Sleep under the Northern Lights at the Igloo Village
In Kakslauttanen, Finland, visitors at the Igloo Village gaze at the wintery night sky from the comfort of luxury glass-ceilinged igloos.
Designed as a solution to tourists’ stargazing shivers, the concept stemmed from architect Risto Eräpohja asking this question:
“What about watching the Lights, from bed, inside?”
Twenty glass igloos, built from a thermal glass that won’t freeze or steam up, provide stunning views of the Northern Lights. Each igloo is equipped with a toilet and luxury beds, and offers a little privacy by way of side curtains.
The one-of-a-kind resort also offers 60 less expensive, yet colder snow igloos, a rustic log cabin restaurant, a snow restaurant that seats up to 150, an ice bar and an ice gallery displaying ice sculptures.
Making it a perfect destination-wedding spot, the Igloo Village also has a snow chapel available for visiting lovebirds.
Igloo Village boasts the world’s largest smoke sauna, and offers guests a variety of winter safaris — husky, snowmobile, or reindeer — ice-fishing trips and guided ski treks.
This is one resort that has a weather-dependent season. The igloos are available sometime between December and January until late April. Year-round, guests can stay in one of the 40 first-class log cabins on the Hotel Kakslauttanen property.
Expect to shell out up to $550 (US) for one night under the Northern Lights — plus a not-so-cheap flight to Finland.
Looking for an igloo getaway a little closer to home? Quebec’s Village Igloo can’t offer thermal glass domes, but will give you an authentic, rustic winter-sleeping experience. After an evening of Inuit folklore around the campfire, visitors sleep on a floor of soft pine branches inside an igloo.
If sleeping on a floor of branches isn’t your thing, there’s always the showstopping Hôtel de Glace. Romantic, sure, but Finland still wins best view.
Would you embrace winter with an igloo getaway? Or do you need a snow-free resort to keep you free from the winter blues?
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