination with the security of my children on the one hand and living my dream on the other. 

What would you say to someone who is thinking of moving to Sorsele municipality?

If you seek wilderness with fishing, hiking, hunting, birdwatching, or whatever there is a possibility to live your dream here.

When you drive into Sorsele town, there is a sign that says Sorsele has been the most generous municipality in the country, and it is actually a generosity that comes from within the hearts of the people. You are always given the help you need, and you never feel alone here.