All photos taken in collaboration with Sam Kolder.

As part of our trip across Finland, Sweden, and Norway our team got to stay at the very exclusive Wolf Lodge in Northern Norway about three hours drive from our previous stop, the Ice Hotel in Kiruna, Sweden. The lodge is part of the larger Polar Park, yet is kept as a special experience only able to be booked 15 times per year.

In order to enter the lodge we first met Stig, Polar Park’s Head Animal Keeper and the private wildlife guide at Wolf Lodge. He explained a lengthy set of rules. We have to lift (not roll) our suitcases into the house to minimize noise, no sudden movements or loud talking in the house when the wolves were nearby, plus he or another one of the staff had to always be in the house with us at all times. A series of gates and an above ground tunnel allow us to enter the lodge without inadvertently making contact with the wolves.

We stayed for two nights and never quite got accustomed to seeing the six wolves padding along just outside our windows. These European gray wolves have been “socialized” meaning they were born in captivity and have been with humans their entire lives and (in Norway at least) cannot be legally returned to the wild. In the future Stig hopes to use more of the park’s land to run a re-wilding program for the endangered Arctic Foxes, which used to be one of the most endangered species in Norway but has seen a turnaround after similar programs were started in the south of Norway.

Even without the added allure of the wolves in the valley around you, the lodge is a marvel. Floor to ceiling glass windows frame a panorama view of the nearby mountains, or in our case, the ribboning green flames of the aurora borealis on our first night. Coppery accents, warm wood tones, and candles contrast navy couches and stone paneling making it a space that is both a joy to shoot photos of and to stay in. For me it was the perfect balance of luxury and livability I hope to use as inspiration in one day designing a home of my own.

Here are some images of our visit:

3 bedrooms en suite bathrooms, booking minimum 3 nights. Meals and private chef all inclusive.

#block-yui_3_17_2_1_1549799783939_13101 .sqs-gallery-block-grid .sqs-gallery-design-grid { margin-right: -20px; }
#block-yui_3_17_2_1_1549799783939_13101 .sqs-gallery-block-grid .sqs-gallery-design-grid-slide .margin-wrapper { margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; }