Dalstuene

Dalstuene (The Dal cabins) also known as the Skogstuene(the forest cabins) are the museums historical site in Kvænangen municipality. They are found in the innermost part of Kvænangsbotn and are only reachable by walking.

Kvænangen municipality. They are found in the innermost part of Kvænangsbotn and are only reachable by foot. The path to the cabins are about 3 km long and is a cultural walking route.  One of the cabins are available for rent.

The site consists of three cabins, “Gammelstua” (the old cabin), Stallen(the stable), and Nystua(the new cabin). The first cabin “Gammelstua”, were put up in the 1880s while the other were built in the early 1900s. The cabins were used in connection with harvesting resources from the forest year round. The cabins were built in place to then be moved if the activity was moved to a new area. The “Nystua” have been moved several times. It has stood in both Niemenaikku and Toppelbukt, before being moved to where it stands now.

It was after the second world war all three cabins were gathered at this spot. In the 1960s the cabins were in such a poor condition that the government owned “Statens skoger” put up a new cabin, the “Dalstua”. In 1981 a cooperative, Kvænangen skogstuer AL were formed. Nord-Troms museum joined as an advisory part. Torleiv Steinsvik from Kjækan and Severin Vangen from Kvænangsbotn did most of the restoration, which was finished in 1985. The site then got its final form as it stands today, with building the three cabins into one unit. The cooperative was dissolved in the 2010s and have been replaced with a volunteer interest group. The cabins are owned by «Statsskog» but are run by the museum.

The three lumber cabins are joined by standing panel wood. This architectural style is typically Kven and is found all over Torne valley. With this style you could save on both materials and labour. This kind of building could house both people and livestock. Here in the valley the people were woodsmen and the livestock the horses. The areas between the cabins were used for storing equipment and fodder for the horses. Both the Stallen and Gammelstua have been used for stables. Nystua has only been used to house people.

The area where the cabins are, became protected in 2011, as Kvænangsbotn landskapsvernområde.

The cabins are placed in a beautiful landscape used much for recreation, walking and skiing. On the walk up to the cabins you can follow a cultural walking route that has information about the natural and cultural history of the area.  

Foto: Jan R. Olsen