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Land of the Midnight Sun

A night inside a fairytale castle made of ice is an experience of a lifetime

By Cindy-Lou Dale

In Swedish Lapland, 200 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle, lies the village of Jukkasjärvi, home to the Ice Hotel -- the world’s largest hotel made entirely of ice and snow.

At the end of October, each year, around thirty local artists and builders start carving and constructing a hotel, ahead of the arrival of the first guests in mid-December. By November the hotel is created anew from thousands of tonnes of ice and snow, ready for its annual opening in mid-December.

No two hotels are ever the same. Each year the artist-designed suites are based around different themes. And it's never more than six months old because in summer (May/June) the sun shines uninterrupted for 100 days without dipping below the horizon, melting the hotel back into the River Torne.

Getting There: Fly from any international airport in the UK, the United States or Canada to Stockholm in Sweden. From there it’s another 1 ½ hour flight to Kiruna.

The Ice Hotel is twelve kilometers east of Kiruna Airport, located beside the River Torne, in a settlement named Jukkasjärvi. Be sure to arrange a hotel transfer when booking -- which usually takes the form of a 12-strong dogsled. (SEK 5125 or Snowmobile SEK 1750)

The Ice Hotel

The Ice Hotel is one of the truly unimaginable encounters the world has to offer. Enter through reindeer-skin covered doors into a fairy-tale land of snow and ice, in the middle of summer, with a promise of seeing the Northern lights.

Spend a night in a standard ice-room or upgrade to a deluxe suite. The suites are all individually themed, often with a striking ice relief, sculptures and a bed that can only be described as a work of art.

Accommodations: Sleep in a thermal sleeping bag on a bed built of snow and ice, which is draped in bed linen of reindeer skins.

You are coaxed out of bed in the morning with a cup of hot Loganberry juice to enjoy a morning sauna and a buffet breakfast.

• Double rooms are mainly undecorated; (from SEK2800)

• Family rooms have a bed wide enough to fit at least four bodies; (from SEK 5600)

• Suites are slightly more unique in that they are decorated with a few pieces of ice art; (from SEK 3800)

• Deluxe suites have something extra in terms of decoration. (from SEK 5900)

All Ice Hotel bedrooms have bathrooms and flushing toilets.

The Alternative: Warm accommodation is available at the adjoining cabins, Aurora House and also at Kaamos rooms.

• Cabins consist of 2 bedrooms, sitting room, kitchenette, telephone and bathroom. (from SEK 2500)

• Aurora House has similar accommodations as the cabins but with ceiling skylights offering views of the Northern Lights. (from SEK 2800)

• Kaamos rooms are double rooms (with corner windows) and bathrooms. (from SEK 2800).

The Bar: Rub shoulders with royalty, super models, rock bands and movie stars in one of the trendiest bars in the world -- the Absolut Ice Bar probably enjoys more international fame than the Hudson Bar in New York or Paris's Buddha Bar.

In the evening, the hotel guests congregate around the circular bar to enjoy a bright blue cocktail of vodka, cacao and sparkling wine served in glasses carved from river ice.

The Chapel: The Ice Chapel is a consecrated room of snow and ice in which church services, christenings and tailor-made weddings take place from mid-December to late April.

The Theatre: The Ice Globe Theatre is a replica of London’s "Globe Theatre” and has numerous shows during the season.

The Restaurant: Where there’s ice, there’s water containing delicacies inspired by nature and served on plates of crystal-clear ice. Award wining Lapland cuisine has been featured in gourmet magazines around the world. The menu reflects the seasons with most of its ingredients gathered from the sur­rounding countryside.

Art Centre: Ice artwork is created from snow and the frozen waters of the River Torne, which casts a clear bluish luminescence to the room. The light penetrates the sculptures and carvings, refracting and creating unexpected reflections.

The temperature in the Art Centre is -5°C; however, all visitors may borrow one of the silver capes designed exclusively for Art Centre.

Some Activities Available

Reindeer sled: There is a rich tradition to be discovered in Europe’s last wilderness. The daily lives of its people is an adventure involving reindeer herd­ing, throwing lassos and cooking over open fires in Sami tents. Enjoy a meal with the Sami by taking a reindeer sled to the tribe’s wilderness camp. (SEK 1250 pp; 4 hours)

Snowmobile Safari: Tour of forests surrounding Jukkasjärvi and includes short driving lesson. (SEK 495 pp; 1½ hours)

Ice Sculpting: Create an artwork of ice under the tutorage of an expert. (SEK 490/pp; 2½ hours)

Dogsled Tours: A dogsled tour includes a coffee and cake break. (SEK 1155; 1½ hours)

Snowshoe Trekking: Trek through the snowy forest to a hilltop overlooking the Ice Hotel. Repel down the ice cliff-face on your return or trek back through the snow. (SEK 750 pp; 2 hours)

Moose Safari: Travel via minibus to moose winter pastures and observe the ‘Swedish Forest King’s’ in their natural surroundings. (SEK 995 pp; 3½ hours)

Whale Watching: A short journey from Jukkasjärvi takes you to the Atlantic coast of northern Norway, the home of sperm whales. For further information contact the reservations desk at the IceHotel. (Exclusive to groups).

Bookings: Sadly, the sun’s rays begin to melt the newly built Ice Hotel in late April and by June it has liquefied; only to be rebuilt each October.

For more information, contact the IceHotel at:
Tel +46 (0)920-66800, Fax +46 (0)920-66890 info@icehotel.com or www.icehotel.com

• The tem­perature difference between winter and summer is approximately 60°C. In the winter, the temperature falls as low as -35°C, but properly dressed, the dry cold is easily tolerated.

• Currency: Kronor. Check out the exchange rate

• Language: Swedish

• Further reading: Visit Sweden; and Scandinavian Tourist Board.

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