Jukkasjärvi Icehotel
Main Hall ICEHOTEL Sweden CC by Eget Arbete
Every March, more than 900 tons of ice are torn out of the Torne River and transported to a huge storage facility to be kept frozen until it can be used in December to create the world’s largest ice hotel. As if that were a lot of ice to store, it pales in comparison to the 27,000 tons of snow that are stored away for the same purpose.
It all started in 1989, when a group of Japanese ice sculptors set up an exhibit in the area. The display was repeated the following year, being housed in a large cylindrical igloo. Fate intervened that winter with a helping hand, filling every room in the local hotels, so visitors asked if they could sleep in the large igloo. They laid out reindeer skins on the icy floor and climbed into sleeping bags. A tradition was born.
Now, Icehotel offers around 100 rooms each year for guests, and each room differs in design, with dozens of artists and architects winning submissions to design a room. Some beds have elaborate headboards, while others offer heated blankets. Reindeer skins are laid atop the icy mattress slate, and guests are provided polar-tested sleeping bags and other special gear for sleeping.
Every feature of Icehotel is made of ice and snow, and some of the features are surprising, such as the large chapel where marriages and baptisms are performed, and Sunday worship is held. Icebar serves drinks in ice glasses. Ice chandeliers hang from the ice ceiling and guests can sit on sofas and marvel at intricate ice sculptures that adorn the hotel.
It all started in 1989, when a group of Japanese ice sculptors set up an exhibit in the area. The display was repeated the following year, being housed in a large cylindrical igloo. Fate intervened that winter with a helping hand, filling every room in the local hotels, so visitors asked if they could sleep in the large igloo. They laid out reindeer skins on the icy floor and climbed into sleeping bags. A tradition was born.
Now, Icehotel offers around 100 rooms each year for guests, and each room differs in design, with dozens of artists and architects winning submissions to design a room. Some beds have elaborate headboards, while others offer heated blankets. Reindeer skins are laid atop the icy mattress slate, and guests are provided polar-tested sleeping bags and other special gear for sleeping.
Every feature of Icehotel is made of ice and snow, and some of the features are surprising, such as the large chapel where marriages and baptisms are performed, and Sunday worship is held. Icebar serves drinks in ice glasses. Ice chandeliers hang from the ice ceiling and guests can sit on sofas and marvel at intricate ice sculptures that adorn the hotel.
