With its mega-long winter nights and prime Arctic Circle location, the city of Tromsø in northern Norway is renowned as one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. Now locals and roaming light-spotters alike will be able to pamper themselves while taking in those truly otherworldly views: a super-stylish floating sauna has just opened in the city’s harbour.
Saunas are big in Norway, and the Tromsø Sauna is intended an ‘everyday luxury’, aimed largely at local residents (for the time being, anyway). It floats serenely on the deep-blue Arctic waters and offers unbeatable views of the aurora borealis, which peaks in Norway between November and March.
To max out those post-sauna endorphins, braver visitors will also be able to take a dip in the sea from the dedicated swimming terrace. The building was a collaboration between furniture company Ekte, architects Stapa and sauna firm Pust.
‘The public has really embraced the sauna and made it a part of their daily lives,’ said Erik Strange Ankre, the co-owner of Pust. ‘People come at all hours of the day: either for a morning swim, a lunchtime bath or a nighttime session as late as 10pm.’
We can only imagine that, once travel properly gets back up and running again, heaps more lightseers will want to treat themselves to a trip up here too.
Did you see Norway is building an epic whale-watching museum in the Arctic Circle?
You can also sleep in this human-sized birdbox high above a Norwegian fjord.