Arctic Treehouse Hotel

Nestled in the middle of a forest on the outskirts of Rovaniemi is the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel. There are 32 cube-like structures on stilts with a floor-to-ceiling window in the front (Arctic TreeHouse Suites) and five houses with their own private sauna (Arctic GlassHouses). Keeping in line with Scandanavian design, each suite is clean and sleek. The small space is cosy and well-designed; there is even a bunk bed for children hidden above the closet. The panoramic window was perfect for viewing the snow-covered trees during the day and the northern lights at night. It was exactly what we had imagined for our winter escape in Finland. 

EAT

There is a great restaurant on site, Rakas, where we dined on Lappish delicacies such as reindeer, fish and cloudberries.

see

Lying on the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi is among other things, the official home of Santa Claus. The Santa Claus village is as expected all about Christmas. Open year-round, you can visit the man himself, shop for souvenirs or send a postcard from Santa's Post Office. You can also cross the Arctic Circle as you make your way from one side of the village to the other. 

Nearby you can visit a very different accommodation altogether. The Arctic SnowHotel is rebuilt each year with snow and ice. Each room is decorated with amazing ice sculptures and reliefs. We had a drink at the Ice Bar where our shots were served in ice glasses. There was even an Ice Sauna where we experienced frost and then extreme heat within seconds of pouring water onto the hot stones. 

Thank you Arctic Treehouse Hotel for providing support on our visit to Lapland.  All opinions expressed are our own. 

arctictreehousehotel.com

Levin Iglut

I remember first seeing photos of the glass igloos in Lapland years ago and knowing we had to go there someday. Since then, these glass-dome structures have become increasingly popular in northern Finland. Undoubtedly some of the best ones are at Levin Iglut. Located outside of Levi, the hotel is only a fifteen-minute drive from Kittilä airport. 

Each igloo has a bed, shower, toilet, kitchen and small sitting area. The beds are motorized so you can adjust the position for viewing the northern lights. Breakfast is included and served in their restaurant Aurora Sky. We ate dinner there one night and cooked our own meal over a fire in the kota the other night.

In addition to the igloos, they have the Northern Lights House, which sleeps up to six people. It wasn't occupied when we were there so we were able to rent it for two hours that day to use the private sauna and outdoor hot tub overlooking the fell. 

I am glad we were finally able to cross this off our bucket list. Sleeping under the stars and watching the northern lights from our warm cozy bed is an experience we'll never forget. 

Levi is Lapland's largest ski resort so naturally there are lots of winter activities nearby. We went on a snowmobile safari for the first time and it was really fun. Our tour took us to a reindeer farm where we went on a short sleigh ride and fed the reindeer. After warming up with a drink and snack, we switched who was driving on the snowmobile and headed back into town.

leviniglut.net