How Our Team Spends Their Downtime

When you think of winter in the Nordics, you probably picture snow covered forests, frozen lakes, cosy log cabins and the Northern Lights dancing across the sky. For our team at Off The Map Travel, these are not simply holiday experiences. They are part of everyday life.

The Nordics are home to most of our team, and when we finish work for the day or have a free weekend, there is plenty to enjoy right on our doorstep.

From skating on frozen lakes and walking the dogs through snowy forests to meeting friends for fika or heading out for dinner at a favourite local restaurant, winter downtime here looks rather different from what you might be used to in the UK.

Here is a little insight into what winter life looks like through our eyes.

An Afternoon Skating on a Frozen Lake

As temperatures drop and lakes begin to freeze, the landscape changes completely. Places where we swim, kayak and paddleboard during the summer become winter playgrounds.

On a day off, and once the ice has been confirmed safe, there is the opportunity to pull on a pair of skates and head out onto a frozen lake.

With forests stretching along the shoreline and snow covering the surrounding landscape, it is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon outdoors.

And it is not unusual to see local families enjoying the same activities, with children learning to skate, friends meeting for a walk and people making the most of the winter daylight.

For those of us who live here, being outside is simply part of the winter routine.

Walking the Dogs Through Snow Covered Forests

For some of our team, downtime is as simple as wrapping up warmly, putting on winter boots and taking the dogs out for a walk.

The forests are particularly beautiful after fresh snowfall, with snow weighing down the branches and animal tracks appearing along the paths.

Even a familiar walking route can look completely different from one day to the next.

There might be time to stop for a coffee from a flask, watch the changing light through the trees or simply enjoy being outside before heading home.

And when the snow is deep, even an ordinary dog walk can become quite an adventure!

Fika, Local Markets and Meeting Friends

Of course, winter life is not all about outdoor adventures.

In Sweden, meeting friends for fika is a much loved part of everyday life. A good coffee, a freshly baked cinnamon bun and an opportunity to catch up can easily turn into a long afternoon.

Our team also enjoys visiting local markets, discovering seasonal produce and browsing everything from homemade preserves and baked goods to locally produced crafts.

During the festive season, Christmas markets bring a different atmosphere to towns and cities, with traditional decorations, warm drinks and stalls selling local food.

These are the places where we spend time with friends and family, discover new cafés and restaurants and find some of the smaller local businesses that we can introduce to our travelling guests.

A Winter Visit to Storforsen Rapids

One of the wonderful things about living in Arctic Sweden is having remarkable natural attractions within reach.

Storforsen Rapids, one of Europe’s largest unregulated rapids, is an extraordinary place to visit throughout the year, but particularly during winter.

Snow and ice build up along the riverbanks, while the powerful water continues to rush through the rocky landscape.

The contrast between the moving water and the frozen surroundings is remarkable.

Elsewhere, smaller waterfalls can become covered in thick layers of ice, creating huge frozen formations that look completely different from their summer appearance.

For our team, taking a drive to see these places, stopping for photographs or enjoying a walk through the surrounding woodland is a lovely way to spend a winter afternoon.

Dinner with Friends and Discovering Local Food

After spending time outdoors in the cold, there is nothing better than a good meal.

Winter evenings often involve getting together with friends, cooking at home or heading out to a favourite local restaurant.

Nordic winter menus bring some wonderful seasonal ingredients, from Arctic char and locally caught fish to reindeer, root vegetables, mushrooms and berries preserved from the summer.

Our team enjoys trying new restaurants, revisiting favourite places and discovering chefs who are doing something interesting with local produce.

Sometimes it is a special tasting menu, and sometimes it is simply a hearty meal shared around a table with friends.

This is also a valuable part of our work. Getting to know local restaurants and chefs means we can recommend places because we have eaten there ourselves.

And Sometimes, a Day Off Still Involves Travel!

Living in the places where our guests travel means that work and everyday life sometimes overlap.

A team member might pop into a local lodge to catch up with the owners or take the opportunity to visit a new restaurant or accommodation that has recently opened.

It might be a chance to meet a guide for coffee, hear about a new winter activity or discover somewhere we think would be perfect for one of our guests.

These relationships are part of what makes working in the Nordics so enjoyable.

Our suppliers are not simply names on a booking confirmation. They are often people we have known for years, neighbours, friends and members of the communities where we live.

Winter Is Part of Everyday Life Here

While snow and freezing temperatures can bring travel to a standstill elsewhere, across much of the Nordics, winter life carries on as normal.

Roads are cleared, winter tyres are fitted, children head off to school and people make the most of the season.

There are practical considerations, of course. Dressing properly for the cold, allowing time for winter journeys and paying attention to weather and ice conditions are all part of living here.

But there is also a real enjoyment of winter, rather than simply waiting for spring to arrive.

Sharing Our Nordic Home with You

One of the things that makes Off The Map Travel different is that our team lives and works in the destinations we recommend.

The restaurants we suggest, the places we visit and the people we introduce you to are all part of the communities we know personally.

It means that when we recommend a beautiful place for a winter walk, a restaurant serving wonderful local food or somewhere special to stop for fika, our suggestions come from our own experience.

Of course, your holiday might involve private guides, luxury wilderness lodges, exceptional dining and carefully arranged Arctic adventures.

But sometimes it is the smaller, everyday experiences that help you understand what life in the Nordics is really like.

And those are often the moments our team particularly enjoys sharing with you.