On the outskirts of the small Swedish town of Harads, you'll find a minimalist escape on land and water. Accommodation here is in hand-crafted wooden cabins sporadically spread around the highlight of Arctic Bath, the spa building that looks like a crown made out of wooden sticks.
The Scandinavian interiors have a strong focus on natural, locally sourced materials. Incorporating wood, stone, leather, and textile in the rooms essentially invites the wilderness indoors. The wooden cabins are equipped with a traditional fireplace adding to the cozy feel of this place. You have a choice of airy loft cabins on-shore or the somewhat more exciting ones floating on the waters.
Arctic Bath spa involves therapeutic rituals for the mind and the body. Expect the exquisite smell of essential oils, like the locally made pine oil. The pinnacle of the winter spa experience is the open-air plunge pool surrounded by wooden sauna huts. A quick dip after a sauna session in the icy waters with just the Northern skies above you can be a life-changing experience.
Winter activities are plenty here. Husky sled tours are a popular choice and the Northern Light and wildlife photography trips to capture the scenic sights of the Swedish Lapland. Sapmi experience is for the culture-lovers. It includes a lunch at a Sami family in a traditional Lavvu tent. The package couldn't be complete without hiking in the Taiga forest on special snowshoes to handle this challenging terrain.
The village of Harads is also home to the most creative tree hotel in the world, fittingly called the Treehotel.
The road leading to Harads, Sweden
Photographer: Anders Blomqvist
Photographer: Viggo Lundberg
Photographer: Daniel Holmgren
Photographer: Anders Blomqvist
Arctic Bath Spa building
Large sauna 1
Large sauna 2
Photographer: Daniel Holmgren
Ramdalsvägen 10, 960 24 Harads, Sweden
