Travel

The Ice Hotel Sweden: 13 Amazing Things to Know

The ice hotel Sweden is one of the most magnificent hotels in the world and is also one of the most likely to be the coldest. Experiences like this one, which takes place in Jukkasjarvi, above the Arctic Circle, are the things that should be on everyone’s list of things to do at least once.

Each year, artists from all over the globe are transported by helicopter to the untouched wilderness in and surrounding Jukkasjarvi to create the most incredible art installation and vacation experience possible, which is so much joy to witness.

Look at some of the most exciting activities that can be done at the ice hotel Sweden listed below. Please keep in mind that you need to keep warm. Continue reading for more information.

1. How to Reach Sweden’s Ice Hotel?

Depending on where you are located in Sweden, you may choose from a few different transportation options to get to the Ice hotel Sweden. Most passengers must journey to Oslo and then connect to another aircraft that will take them to Kiruna.

Alternately, suppose you are departing from the United Kingdom. In that case, you can use one of the Explore The World direct flights chartered periodically. When you get to Kiruna, you’ll have a few alternatives to reach the Ice Hotel Sweden.

The hotel can arrange for Huskies to get you to and from the airport. Instead, if you are interested in experiencing a surge of excitement, you may arrange to ride a snowmobile through the Ice Hotel Sweden. They will be there waiting for you after you have landed. Get in a cab and go there for comfort and warmth rather than braving the elements.

The Ice Hotel Sweden
Image by Jamaladeen/ Unlimphotos/ Copyright

2. How is Sweden’s Ice Hotel?

There’s no use in dancing around the issue… it’s wonderful! First, it’s important to note that the Ice Hotel Sweden complex comprises three separate hotels. Each year, the Ice Hotel Sweden is constructed from the ground up using the river water in the area throughout the summer months.

By the time winter arrives, the ice has been packed and frozen into place and sculpted into the most magnificent and exquisite interiors you can ever imagine. The name of the hotel for this year is Ice Hotel 29, and the number will change for each of the following years. For example, its name will change to Ice Hotel 30 the following year. The Ice Hotel 365 is an ice hotel open throughout the year and even operates in the warmer summer when there is no snow.

The Ice Hotel 365 is a breathtaking hotel maintained at a temperature below freezing throughout the year and has some of the most aesthetically pleasing warm rooms one could ever imagine. In addition to that, there is an excellent ice bar here. That is just made for mixed drinks.

The cozy hotel that is Kaamos is a welcome escape from the freezing arctic conditions that may settle in during the winter months. On a three-day vacation, you will spend one night sleeping in the Ice Hotel Sweden itself and two nights resting in the warm rooms of Kaamos. This will give you a total of three nights away from home.

3. How are the Rooms Set Up?

The Ice Hotel Sweden
Image by czamfir/ Depositphotos/ Copyright 2012

The Ice Hotel Sweden is a hotel built entirely of snow and ice that can be found in the town of Jukkasjarvi, which is situated around 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. The hotel is constructed each year with a brand-new, one-of-a-kind design out of breathtaking snow and ice for guests’ enjoyment. The hotel has 59 rooms, all of which are decorated in various exquisite styles and include careful attention to minute design details. The ceilings of each chamber are made out of slabs of ice, while the walls are constructed out of layers of snow.

Each area has its one-of-a-kind design, which may include hand-carved ice sculptures and other decorations depicting things like flowers, animals, and other things. In addition, the interiors of the rooms include furniture such as beds, tables, and chairs crafted out of snow and ice. The flooring has been hand-crafted using slabs of ice and snow to provide visitors with an experience that will live long in their memories.

To maintain a comfortable temperature in each room, the hotel outfits each one with a thick mattress pad, a wool blanket, wool pillowcases, and a reindeer skin pillow. This ensures visitors are comfortable even while sleeping in temperatures as low as -5 degrees Celsius. Open flames or candles are not permitted in any of the rooms at the Ice Hotel Sweden for safety reasons. Being near the materials used to construct the hotel may be hazardous.

New sculptors and ice art are invited each year to try creating snow masterpieces that may be seen around the hotel. For a one-of-a-kind experience, guests are encouraged to check out the sculptures and works of art that the artists made. While at the Ice Hotel Sweden, guests can see sculptures and participate in other winter sports like dog sledging and snowmobiling.

Guests searching for a more tranquil experience during their stay at the hotel may take advantage of the spa services the establishment provides in traditional hotel rooms. These services include saunas and hot tub filled with water from natural hot springs in cold rooms.

Hence, staying at Ice hotel Sweden is an experience that cannot be compared to any other. The Ice hotel Sweden provides visitors with a one-of-a-kind winter experience that they won’t soon forget, from the opportunity to admire works of art from some of the top artists in the world to the possibility of spending the night in a room that has been intricately created out of snow and ice.

4. Best Things to Do in the Ice Hotel in Sweden?

4.1. Stay in an Art Suite

The Ice Hotel Sweden
Image by SebW/ Depositphotos/ Copyirght 2021

Guests may choose from various unique accommodations at the Ice Hotel in northern Sweden. There are Art Suites, Deluxe Rooms, and Ice Rooms, among other accommodations. No matter what you decide, don’t forget to look around at all of the stunning art suites before making your final decision. As a result, a wide variety of accommodations are available to guests at the Ice Hotel Sweden.

There is Art Suites, non-smoking rooms, Deluxe Rooms, ice beds, and Ice Rooms, among other accommodations. No matter what you decide, don’t forget to look around at all of the stunning art suites before making your final decision.

4.2. Drink at the Ice Bar

The ice bar is an excellent location to spend an evening or to get a nightcap before sleeping on the ice. It is perched inside the Ice Hotel 365, a unique hotel built entirely of ice bars.

Visit their establishment, sample some of their signature drinks, and then get bundled up in the thermal suit provided to each guest as soon as they check in at the Ice Hotel Sweden.

4.3. Ice Sculpting

During your stay at the Ice Hotel Sweden, you will also get to participate in a workshop where you may try your hand at ice carving.

The activity lasts for around two hours, during which time each participant is provided with a sizable block of ice to carve into their unique masterpiece. People’s effort was laughable, but many others came up with the most incredible works of art. Mine looked like a three-legged ogre!

4.4. See the Northern Lights

When staying at the Ice Hotel Sweden, you have a fantastic opportunity to see the aurora borealis because you are located inside the Arctic Circle.

You can observe the lights dancing in the sky if you go somewhere far away from the light pollution (or take one of the trips). It’s a sight to see. That’s just incredible.

The Ice Hotel Sweden
Image by ventdusud/ Unlimphotos/ Copyright

4.5. Dog Sledding

You can travel over the frozen river on your dog sledge during winter at the Ice Hotel Sweden. This will allow you to explore the surrounding Arctic landscape.

You will stop at a tiny tent with a log fire and serve yourself hot coffee and tea after the walk, which takes around 90 minutes (with a big slice of cake). It’s a tonne of fun to do.

4.6. Make Arctic Sushi

The Arctic Sushi class will teach you all you need to know about making, preparing, and selecting sushi. If you are searching for a way to escape the cold, this programme is for you. To top it all off, you will be allowed to have all of your sushi for lunch. This is undoubtedly one of your most delectable experiences in the Ice Hotel Sweden.

4.7. Gorge at the Homestead

Around a 10-minute walk from the Ice Hotel Sweden is the Homestead, a small wooden lodge with log fires, plenty of candles and wine! It’s a cozy and delicious restaurant serving some of the region’s heartiest food.

Plus, as the local advice is to eat 40% more than usual in the cold weather, it’s also the perfect place to gorge on the pudding!

4.8. Cross-Country Skiing

Put on some cross-country skis and venture onto one of the numerous ice paths spread across the region if you feel more lively than usual.

You can embark on a guided expedition to take you over the frozen river, through the woods, and finally, back to your cozy accommodation inside the Ice Hotel Sweden. Since it is an actual exercise, you will need to ensure that you have enough energy.

4.9.  See Jukkasjärvi Church

The Jukkasjarvi church, considered the oldest in Lapland, can be reached on foot from the Ice Hotel Sweden in just 15 to 20 minutes. Explore the teeny-tiny hamlet after seeing the lovely and utterly adorable church and take in the sights.

4.10. Snowmobile Experience

Participate in one of the snowmobile tours that take place both during the day and when it is entirely dark if you thirst for a drive through the frozen lakes and rivers. When we went to see the Northern Lights, we went on a tour in the dark, which would have been something you highly suggested.

Please remember to bring warm clothing and the balaclavas from the Ice Hotel Sweden to keep your head and neck warm. Frostbite is something that no one desires.

4.11. Phone Calls from Strangers

Entrepreneur and Ice Hotel creator Yngve Bergqvist moved to Jukkasjärvi in the 1970s. He was an entrepreneur who saw the area’s untapped potential for summer tourism along the Torne River. These windows of opportunity inevitably shut as the seasons shifted and the weather became gloomy, cold, and icy. As a result, he intended to take corrective action.

He visited Japan and met ice sculptors using the same material that the Torne River provides in plenty throughout the winter. The Artic Hall, a 2,690-square-foot igloo, was constructed when he brought two Japanese sculptors to Jukkasjärvi for a workshop.

They had created an ice museum. With no available heated accommodations, a group of weary travellers decided to spend the night in the Artic Hall, armed with sleeping bags. The inspiration for the first Ice Hotel sprang from this, and it opened in 1989 thanks to the efforts of its creator, Torstein Bergqvist.

4.12. The Process of Glacial Work

Both hotels’ ice and snow come from the Torne River. Roncoroni notes that the building was constructed using various methods, including onsite cold construction and digital milling processes that enable the carving of custom shapes. The hotel’s walls are lined with a network of twisting pipes that carry a liquid cooling system, keeping the temperature inside constant at –4 to -5 degrees Celsius with some humidity.

Solar panels may convert sunlight into cooling energy to keep buildings comfortable during the summer. Beginning on the interior, 10 cm of snow/ice covers the floor, followed by the metal framework, and finally, another 1.5 m of snow/ice. All of the lights are heat-free led varieties.

The lighting design at Luca is the effort of a team of 8 or 9 electricians and light designers. Every connection blocks a substantial amount of light, so you’ll want to consider how your final design will be illuminated. When light is shone on a joint, just 30% of it makes it through.

4.13. Ice & Fire

Like any other typical structure, the wiring and cables are installed behind the walls. Nevertheless, snow barriers must first be constructed to construct the ice hotels, and then a channel must be chain sawed through the snow wall.

They are then stuffed with cables, and the canal they lead to is filled with snow. A stay at the Ice Hotel should last at least two or three nights, with one or two nights spent in a cold room and the other in a warm room.

The good news is that you do not necessarily have to check in to the hotel to view it; visitors are permitted to see the rooms during the day, and the same space is turned over to guests who stay overnight in the evening. Guests who spend the night at this establishment are rewarded with a glowing certificate upon completing the Ice Hotel experience.

5. Conclusion

The Ice Hotel is one of the most unusual locations in Scandinavia since it is constructed entirely out of ice extracted from the Torne River. As the relics of the previous year’s residence entirely melt back into the river over the winter, the hotel cum art display dons a new persona each year for the following summer.

The hotel’s standard guest rooms have ice-themed furnishings and furnishings, including mattresses constructed entirely of ice. Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, you should still visit it since there are so many things to do here that it will be worth your time.

The Ice Hotel offers the most exciting excursions, from river rafting and fishing in the picturesque Thorne to snowmobile and sledding experiences through the ice-capped countryside. You might even opt to try ice sculpting, with qualified guides giving seminars on the subject for you to participate in.

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