Scandi House Levi Recommendation

A Lakeside Retreat at Finland’s Largest Ski Resort

A disclosure before we begin – I haven’t personally stayed at Scandi House Levi. But after interviewing its host – five-time Winter Olympian and Levi resident Lydia Lassila OAM – in depth for the Lapland Lowdown and spending time understanding every detail of what she has built on the shores of Lake Immeljärvi I am recommending it with genuine confidence.

This is a property created by someone who actually lives in Finnish Lapland year-round whose children go to Finnish school who walks to the slopes when the car won’t start in minus forty and who knows Levi not as a tourist destination but as home. What she has built at Scandi House Levi reflects that intimacy – and it shows in every considered detail.

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At a glance

• Location – Lake Immeljärvi Sirkka Levi – 1km from Levi’s central township and ski lifts
• Property – One designer villa divided into two self-contained 3-bedroom apartments – Panorama and Lake View
• Sleeps – Six per apartment (12 total if both apartments booked together)
• Best for – Families groups of friends couples skiers Northern Lights seekers – all seasons
• Standout amenities – Hot tub by the frozen lake private sauna ice swimming (avanto cut in the lake in winter)
• Ski access – Finland’s largest ski resort – 43 slopes 27 lifts – 1km from the property
• Northern Lights – Open lakeside setting minimal light pollution – excellent viewing conditions
• Disclosure – Trusted recommendation – not a personal stay. Based on interview with host Lydia Lassila OAM and the Scandi Houses website
• Discount code – LAPLANDFROMAUS at scandihouses.com
• Would I recommend it? Whole-heartedly

About the Host – Lydia Lassila OAM

Lydia Lassila is a five-time Winter Olympian an Olympic gold medallist in aerial skiing and the first woman in history to land a quad twisting triple somersault in competition. She is also since 2020 a resident of Levi Finnish Lapland – a move that began as a six-month COVID escape with her Finnish husband Lauri and their two sons and became a permanent life in the Arctic north.

Their children Kai and Alec are enrolled in Finnish school. Lydia skis the Levi slopes like a local foraged berries from the forest last autumn and has a working knowledge of which local tour operators are worth your time and which aren’t. When she tells you something about Levi it comes from years of living there – not a recce trip and a press package.

“More people are coming from the Alps to ski in Levi now – the snow quality elsewhere is deteriorating. Here it just doesn’t melt.” – Lydia Lassila OAM

She and Lauri bought a lakeside property on Lake Immeljärvi, renovated it with care and divided it into two fully self-contained apartments. Scandi House Levi was born – and guests have been finding it difficult to leave ever since.

The property – one designer villa two stylish apartments

Scandi House Levi is a beautifully designed villa set directly on the shores of Lake Immeljärvi with sweeping views across the frozen water to Kätkä Fell. The property sits approximately one kilometre from Levi’s central township and ski lifts – close enough to reach the slopes with ease far enough to feel the genuine wilderness of Europe’s last Arctic frontier pressing in around you.

The villa is divided into two fully self-contained three-bedroom apartments – Panorama and Lake View. Each apartment sleeps up to six guests and is equipped with everything needed for a fully independent stay. Both share the same outstanding location and amenities; the names reflect their individual orientation and outlook – Panorama toward the fell Lake View directly across the ice.

Apartment features

• Three bedrooms – sleeps 6 per apartment
• Full kitchen with everything needed for self-catering
• Private sauna
• Hot tub positioned by the lake – available year-round
• Ice swimming access – Lydia’s team cuts an avanto (ice hole) in the frozen lake for guests in winter
• Warm homely interiors with high-quality furnishings and linen
• Outdoor space with direct lake frontage
• Free Wi-Fi
• Parking available onsite

One guest review from the Scandi Houses website captures the experience better than any brochure language could –

“If the best score is 10 I would give this house a score of 15! Everything is extremely well managed. The view of the lake and hills in front is fabulous. The hot tub by the lake is extraordinary. The sauna kitchen and bedding are great. During our stay we also saw the Northern Lights three times which made us extremely happy.” – Gary Denmark

Levi – Finland’s largest Ski Resort – and why it matters

Levi is Finland’s largest and most popular ski resort located in Kittilä municipality in Finnish Lapland approximately 170km north of the Arctic Circle. It offers 43 ski slopes – including 17 floodlit runs – 27 ski lifts (including 2 gondolas and 5 chairlifts) and a vertical drop of 325 metres. The peak sits at 531 metres above sea level and the longest run extends to 2.1km.

What makes Levi genuinely exceptional for skiers – and what Lydia is emphatic about – is the snow quality. The resort operates under lights from 9:30am to 7:00pm which means the snow never experiences the damaging midday melt that degrades conditions at many European Alpine resorts. The snow here doesn’t melt. It accumulates through the season and stays cold dry and consistent.

Lift tickets run to approximately €65 per day (as of March 2026 per Lydia’s interview – check the Levi website for current pricing). Cross-country skiing through the surrounding wilderness is free. For families and groups wanting to ski every day of their stay the value of a self-catered apartment like Scandi House – with a full kitchen reducing restaurant costs significantly – is considerable.

The avanto experience – hot tub sauna and ice swimming

This is the detail that for many guests defines the Scandi House Levi stay.

The hot tub sits directly beside Lake Immeljärvi. In winter with the lake frozen solid and the fell rising above the tree line on the far shore soaking at +40°C while the temperature outside is well below zero is a sensory experience that is genuinely difficult to describe. The contrast between the heat of the water and the cold of the Finnish winter air – and the vast silent Arctic landscape that surrounds you – is extraordinary.

For the truly committed – Lydia’s team cuts an avanto – a hole through the ice – so guests can experience traditional Finnish ice swimming directly from the shoreline. Moving from the sauna to the avanto to the hot tub in the darkness of a Finnish winter night is the most authentically Finnish wellness experience available in Lapland. It is also by most accounts transformative.

Northern lights at Scandi House Levi

Levi’s position well north of the Arctic Circle combined with the property’s lakeside location away from significant light pollution makes Scandi House a genuinely strong base for Northern Lights viewing. The open sky above Lake Immeljärvi provides an unobstructed horizon and the hot tub and outdoor spaces mean you can watch the aurora without standing in a field in the dark.

Guest Gary from Denmark saw the Northern Lights three times during a single stay. Download an aurora app before you arrive – KP Forecast or My Aurora Forecast are both reliable – set notifications for any KP activity above 1 and let the Lapland sky deliver the rest.

Scandi House Levi across the seasons

Winter (December – April) – the ski season

Winter is Scandi House Levi’s headline season – and for good reason. Full ski access floodlit slopes the avanto and hot tub experience Northern Lights snowmobile safaris husky sledding and reindeer experiences all combine to make a stay here an exceptional Finnish Lapland winter itinerary. The lake freezes completely, the fell turns white and the kind of silence that only deep winter in the Arctic delivers settles over the entire landscape.

For long haul travellers, Lydia’s advice on timing is worth taking seriously –

• December – magical but busy and expensive – book well in advance and manage expectations around Rovaniemi crowds in particular
• January – February – the sweet spot for Australian travellers – school holidays align the mountains are fully open it’s quieter and more affordable than December and the skiing is at its absolute best
• March – April – underrated and beautiful – spring days grow longer the snow is still deep crowds have largely dispersed and conditions remain excellent

Autumn (September – October) – Northern Lights and the hidden season

September and October bring the beginning of Northern Lights season, the Ruska autumn colours foraging at its peak and dramatically thinner crowds. This shoulder season is increasingly popular with travellers in the know – and for those who want the aurora experience without the ski season price premium it’s a compelling window. The landscape around Levi in Ruska is stunning – birch and willow turning gold and amber across the fells, reindeer moving through the forest and the lake reflecting the autumn sky.

Summer (Late May – June) – Midnight Sun

Late May to early June offers the Midnight Sun experience with long luminous days and minimal mosquitoes – which arrive later in June as Lapland’s vast wetlands warm up. For families wanting to experience the extraordinary phenomenon of an Arctic summer without the insect season this is the window. Hiking lake swimming kayaking cycling and fishing are all available from the property.

A practical note from Lydia – late June and July are the peak mosquito months in Finnish Lapland and the insects can make outdoor time genuinely difficult. If visiting in summer aim for late May to mid-June and pack repellent regardless.

Who is Scandi House Levi best for?

• Families of up to six wanting a self-contained lakeside base with full kitchen private sauna and direct ski resort access
• Two families or groups of friends travelling together – book both Panorama and Lake View apartments for a private 12-person retreat with full shared access to the hot tub and lake
• Skiers and snowboarders who want to be 1km from Finland’s best ski resort without paying resort accommodation prices
• Northern Lights seekers who want the best possible viewing conditions combined with the hot tub and avanto experience
• Australian long-haul travellers whose January school holidays align perfectly with Levi’s peak ski season
• Anyone who wants an authentically Finnish experience – sauna avanto wilderness silence – in a beautifully designed well-managed property hosted by someone who lives and breathes this landscape year-round

How to book and discount code

Book directly at scandihouses.com and use the exclusive discount code LAPLANDFROMAUS for a discount on your stay. This code works across all Scandi Houses properties – including Scandi House Rovaniemi and Scandi House Lorne on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. 

For the full Lydia Lassila interview – including her honest month-by-month guide to when to visit Levi vs Rovaniemi vs Ruka compared the Australian-run foraging and Northern Lights tours most tourists never find and what it’s really like to raise children in Arctic Finland – this is available exclusively to Lapland Lowdown members.

Planning your Finnish Lapland trip from Australia and not sure where to start? Download my free guide to the 10 most common planning mistakes long-haul travellers make – and save yourself time, money, and frustration before you even start booking. Download the free guide

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