For total switch-off this winter, head to Torassieppi Reindeer Farm, Located high above the Arctic Circle in a remote corner of Finnish Lapland, the farm is set amid a pine forest on the frozen shores of Lake Torasjarvi, Daring winter, the thermometer regularly plunges to -25°C and heavy snows blanket the ground. With mobile phones handed in on arrival, guests are freed from online distractions to fully enjoy activities such as snowshoeing in nearby Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park, a wilderness of swirling mists, snow-laden trees and some of the freshest air in Europe.
Back at Torassieppi, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the local area by foot, on cross-country skis or in a reindeer sleigh. If the cold gets too much, head into Torassieppi’s 19th-century farmhouse or its small museum, with displays detailing traditional life of Sami reindeer herders. And at day’s end, warm up with a glass of wine by the restaurant’s log fire before tucking into regional specialities such as reindeer stew and salmon soup. If the northern lights are forecast, guests head out on a husky safari, swooshing across frozen lakes in the hunt for the mysterious aurora.
Artisan Travel offers three-night offline breaks to Torassieppi. Accommodation is in double/twin rooms or upgrade to a woodland cottage. For a treat, book into one of the lakeside aurora domes with panoramic windows. Interiors are decked out with reindeer skins, thick rugs, piles of blankets and a wood-burning stove to keep the chill out.
