Icy Hot
Touring Norway in a Floating Turkish Bath

It would take something pretty spectacular to lure you north of the arctic circle in midwinter.

But we may have found that something: Norwegian girls in their native habitat.

And while you're there, if they express a desire for aquatic spa-going... Well, let's just say it pays to be prepared.

Welcome to the Vulkana, an old fishing schooner rehabbed into a floating arctic spa—currently available for chartering in the northern islands of Norway.

Consider it your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a Turkish bath in Norwegian waters (to be clear: you're bathing in the boat, not the sea). You'll cast off from Tromsø (you know it's good when it involves an "ø") on a converted trawler with a cargo of heated tiles and bubbling salt baths—perfect for navigating the Arctic without enduring too much arctic chill. Start with an afternoon steam at the aforementioned bath, a session with one of the crew masseuses and a few hours in the sauna—where the panoramic window might just allow for views of the northern lights. By which point, you should be at least partially recovered...

At night you'll dine on smoked salmon and dip in and out of the hot-tub above deck. But you might want to explore a slightly more exciting option: scaling that diving tower off the stern, summoning your bravery and taking a 20-foot polar bear plunge straight into the Arctic Ocean.

It seemed like a good idea in the sauna...