Five Generations on the Same Land
Karu Lodge’s roots go back five generations. For decades, these lands have been a place to live, work and build businesses – with each generation bringing a slightly newer perspective than the one before. Today, the place continues to evolve through tourism, accommodation, sauna experiences and activities in the nature of Lapland – with the enthusiasm and curiosity of the fifth generation.
Karu Lodge is a fifth-generation family business. The place was previously known as Perhe-Luosto, while the name Karu Lodge has been part of its story for many years.
The first generations worked these lands through forestry, and the first building was already constructed here more than 50 years ago. In the 1990s, tourism activities began to take shape at the foot of Yli-Luosto fell. Roads, a ski lift and downhill slopes were built on the fell, an old logging cabin was moved to the area, and later the setting was completed with the traditional Susi smoke sauna and a pond with an ice-swimming hole.
Over the decades, the business has evolved along with tourism. Some earlier activities have become part of history and new ones have taken their place, but the same fell, forests and courtyard have remained at the heart of everything. Each generation has looked at this familiar place from a slightly different perspective and developed it in its own way.
Today, work at Karu Lodge continues in the fifth generation. The place lives through tourism, accommodation, smoke sauna experiences, dining and activities in the nature of Lapland. The new generation brings its own ideas, skills and curiosity, while also understanding that the true value of this place comes from more than just what is built here.
At the heart of Karu Lodge are still peace, closeness to nature, the fell, old-growth forests, silence, darkness and the starry sky. They were here long before tourism, and we hope they will remain some of the most distinctive parts of Karu Lodge far into the future.
The Story Behind the Name
The name Karu Lodge was born on a bright summer night in 2020. I had been searching for the right name for the business for a long time, but nothing felt quite right. After walking on Yli-Luosto Fell beneath the Midnight Sun, I spent the night in the smoke sauna’s fireplace room. When I woke up the next morning, the first word that came to mind was Karu.
When we began exploring the meanings of the word in different languages, we came across light and invitation. At that moment, I knew the name had been found. Although karu means something quite different in Finnish, the name immediately felt right and perfectly suited to this place.
