Photo by Olavi Anttila on Pexels
🇸🇪 Sweden · Lapland (Luleälven)
♨ Temperature
80°C
⛰ Altitude
230 m
⚗ pH
7
💧 TDS
8 mg/L
🌊 Flow rate
N/A
📅 Established
2020
✓ Verified on 2026-07-22
Arctic Bath is a floating hotel and wellness facility on the Lule River near the village of Harads in Swedish Lapland, 66 degrees north — just inside the Arctic Circle. The central structure is a circular floating platform surrounding an open pool of river water, ringed by saunas and steam rooms. In summer, the platform floats freely on the river; in winter, it freezes into the ice, allowing guests to step directly from the sauna onto the river ice or cut holes for cold water plunges. The hotel's six riverside cabins and six floating cabins provide accommodation, and the wellness programme focuses on the contrast cycle: high heat sauna, cold river immersion, rest in the Arctic air. Harads is above the Arctic Circle, placing it within the northern lights belt in winter and the midnight sun zone in summer.
| Swedish Lapland water | 8 mg/L |
| Birch | 0 mg/L |
The Lule River valley is the traditional territory of the Sámi people, who have inhabited Swedish Lapland for thousands of years. The Sámi maintained their own sweat lodge traditions as part of a broader culture of living in extreme cold that informed their relationship with heat, fire, and water. Arctic Bath works with local Sámi community representatives.
Arctic Bath represents the apex of the Scandinavian floating sauna concept — a purpose-designed floating structure that transforms with the seasons, offering both the frozen winter Arctic experience and the surreal midnight sun summer. Its distinctive circular form, designed by Swedish architect Johan Kauppi, has made it one of the most recognised sauna architecture images internationally.
Arctic Bath uses 100% renewable energy from Swedish hydropower. The floating structure requires no land development and sits lightly on the river surface. The food programme sources locally from Lapland producers — reindeer, Arctic fish, and foraged ingredients. The facility works with the Harads community on conservation monitoring of the Lule River ecosystem.