2020-03-01_Wanderlust

34 wanderlust.co.ukMarch 2020

ACCOMMODATION

T

heArcticBathmayhave
beenalongtimecoming
(nearlyadecade,infact),
butit’swellworththe
wait.Now,travellersto
Sweden’sfarnorthcansleepunder
theswinginglightsoftheaurora
borealisoranundyingsunatthis
cosywellnessretreat,theonlyoneof
itskindtofreezeintotheLuleRiver
inwinterandfloatduringsummer.
Createdbytheteambehindthe
nearbyTreehotel,muchoftheArctic
Bath’scharmliesintheunique
floatingstanceofitsspaandcabins

• therootofitslengthywaittime


• andeco-friendlydesign.Woven
  fromnaturallyfelledlocalpineand

spruce,thecircularspabuilding

reflectsalogjamintheriver:

areminderofthetimewhenthe

Luletransportedtimberbytheton.

Beyondthatdesign,youcanalso

trotthroughsnow-brushedforests

onhorsebackorzipacrossthe

wildernessbyhusky,returningback

toyourcabin(floatingorgrounded

onthetree-linedshore)tocosyupby

aroaringfire,beforewrappingup

warmtositoutonyourprivatedeck

totakeinthenorthernlights

(Aug-March)–thesoulsofthedead,

orsoSweden’sindigenousSámi

peoplesay.Summervisitsbringbear-

spottingormoosesafariexpeditions

underthemidnightsun(May-July).

Getthere

Norwegianoers

lightsfromLondon

GatwicktoLuleå

viaStockholmfrom

around£157return.

Theshortestjourney

timeis 4 hours

and 55 minutes.

Transfersfromthe

airporttotheretreat

canbearranged

andtakearound

75 minutesbycar.

Refreshyourselfwithasauna(and

aplungeintheLule)beforediningon

thelocallysourcedSámi-stylemenu.

Withreindeeroutnumberinghumans

threetoone,youcanexpectfresh,

smokedorsaltedmeat,but

vegetariandishesareonoffer,too.

Slowthingsdownfurtherwith

aquintessentiallySwedishfikacoffee

breakwitharegionaltwist:acheese

cubemarinatinginyourbrew.Thisis

thetimesetasidetochewonthe

goodthingsinlife–notdiŒculton

thissereneescapetotheArctic.

From9,600SEKpppernight(around

£780),onahalf-boardbasis,including

breakfast,dinner,fullspaaccessand

spakit.arcticbath.se

FindoutwhySweden’snewesteco-friendlyspahotelisabreathoffreshair

DREAMSLEEP

Arctic Bath,

Swedish Lapland

EXPLORE

Daniel Holmgren

And relax...

Out in the tall

timbers you’ll

fi nd the unique

Arctic Bath hotel