Arctic Bath Hotel, Harads, Sweden

Situated under the northern lights in winter, and the midnight sun during the summer months, Arctic Bath is a unique hotel and spa experience that welcomes guests to immerse themselves in the elements while leaving a minimal environmental footprint behind.

The idea of a floating sauna first came to Harads resident Per-Anders Eriksson during the opening of Treehotel in 2010. At first, the vision was a glass cube on a raft. Bertil Hagström, who designed Treehotel’s The Bird’s Nest, took over the idea and in 2013 he and Johan Kauppi designed Arctic Bath’s floating, circular building.

Located just south of the arctic circle, this natural spa retreat is a reminder of the importance of forests for the entire country’s development. The architecture seamlessly integrates with the surrounding nature and is more particularly influenced by the timber floating era. For a long time, Lule River and its tributaries served as transportation routes for timber, an old tradition in the north. The construction of our circular main building, which floats on Lule River, imitates logs getting jammed in rapids, something that wasn’t too uncommon for those transporting timber.

Let an open-air cold bath under the northern sky revitalize you from the inside out as you take in the surrounding elements. You can also book a treatment with one of our certified therapists who will guide you as you find your optimal health level.

Local, pure and sustainable produce set the tone for the evening in our Scandinavian designed restaurant. Our chefs prepare a daily changing five course set menu based on local ingredients, with signature dishes including lightly smoked capercaille, Gahkku (Sámi flat bread) and Gompa (a Sámi dish with Arctic Angelica and sour milk). The culinary team at Arctic Bath is led by Kristoffer Åström and Maarten De Wilde. Kristoffer Åström has made a name for himself as “the Sámi chef” (samiska kocken) in Sweden, introducing Sámi flavours, produce and cooking techniques to a number of fine dining restaurants across the country. Local products used at Arctic Bath include dairy products, honey, beef and fresh herbs from Voullerim (40km from the restaurant), chicken and lamb from Strömnäsgården (10km from the restaurant), oil and mustard from nearby Tornedalen and reindeer, moose, wild birds, fish, berries and dried herbs from the surrounding nature in Norrbotten. All of the meat and fish served at the hotel comes from the wild, so there are no traces of pesticides or antibiotics.

https://arcticbath.se/