If you want to stay in Santa Claus Village in Lapland over Christmas week it will set you back as much as €1,813.
That’s the going rate for a cabin in Rovaniemi, Finland, Santa’s hometown.
Not to be a Scrooge, but we can do better…
In the spirit of the season, I’ve been hunting for cheap bolthole properties that would make the perfect Winter Wonder Land home.
Lapland spans through Finland, Norway, Sweden, and while it can be a harsh environment, with snow-filled winters for 180 to 220 days, it’s also offers some stunning landscapes of pine forests and tree-covered moors, marshes, scree-covered fells, deep lakes, and overflowing with rivers and rich in flora and fauna.
Many visitors come for husky sledding, reindeer sleigh rides, or to hike the forest trails. Winter sports are a huge draw too, with snowboarding, freeskiing, snowshoeing and cross country skiing all popular here.
Most of Lapland is located above the Arctic Circle, which means it has Polar Night, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon, and Midnight Sun, when you get daylight for two months straight.
Located within the “auroral zone,” the spectacular Northern Lights (aurora borealis) paints the night sky during the winter.
But down on the ground, there are deals to be found. Here are a few I’ve come across…
Tervola, Lapland, Finland
Listing Price: €53,000 ($64,150)
The town of Tervola, in southern Lapland is where you’ll find this two-bedroom, one-bathroom house. There is another room that is currently and office but could be turned into a third bedroom.
The modern kitchen is fully fitted and there’s also a spacious living room, a laundry room, and of course a sauna—which no Finish home should be without.
Every year in February, Tervola holds a snow sculpture competition where sculptures are carved out of a single block of snow.
Barsele, Sweden
Listing Price: 395,000 kr ($46,600)
Located in northern Sweden, is this cabin-style, three-bedroom, one-bathroom home in 1,200 square feet of living space. It has a large kitchen and dining area, a laundry room, and a garage. It also features an office and a cozy library area, perfect for curling up with a book on a winter afternoon.
This property comes with a separate two-bedroom guesthouse. And at the rear of the property there’s a small garden which backs onto a forest area.
Voll, Rennebu, Norway
Listing Price: 790 000 kr ($89,580)
About 400 miles north of Olso, in the rural municipality of Rennebu is the small town of Voll, and this four-bedroom, one-bathroom house. Originally built as a log cabin in 1889, it has been upgraded and modernised over the years and is now a comfortable, modern home.
It has a spacious kitchen, a living room with a wood burning stove for those chilly winter nights, as well as a study/reading area.
Voll is situated on the River Olke and the region of Rennebu has mountains and forests for lovers of the great outdoors. While not in Lapland, it’s still northernly enough to catch the Northern Lights and enjoy a tranquil winter setting.
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