Scandinavia is quite an attractive travel destination for tourists from all over Europe during summer. Many people travel across the continent to enjoy great weather, beautiful summer days, and the famous Midnight Sun.

Winter is a whole different story. Not too many venture up North during the dark season, and although Skiing in Norway’s Lillehammer has become a popular attraction, this is very limited both when it comes to timing and locality. The true Scandinavia fans, mainly groups of younger travellers, also enjoy party-style Christmases in comfortable holiday homes, preferably ones equipped with their own sauna. Price lists reflect this trend for many years now, regularly displaying rather steep high-season prices for the two weeks around New Year.

Outside these occasions and locations, the top of Europe is pretty quiet though — which may be a mistake, seen from the traveller-who’s-had-it-all angle: because even if you think you had it all, did this and did that, and had seen it all, you actually don’t until you have experienced the quiet serenety of Scandinavia’s largest lake sleeping.

Lake Vaner in Sweden (in Swedish: Vänern) is an immense body of freshawater, measuring 135 km by 50 km more or less (approx. 85 mi by 32 mi). While numerous travellers know Lake Vaner quite well for being a fascinating destination offering a multitude of attractions from hiking and biking, to kayaking and fishing in summer, these same travellers are missing out big time unless they have seen the serene and quiet beauty of Lake Vaner’s other or “colder” side.

Getting yourself a comfortable and state-of-the-art vacation house including a fireplace to curl up in front of is not hard to do. The off season’s vacancies make it easy to find (and afford) one to your liking. A little more effort and a feel for the weather is needed in order to truly experience what this area and this season is all about. Good outdoor clothing and a bit of luck, too.