Finnish Kota 16.5 m² + 9.2 m²

The Finnish Kota

The Finnish kota takes its original design from Finland. Its understated shape gives the kota a natural look and means it will suit any environment. In Scandinavia, it's common to find Finnish kota cottages out in the middle of nature. They get used by people trekking through the beautiful landscape to regain their strength.

Finnish kotas were originally tents and later wooden cabins with a stove and basic creature comforts. These garden houses have since been developed further to form all kinds of variants: as a barbecue house, all-inclusive accommodation with bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and all mods cons, and as a sauna in which to relax. 

History of the Finnish Kota

The history of the Finnish Kota begins in the northernmost region of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia: Lapland. Officially, this isn’t a country, but rather a region designated as the land of the Sami people. They lived off of nature and off of all that the forest area and their reindeer herds had to offer.

As a monadic people, the Sami travelled around with kotas, a kind of tent consisting of tethered sticks and lining made of reindeer hide. At the top, in the middle of the bound sticks, there was a hole for smoke to pass through, as they would build a fire in the tent to heat it up and to prepare food. Their simple structure meant that the kotas could easily be put up and taken down. This was crucial, as the Sami people had to keep moving on to another stretch of land, looking for food for themselves and for the reindeer. 

Nowadays, kotas made of sticks and reindeer hide have been superseded by wooden houses, mostly made of durable pinewood. Kotas serving as hikers’ cabins are a common sight along hiking routes in Scandinavia. Here, hikers can rest, eat and recharge their batteries before continuing on their journey. A tiny minority of the Sami people still live the old nomadic life, but this habit has almost completely disappeared due to the developments of the present era. However, reindeer farms are still common in Scandinavia. Nevertheless, this rich history makes staying in a Finnish kota a truly unique experience.