The Naava, Ruka

naava

[ˈnɑːʋɑ] · Finnish, noun

Beard lichen. The pale green strands that hang from old spruce and pine in northern forests.
A sign of clean air. Naava only grows where the air is pure.

We named the house after the lichen that hangs in the trees around it. Out here the air is clean, the forest is quiet, and the fell is lit up in the distance.

The Naava stands on a 5,000 m² plot among tall pines in Rukatunturi, facing a 13-hectare cloudberry marsh that belongs to the house. A cross-country ski track runs through the property, and the nearest downhill lift is 1.5 km away. Come back from the slopes to two saunas, the hot tub and a fire in the barbecue hut.

Floor area: 130 m²
Bedrooms: 3
Beds: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Guests: 6
Saunas: 2

The house

Timber, glass and snow-covered pines

A dark timber house with a high glass gable and a covered terrace. It stands back from a quiet road, with the forest on every side. After dark, lights along the pines lead you home through the snow.

Front of the house in deep winter snow — Winter · covered terrace

Frosted pines lit in front of the house at night — Evening under the pines

Aerial view of the snow-covered roof surrounded by forest — From above

Aerial view of the house beside a quiet forest road at dusk — A 5,000 m² plot on a quiet road

Inside

Modern Scandinavian, made for long evenings

The living room opens up under a high timber ceiling, with a wall of windows onto the snowy forest. Deep sofas face the view, chandeliers glow overhead and a fireplace keeps the room warm. The black kitchen is fully equipped, and the round dining table seats everyone.

Open living room with high timber ceiling, grey sofas and tall windows onto the snowy forest — Living room

Sofas under a chandelier, facing floor-to-ceiling windows — Sofas facing the forest

Modern black fireplace with a fire burning — The fireplace

Living room in the evening with chandeliers lit — Evening light

Black kitchen with long worktop and under-cabinet lighting — Full kitchen

Round dining table with flowers by tall windows — Dining area

Wooden dining table set for dinner beside the fireplace — Dinner by the fire

Sleeping

Three bedrooms, six guests

Three quiet bedrooms with soft linens and dark walls for proper sleep, even in the light spring nights.

Bedroom 1 with a queen bed beside a tall window onto the forest

Bedroom 2 with two single beds and a window between them

Bedroom 3, a queen bed under a sloping timber ceiling

Bedroom 1

1 queen bed

Bedroom 2

2 single beds

Bedroom 3

1 queen bed

Sauna & spa

Two saunas and a hot tub

A sauna in Lapland is part of the day. Choose between the indoor sauna and the wood-burning sauna in the yard. Cool off under the twin rain showers, then sink into the hot tub under the night sky.

Indoor sauna with wide wooden benches, stone wall, round heater and two windows onto the forest — Indoor sauna

Inside the wood-burning sauna, dark timber benches and a tall wood stove — Wood-burning sauna

The black timber wood-burning sauna in the snowy yard — The sauna in the yard

Walk-in shower room with twin black rain showers and glass sauna door — Twin rain showers

Bathroom with vessel basin and a glass door opening straight onto the snowy forest — Straight out to the snow

Outdoor hot tub glowing blue at dusk beside the house and pines — Outdoor hot tub

Löyly

Two saunas

The indoor sauna has wide two-level benches and windows onto the pines. Outside, the wood-burning sauna has the soft heat of a real fire.

Cool down

Doors to the forest

A glass door in the bathroom opens straight onto the snow. It's the quickest way to a proper snow roll between rounds.

After dark

Hot tub under the sky

The outdoor hot tub is lit at night. Look up for stars and, on a good night, the northern lights.

Outdoors

A forest and a marsh of your own

In front of the house lies a 13-hectare marsh that belongs to the villa, full of cloudberries in summer. Gather in the barbecue hut around an open fire, sit out on the covered terrace, and watch for the northern lights from the yard.

The wood-burning sauna at the edge of the open marsh on a summer evening — Summer · the marsh and the yard sauna

Open fire in the barbecue hut with lanterns and snow outside — Barbecue hut

Sausage grilling over an open fire, log stumps in the snow behind — Makkara over the fire pit

Green northern lights above the pines, seen from the terrace — Northern lights from the terrace

Covered terrace with sheepskin-lined chairs overlooking the snowy forest — Covered terrace

Hot tub lit turquoise at dusk under tall pines — Hot tub at dusk

Summer yard with blueberry ground cover and pines — Blueberries in summer

Ski maintenance room with waxing bench, ski rack, stool and storage — Ski room

For skiers

Ski from the door

A cross-country track runs through the property, so you can clip in at the house. Back home, the ski room has everything to get your skis ready for the next morning.

Waxing bench with ski clamps
Wall racks for skis and poles
Heated, with a grippy tiled floor for wet boots

Around you · Ruka

The fell, the village, the lights

Rukatunturi rises above the forest, with some of Finland's longest ski seasons on its slopes. Below it, the village has restaurants and shops, and its lit slopes glow long after dark.