About
Lapland Lights is a characterful house located in beautiful, natural surroundings right by the border with Finland – meaning you can experience the best activities and attractions of both Swedish and Finnish Lapland.
The house
Lapland Lights is a traditional timber cottage, built at the turn of the 20th century. Inside it has been fully redecorated with a new bathroom and a modern, open-plan kitchen/dining/living area (but we've kept most of the original features and quirks that made us fall in love with it in the first place). Outside there is a newly added roofed terrace area for outdoor dining, featuring a Scandinavian-style wood-fired hot tub. We hope you'll find Lapland Lights a cosy home-from-home within the Arctic Circle.
The river
The garden goes all the way up to the water, where a small river called Kuittasjoki connects the lake (Kuittasjärvi) to the region's major river, the Torne.
Just opposite the house there is even a tiny island to explore if the water is low enough for you to jump onto it!
The lake
The lake is an incredibly beautiful, natural and peaceful place. Calm and mirror-like in summer, frozen over in winter, with glorious sunsets all year round. When fully frozen, it is safe to walk on and you will see locals ice-fishing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on it.
The village
Lapland Lights is located in Svanstein, a small village nestled between the river Torne to the east (which acts as the border between Finland and Sweden) and beautiful wooded mountains to the west. In the centre is a charming onion-domed church that is painted bright pink – just like the Hollywood-style ‘Svanstein’ sign that stands on the hillside. Svanstein has its own ski centre but is still a quiet place, and Lapland Lights is on a very private plot away from the main village.
The Arctic Circle
Lapland Lights is just 10km north of the Arctic Circle - make sure you pay it a visit and take some photos! You’ll find it in the village of Juoksengi – you can't miss the flags! Just past the Arctic Circle, for most of the winter it is possible to cross over to Finland via the ice road on the frozen river. You can then visit the Arctic Circle House in Finnish Juoksenki, which has a very large souvenir shop and a café.
The region
Svanstein is in Övertorneå Municipality. The river Torne runs down the whole eastern border of the municipality, separating it from Finland. But in winter the frozen river connects rather than separates the two countries, and in the past they have been as one. The region even has its own dialect, Meänkieli, spoken on both sides of the river. Övertorneå is in the Heart of Lapland area of Swedish Lapland.
Local shops, restaurants and excursions
Our goal is to make your Lapland adventure truly unforgettable, and so once your booking is confirmed we’ll share all the information you need about local shops, restaurants and excursions. We can also provide guidance on flights, car hire, clothing and more – ensuring your stay is smooth and stree-free.