The area with several houses, a jetty, a barbecue hut and flower meadows is owned by the Church of Sweden. Many children and young people from Storuman have spent their summer camps here, fishing, swimming, playing football and having summer holiday experiences that have created lifelong memories. The idyll, which has been inhabited for hundreds of years, also contains many stories and strange human destinies.
Many years ago, for example, there was a wedding between 27-year-old Sara and a man so old that he had to be helped by two other men before he died shortly after the wedding, leaving Sara a widow on the farm. She then hired a man named Finn Brinken as a farmhand. He had a history of statelessness after believed he had killed his stepfather in Vaasa, Finland, and had spent his whole life on the run after the murder. When he was away from Laisok, he would always sneak up the mountain first to make sure no strangers had arrived before venturing back home.
Sara became one-eyed after an accident with salted fish when she got hot brine in her eye. These two interesting characters lived and farmed on Laisok with the help of Tobias the Icelandic horse. Rumour has it that the spirit of Finn Brinken lives on at the site, perhaps he is the “Laisokgubben”, the ghost that school children have heard about at summer camps over the years.
It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk up the mountain in Finn Brinken’s footsteps, and once up you have a magnificent view of Kyrkberget and Uman that stretches between the mountains. We heard the cuckoo echoing over the mirror-like lake. There is said to be plenty of lynx and wolverine in the area. On a warmer day, bring your swimming gear for a dip in the crystal clear waters below.
Laisok Farm can be hired by individuals or organisations looking for a different kind of event in a place full of interesting culture and history.
