Stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden

IceHotel is located in the village of Jukkasjarvi in norther Sweden and just outside the Arctic Circle. Every month between December and April the hotel is open for visitors. The hotel and everything inside is made of ice, snow (and some steel framing). The ice and snow are harvested from the nearby Torne River.

How to choose when to visit the Icehotel will depend on what your interests are. During December, you can actually watch the Icehotel take shape. December is the darkest time of year as the sun never goes above the horizon. Also the chance of seeing the Northern Lights are quite optimal. Closer to Spring is when the snowmobiling and skiing enthusiasts come to take up their sport. During March, they start harvesting ice from the Torne River and transport it to a storage place which typically attracts a lot of tourists to the river. At the end of April (and nearing the closure of the hotel), the “Midnight Sun” starts to take place which will continue to shine for 100 days and a 100 nights. This is the best time to go fishing, hunting, hiking in the mountains or river rafting in the Torne River.

Staying at the Icehotel is quite a unique experience! It is recommended is to combine a night in the Icehotel with several “warm” nights in one of their regular hotel rooms or chalets. At the Icehotel you can choose between several different types of accommodation. The temperature in the Icehotel is never colder than -5 °C to -8 °C. There are a multitude of suites to stay in and each has its own theme with amazing sculptures and artwork. Of course, each year, the suites are different so check out the website to see the past and present suite themes. You sleep in thermal sleeping bags on a special bed built of snow and ice, on reindeer skins. *Be sure to dress in warm thermal underwear. In the morning you will wake up to a cup of hot lingonberry juice at your bedside. There are several different room accommodations at the “warm” hotels and chalets.

The Icehotel restaurant has a high-end a la carte menu. “The cuisine of ICEHOTEL Restaurant has been featured in gourmet magazines around the world and has been awarded the prestigious Werner Vögeli Statuette. In October 2007, the Nordic Council of Ministers awarded ICEHOTEL the honorary New Nordic Food diploma.” Also not to be missed is the Icebar where the ice sculptures mix with the magic blue light of the bar. The glasses are made of ice.

There is even an IceChurch where you can get married or baptize your child!

The art sculptures are marvelous! Artists from all over the world come to the village to create beautiful sculptures and artwork at the Icehotel.

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