Tvättjärnsbadet - "The Washing Lake" outdoor pool

The outdoor pool is called Tvättjärn, or Washing Lake, a name with an old heritage.

The name of the lake on old maps is Entiejärvi, which means "I-don't-know Lake". This odd name is believed to have originated from the fact that the surveyors did not understand the Finnish speakers they had asked. The people of Kiruna themselves have always used the name Tvätttjärn, originating from the beginning of the 1900's when Kiruna was still a community with a great housing shortage. People lived cramped and very few women could afford the luxury of washing indoors. They had to do the washing outside, both winter and summer, usually in Luossajärvi Lake, but also in the little lake downhill from the children's home. Wintertime must have been particularly grim since everything was rinsed in an open hole in the ice. In other words, it wasn't just the men in the mine that worked under harsh conditions.

Today we can enjoy the heated waters of Tvättjärn as a place for play and relaxation. Take a dip in the world's northernmost outside pool! And if you dare, take a whirlwind ride on our very special waterslide, "Fjälljokken", the Mountain River.