Outward journey &directions
Lakeside Lodge is best reached from Kiruna Airport. Once you have picked up your rental car, it is a fifteen minute drive. First follow the arrows towards the world famous IceHotel. Just when you cross the river 'Torne Älv', take the first left. Then it is another 6 km drive and you are there.
After booking you will receive a very detailed route description from us.
Key on Arrival
Or we have prior contact and we personally deliver the key. Either we make an appointment with neighbor Lars Lindberg, a retired local from nearby Kiruna. Or we make an appointment with Guillaume Roperch, a young jovial Frenchman who lives & works in the area. Both have a key to the lodge, speak perfect English and can help you with all practical questions.
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Bed linen & towels (bring along)
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Bed linen is not included but can be collected from our home (in Balen) upon request.
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For the 2 person cabin you need a mattress cover of 200cm*180cm. The 100% goose down duvets are separate duvets of 90*120cm.
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For the bunk beds you need a bed cover of 90*180. The blankets are 90cm * 180cm.
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It is best to provide towels for personal use and a bath towel for the sauna is also recommended.
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Comfort & Equipment
The living room includes a kitchen table with 6 chairs, sitting area, fireplace. The 2 bedrooms in the main cabin each have one bunk bed. The separate 2-person sleeping cabin has a box spring mattress.
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The kitchen is equipped with an electric stove, a microwave, fridge with freezer compartment, kettle. There is no running water. The water from the lake is usable and even drinkable. In the winter, you first let the snow melt in appropriate stainless steel buckets.
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Sanitary & showering
The Swedes are used to it. For you it might be completely back to basics :-). Specifically: eand there is no real bathroom or shower. We wash with one of these options:
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Heating a water barrel with 50 liters of hot water. You wash by then covering yourself with a small bucket of water.
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In the summer you just take a dip in the lake with your can of shampoo.
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In the winter you go in the sauna every day. The sauna heater has a 20L hot water reservoir with which you can wash yourself in the adjacent room.
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Toilet
The lodge has a typical Swedish 'dry toilet' in a separate building. You can compare this with an ordinary toilet in terms of comfort, but the remains are not flushed away in nature with water, but are reduced to manure over time.
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In addition, the main cabin also has an extra ecological combustion toilet. That is a very common 'device' in Swedish nature. It looks like an ordinary toilet, but after use all remains are 100% burned and reduced to a small amount of ashes.
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Shops nearby
The village of Jukkasjärvi has a Coop mini-market and is a 12' drive away. You can buy bread and all daily usual foods. At the same time, Jukkasjärvi is world famousIce hotelwhere you can have a drink at -5°. The hotel's restaurant is an absolute must (and just 21°c).
In the town of Kiruna (20' drive) there are some very large supermarkets (Coop / ICA) where you can find literally everything. Moreover, they are open every day from 08:00 to 22:00. In addition, there are several gas stations, restaurants, etc.
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Winter or Summer?
When we think of Lapland, we often immediately think of meters of snow and everything that goes with it. But Lapland also has summers of course. In June & July the sun never even sets here. Hence the term 'Midnight Sun'. From October you can regularly spot the northern lights and between December and May everything changes into a beautiful white enchanting landscape.
We ourselves find all seasons particularly beautiful & intense :-).