Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos

When Auvo Leppänen anchored his boat next to a small cliff at lake Ranua, he realized that this location would be a beautiful place for tourists to stay.

A few months later, Leppänen decided to rent the old Gasthaus Ranua that had been serving its customers in different roles since the 1940s. The Guesthouse itself was constructed after World War II as a bed and breakfast. 

The building has been active ever since and still includes plenty of interesting older details. The reinforcements of the main building’s foundations are composed of rifle barrels used during the wars. The second main building, with single and double rooms, once served as a warehouse for the submarine that was once purchased as a tourist attraction on the property. 

Over the decades, the old Guesthouse building served as a gas station, bank, kiosk, and shop. Many of the indoor facilities were renovated, but its old-world charm was left intact. 

Eventually, Leppänen made the decision to install a new feature at the Guesthouse that would blend the traditional with the modern. He decided to contact AuroraHut and several glass igloos were installed along the property. 

Glass Igloos had become a vital part of tourism in Lapland during the previous years. But the idea was not to mimic what everybody else was doing, but to give his guest the ability to stay anywhere on the property.

These glass igloos are easily moved from one place to another during the year. In the summer months, the igloos use their own engines in the back of the dome, and during the winter season, they can be pulled atop the frozen lake. It’s a great way to view the Northern Lights.