OUR JOURNEY
About Lyngen North
How the glass igloo hotel Lyngen North came into existence.
Before Lyngen North
The secluded and idyllic piece of land where Lyngen North lies on, was once a small farm called Spåkenes Nordre (North Spåkenes in norwegian), which our ancestors had taken care of for more than four generations.
From Troms Dekk AS . . .
The rough nordic climate made (and still makes) it rough on car tires which were rapidly worn down, creating a huge demand for fresh tires. It was then when Torbjørn decided to realize his plans about starting a tire retreading factory on the property. Soon the small garage by his house would expand by nearly 900m2 and contain big machinery to recycle tires.
Next to the factory, Torbjørn had a barn that held sheeps, chickens, a horse and two rabbits. With good help from his family, he kept the farm running while keeping the tire factory in operation.
. . . to Spåkenes Sjøbuer
As the years went on, the competition in the tire market got too busy. Torbjørn started looking for a new opportunity.
At the time fishing tourism was gaining popularity in Northern Norway. This was perfect for Torbjørn as he already had much of the machinery needed to start the new venture. He started by building two houses and a boat marina. Then he went on and bought a couple of small boats to rent.
In 2004 the first fishing guests arrived from Germany. The gorgeous landscape, together with the experience of living down at the beach of Spåkenes proved to be incredibly refreshing. For many of the guests, coming to Spåkenes became an annual ritual.
The finnish “light bulb”
At the turn of the decade, Northern Norway and Tromsø had increased in popularity among travelers seeking to experience the northern lights.
Just across the border, aurora tourism was already well established. Torbjørn and a group of other local entrepreneurs went on a business trip to Finland to learn about northern lights tourism.
One particular accommodation caught Torbjørn’s attention: Luxurious glass igloos. Just after New Year’s 2016, the first glass igloo was finished, and it took only a couple of weeks for the first booking to come through via an online travel agency.
Lyngen North's first steps
For the first months, Torbjørn's youngest son Ola, had been managing the company's website and handling bookings while he was living in Tromsø. By the end of 2016 the bookings had exceeded even the best of expectations. Ola took the opportunity to move back home and help his parents run the business.
In the summer of 2018, the family had big expansion plans to build a restaurant and new igloos. But first the old barn building had to come down to make room for the new restaurant. Luckily Torbjørn's other son Daniel could bring his building expertise to the team.
The Restaurant
The building was completed in December 2019 and the team had now grown with more members. It was, however, not until February 2020 that the grand opening was held. For the name of the restaurant, we choose the name Solvind. Solvind is the norwegian name for Solar Wind, in honour of the Northern Lights.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Lyngen North’s plans to become a sought-after destination for international guests were put on hold. Thanks to the support of local tourists and the staff members will to not give up, the Lyngen North journey was able to live on.
Sky Suites
In 2023 another step forward was taken as building of the Sky Suites began.
The Sky Suites will be ready to welcome you for the summer of 2024.
Join Lyngen North's exciting journey as we aim towards the stars.
Meet the team
Torbjørn berg
Entrepreneur/ owner
Torbjørn is the entrepreneur who founded the company that later became Lyngen North. He started his career as a Marinejeger in the Royal Norwegian Marine and later moved on to being a diver in the North Sea, before settling in Spåkenes with his family.
He is often seen working outside plowing snow with his tractor or working on various projects around Lyngen North. More than often, he will be the one driving our guests to and from the outdoor activities.
Northern Norway
Location
Lyngen North AS, Spåkenesveien 281 9153 Rotsund, Norway
Our glass igloo hotel is located around three hours from the city of Tromsø. See all available options and plan your journey on our transport page.
See transport optionsRestaurant Solvind
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Lyngenfjord
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Snowshoeing tour
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