Talking about doing things in a traditional and local way, Hossa Travel´s traditional accommodation at the Wilderness Lodge is something that perfectly embodies these values. This old farm complex with six separate bedrooms in four separate buildings in total is located only one kilometer from the Russian border on top of a remote hill, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, nearest permanent settlement with people living all year around being is over five kilometers away.
The standards of facilities are different and so is the whole way of living. Everything is heated with wood collected from the surroundings, there are separate male/female communal eco-friendly dry toilets, water is carried from a pure well nearby and showering yourself takes place in the wood-heated sauna where there is access to limitless amount of hot water. This is how everyone lived here only 50 years ago. Wilderness Lodge does not have electric connection but during late winter and summertime solar panels give some electricity and it can also be produced with an aggregate. Cooking is done with gas and wood-burning stove in the communal candlelit timber lodge where you feast on meals based on local ingredients. The level of conveniences has deliberately been kept modest in order to ensure that you have the chance to enjoy the simplicity of traditional lifestyle as part of your stay and to experience something truly unique.
What the Wilderness Lodge lacks in modern conveniences, it takes back with its unique atmosphere, real cozy bedrooms and beautiful log cabins built respecting the real old style of building construction. The surrounding is nice also, within couple of kilometers there´s plenty of forest to wander, a vast protected mire and two lakes where you can go fishing and try to catch some fresh fish to supplement your daily menu. Snow-shoeing during the winter is one of the activities that you can´t miss while you`re here because besides that wandering through the winter wonderland in deep snow is an experience in itself, not necessarily seeing any other people or hearing any man-made sounds the whole time definitely brings some added value. And being able to start the hike right from your door is a nice bonus! The distance to the heart of the Hossa area is only 20 km.
Living simply like this, exposing yourself to a whole new way of doing everyday things and forgetting the modern comforts for a while helps you focus on the essential. The history of the place is a story of its own; there´s been life on top of this hill for centuries and due to its extraordinary location, it has served as a home for several notable persons…
If you got a sense of adventure and you´re not excessively bothered by the level of conveniences and the closeness of wild animals, I´m sure you´ll enjoy your stay and experience something truly unique.