STORIES OF VÄRMLAND
Nature, the proximity to the mountains, and the opportunity to run a business — that’s what attracted Maarten Bellaard and his family to take the leap and move from the Netherlands to Värmland. Today, Årjäng is the place where Maarten builds campervans, and where the family is building a future for their children.
In a spacious, light-filled workshop at Högelian station outside Årjäng, two vans are in the midst of being transformed into campervans. The aroma of coffee drifts from the corner, where a small kitchenette, table, chairs, and children’s drawings in the form of bunting decorate the wall. Since last November, this has been home to Maarten Bellaard from the Netherlands and his company Wilderness Wheels. The family has also relocated and now lives on a farm not far from here.
"Everything we love is free here," Maarten laughs. "Värmland is great, it has a bit of everything. We’re close to Gardermoen, close to the mountains without actually living in them. It’s peaceful here, yet we’re still near Karlstad where there are more people. It would’ve been hard to run my business in the middle of nowhere, but that’s not the case here."
Passion for sustainability
Maarten gives a tour of the workshop. The white van is being transformed into a barbershop and will cruise around Oslo with its two owners as the city’s first mobile hair salon. The black van is being converted for a woman in her sixties who often goes on mountain hikes with her two dogs. Maarten speaks passionately about his customers and the process of converting vans in the most sustainable way possible.
He previously ran a similar business in the Netherlands. The decision for the family — consisting of his partner Lisette and their children Alva (5), Wende (4), and Simon (just six weeks old) — to move to Sweden last year was no coincidence. Maarten and Lisette had vacationed here no less than eight times before.
“We wanted to be closer to nature and live somewhere with space,” Maarten says. “Here, we had the chance to live on a farm and build a life where we can slow down.”
We wanted to be closer to nature and live somewhere with space. Here, we had the chance to live on a farm and build a life where we can slow down.
Maarten Bellaard
Entrepreneur
How was the move?
"The move was super easy — we barely had to think,” Maarten laughs. “We had support from many people around us: Ny i Värmland, Business Region Värmland, Almi, and the region through my partner’s job. There was a lot of ‘hand-holding’. We prepared carefully. Ny i Värmland actually visited the house before we placed a bid and filmed it for us, so when we flew here to see it, everything went quickly. We were focused and got everything in place — preschool, house, and work. I had also managed to study a bit of Swedish beforehand.”
“The best thing about Värmland is everything. We’ve found a house that suits us at a reasonable price. We live a peaceful life in a small community, but still have access to Oslo and Karlstad. It’s a great starting point for the trips we want to take. We love being in nature, and here there’s space to do that without disturbing anyone. If it’s a beautiful winter day, we can spontaneously decide to go skiing. It’s the complete package,” says Maarten.
A warm welcome in Årjäng
The family feels welcome and is really enjoying life in Årjäng. The locals are also happy that a young family has moved in. Many have offered their help, and the municipality is always there to turn to.
Their previous life looked quite different in many ways. The Netherlands is densely populated and life moves at a faster pace. Raising children also comes with very different conditions. Maarten explains that a preschool spot can cost up to 25,000 kronor per month and is hard to come by. Here, the fees are much lower, and the children attend a small rural preschool with hours adapted to the parents’ work schedules.
“The kids are happy, but most importantly, they have a good future here. That’s what matters most to us. They might move to New York when they grow up, but right now we’re giving them a peaceful life close to nature here in Värmland,” says Maarten.
Text: Elin Iderström
Bilder: Niclas Kindahl / Beegleton