Fleinvær, Norway
The Arctic Hideaway
Accommodation Type
Architect-designed self-catering island village (originally Fordypningsrommet, “the immersion room”)
Number of Rooms
11 architect-designed buildings (5 sleeping cabins for up to 10 adults, plus shared kitchen house, studio house, sauna, bath house, Sámi-inspired Njalla tower, and outdoor kitchen)
Location
Fleinvær archipelago, off the coast of Bodø, Northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle
Setting
A tiny island village of wooden cabins above the Arctic Circle, with no shops, no cars, and ferry access from the mainland twice a day
Who It Is Best For
Artists, writers, composers, designers, solo travelers, couples, and small groups in search of time, space, and unbroken stillness. You do not need to be an artist to come, only open to the experience.
Travel Mood
Main Activities
Self-directed creative work, sauna sessions, sea swimming, hiking, kayaking, northern lights watching (late August to early April), midnight sun walks (late May to August), shared cooking and dining, foraging, photography, simply doing nothing
Signature Feature
A small village of eleven architect-designed cabins on a Norwegian Arctic island, built in collaboration with TYIN Tegnestue, Rintala Eggertsson, and an international cohort of architecture students, awarded Norway’s Eco-Lighthouse certification in 2022
The Arctic Hideaway
A small village of architect-designed cabins on a Norwegian Arctic island
There are no cars and no shops on the tiny Norwegian Arctic island of Fleinvær. Eleven architect-designed cabins cluster here at The Arctic Hideaway, originally conceived as Fordypningsrommet (the immersion room) and built to host both artists in residence and travelers in search of slow time, typically for stays of one to two weeks at a stretch.
Overview
Fleinvær is a tiny archipelago off the Helgeland coast of Northern Norway, well above the Arctic Circle and reachable only by ferry from the city of Bodø. The island is shaped entirely by weather, light, and water: northern lights stretch across the sky from late August through early April, the midnight sun stretches the days from late May to August, and winter storms regularly cut off the ferry for days at a time. There are no shops, no cars, and almost no permanent residents.
The project began as a personal idea by Norwegian musician Håvard, who bought his first estate on the archipelago in 2004 and spent the following years considering what the place could be. Construction began in earnest in 2014 in partnership with TYIN Tegnestue, Rintala Eggertsson Architects, and a series of international architecture workshops. Eleven small buildings emerged: five sleeping cabins, a kitchen house, a studio house, a wood-fired sauna, a bath house, an outdoor kitchen, and the iconic Njalla, a tower house inspired by traditional Sámi design.
Five sleeping cabins accommodate up to ten adults in total. Two hold double beds, three hold singles, and a sixth cabin can be opened by special request with three separate beds. All cabins are intentionally simple, with a direct connection to the outdoors, wifi, and small workspaces in some. Beyond the bedrooms, the shared kitchen, studio, sauna, Njalla, and bath house are open to every guest at any hour, and bedding, towels, and sauna wood are provided.
Life on Fleinvær is participatory. Breakfast is laid out in the kitchen each morning, with fresh bread, coffee, waffles, reindeer sausages, oats, eggs, cheeses, fruit, and preserves; lunch and snacks are self-served from the same kitchen at any hour. Evenings are the shared moment: one guest or a small group takes a turn preparing dinner from the local meat, seafood, and seasonal produce kept on hand. The sauna runs daily, lit by whoever feels like lighting it. Most guests stay between five nights and two weeks, the time it takes to acclimatise to the island’s tempo and find the rhythm beneath the daily distractions of the mainland.
Photography courtesy of The Arctic Hideaway.
"At its core, The Arctic Hideaway is not about escape, but about return: returning to one's work, to one's thoughts, and to a different sense of time."
— Håvard Lund, Founder of The Arctic Hideaway
Tips & Recommendations
01 / 05
Nearest Airport
Bodø Airport (BOO) is the main gateway to Northern Norway, with daily flights from Oslo and other Norwegian cities via SAS, Norwegian, and Widerøe. The ferry port for Fleinvær is a 20-minute walk from the airport.
02 / 05
Getting There
Two public ferries a day run from Bodø to Fleinvær (variable by season and weekday). The Hideaway can advise on the right ferry to align with your arrival, or arrange a private boat charter on request. Heavy weather, especially January through March, can occasionally disrupt the ferry, which is why the property recommends a minimum four-night stay.
03 / 05
Best Time to Visit
Each season is a fundamentally different place. Winter (November to March) is dark, intense, and storm-shaped, with frequent northern lights from late August through early April. Summer (late May to August) brings the midnight sun and softer weather. Spring and autumn shoulders are quieter, with light shifting fast. The Hideaway operates year-round.
04 / 05
What to Bring
Pack wool, regardless of season. Bring a waterproof jacket, sturdy walking boots, layers for shifting weather, and a pair of shorts for the sauna. Wifi is in every cabin, but most guests find their phones gradually forgotten. Linen, towels, and sauna wood are provided. Bring any alcohol you wish to drink, as there are no shops on Fleinvær.
05 / 05
Staying at The Arctic Hideaway
Come without expectations. The first two or three days are usually about arriving, both physically and mentally. The kitchen, sauna, and Njalla are open at any hour, dinner is a shared moment around 7 or 8pm, and the rest is up to you. Light the sauna, bake the bread, walk the shore, and watch how the light changes.
Nearby Attractions
Bodø
Bodø - 29.8km
Culture
Dining
Entertainment
Plan Your Stay
Other Stays
Check Availability
Close