Team Wanderlust | 05 February 2021
Dream Sleep: Ice & Light Village, Kalix, Sweden
How does falling asleep in your own snow globe sound? Drift off while watching the northern lights in a new cosy cabin in Swedish Lapland
How does falling asleep in your own snow globe sound? Drift off while watching the northern lights in a new cosy cabin in Swedish Lapland
Watching the northern lights swirl above your head is a dream come true for most of us. Just try not to doze off before you see them when you stay at Ice & Light Village in Swedish Lapland, a mobile collection of five cabins that are housed within heated glass igloos.
For their first season, though, they’ve been set on the banks of the Kalix River, opposite the small town of Kalix, close to the Bay of Bothnia. The word kalix comes from the Sámi for ‘cold river’, but you can stay warm while watching the lights from a bed beneath the cabin’s skylights. Unusually, you can also gaze at the lights from chairs on a snowy deck outside your cabin, still inside your heated igloo.
Keeping warm by the fire (Elisabeth Gustavsson STARK fotografi&design)
Founder Maarit Lindvall’s niece, architect Emma Strömberg, designed the igloos so expect minimalist Scandi décor – think cool blues, sheepskin blankets and ash wood. Breakfast is sandwiches, pastries, fruit and yoghurt in bed, while local chefs – such as MasterChef participant Lotta Öström – provide in-room dinner options.
The Kalix archipelago is full of character. Just 30 minutes walk from the igloos’ current location sits Kalix church. Built in 1472, it’s Sweden’s northernmost medieval church. Meanwhile, an al fresco fika coffee break is also the opportunity to try the local delicacy: Kalix vendace roe, or ‘the Gold of Bothnian Bay’.
In summer, the igloos are well placed for a spot of birdwatching (look out for terns, grebes and guillemots) or for hiring kayaks and fat bikes. In winter, hop on a kick sled – a sledge made for two out of a chair with handlebars – to explore the riverbanks and fir-tree forests. Alternatively, rent ice fishing equipment, snowshoes or cross-country skis, or join a snowmobile, icebreaker or husky dog tour – before returning to your igloo to dream of the northern lights.
Cosy beds (Elisabeth Gustavsson STARK fotografi&design)
Scandinavia Airlines (flysas.com) fly indirect from London and Aberdeen to Luleå. From the airport, it’s a one-hour drive to Ice & Light Village in Kalix. A private airport transfer costs 1,700 SEK (£150) one way.
A twin or double cabin with breakfast and kick sleds costs from 1,690 SEK (£150) per night.
For more information, visit ice-and-light.com
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