Most of us have grown up listening to stories of ice castles. Dazzling interiors, wide staircases of frozen blocks leading to glittering inner chambers and shimmering rays of light dancing off crystals of majestic ice chandeliers have been in our fantasies since then. While such ice castles may not exist in reality, luckily for us, finding an ice accommodation to spend a day or two is not really a big problem now. Eskimos have successfully created ice dwellings called ‘igloos’ for a long time. In addition, today there are numerous ice hotels that have sprung up in various places, catering to tourists across the globe. Here are some frozen marvels worth visiting.
§ The Icehotel, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden Constructed from ice and snow every winter, this magnificent structure is the world’s first and largest ice hotel located in a small village outside Kiruna in northern Sweden with 1,100 residents and 1,000 dogs. Spread over an area of 5,500sq m and constructed from 1,000 tonnes of ice and 30,000 tonnes of ‘snice’, a mixture of snow and ice that strengthens the unique structure, the Icehotel hosts some 50,000 visitors from all over the world during winter months every year. The year-round process of building the ice hotel involves the labour of a hundred people, half of which are visiting artists and designers exclusively invited to model particular areas of the hotel. 5,000 tonnes of ice is harvested from the Torne River between March and April and stored in a cold storage during the spring and summer months. Construction of the hotel commences in November with the first phase getting completed by December and the hotel operates till mid-April when the ice gradually begins to melt away into the Torne. The Icehotel starts running its business as soon as the structures of the first phase have materialised and the entire construction is over by January. On completion, the Icehotel consists of a bar, a church, main hall, reception area, an ice restaurant and around 60 rooms and suites with elaborate interiors that can house over 100 guests. No two rooms are same and the design of the ephemeral structure also varies as it is built out of scratch every year. There are beautiful ice suites where the temperature is a steady -50 C, with ice furniture and fittings and ice and snow artwork. Reindeer skins are spread out on the ice beds and guests sleep in polartested sleeping bags. There are no bathroom facilities in the ice suites, but they are located in the nearby separate warm accommodation that operates throughout the year. You can sip on cocktails or champagne at the IceBar in glasses made entirely out of nothing else but ice. The Ice Church operates like a regular church every winter and over 100 couples get married each year during this time and about twenty baptisms are held. Visitors to this part of the Swedish Lapland, only 200km from the Arctic Circle, come to experience the tranquility of the region and the mystic Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights as well as indulge in activities like snowmobiling, dog-sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, ice-sculpting or participating in cultural events of the ethnic Sami people.
§ Hôtel de Glace, Quebec, Canada Since its opening in 2001, the Hôtel de Glace has catered to almost a million visitors. It operates between the first week of January and the last week of March. It was originally located on the shores of Lac-Saint-Joseph, Quebec, 31 minutes north of Quebec City but is now closer to the city, only about 10 minutes away from the Old Town Quebec. A team of 15 artists design a new architectural concept each year. Constructed out of 15,000 tonnes of snow and 500 tonnes of ice, it has 19-foot-high ceilings, furniture carved out of ice blocks, huge snow vaults and crystalline ice sculptures. At Hôtel de Glace guests are greeted with iced cider in diamond-like ice flutes to sip while resting on beautifully sculpted ice couches cushioned with warm blankets, around smooth ice tables. Overnight visitors can stay in any of the 44 rooms and the premium deluxe suites which even come with own fireplace and private spa. There is an on-site café, an ice bar, outdoor hot-tubs and a sauna too. A ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour offers guests a glimpse of how the structure is constructed. Equipped with the knowledge the guests can also make their own ice cocktail glasses at the Ice Workshop. Other activities include crosscountry skiing, snow-shoeing, dog-sledding and hiking.
§ SnowHotel, Kirkenes, Norway Situated near the Gabba Reindeer Park in Norway’s sub-Arctic north close to the Norwegian-Russian border, this snow hotel started operating in 2007. Since then, it has been opening in mid-December every year. The Kirkenes SnowHotel utilizes the concept of snow insulation as snow is a very good insulator. This means that when it is -300 C outside, the interiors will still be relatively warmer at -50 C. The SnowHotel offers 20-plus cavernous ‘Snow Suites’ which come equipped with sleeping bags and mattresses covered in thermal insulation and decorated with ice furniture and art made by artists from Japan, Finland and China as well as the local ice-sculptors. There is a small, warm sleeping area for guests who may encounter difficulty with sleeping in the ice suites. Lighted ice sculptures glow throughout the night at the SnowHotel which also has an ice bar and a snow-free restaurant where guests can mingle. Guests here are welcomed with a drink made from local berries. A one-night stay includes a special locally-sourced threecourse dinner prepared on an open fire and visitors can also get a sauna before or after their stay. Apart from the reindeer park, guests can visit a husky farm in the vicinity. Activities like Arctic king-crab fishing tour, northern lights tour by husky ride and cross-country skiing tour are popular among tourists. The hotel also offers northern lights wakeup calls for guests.
§ Igloo Village at Hotel Kakslauttanen, Saariselkä, Finland Instead of rooms made out ice and snow, guests can choose between igloos made out of snow or glass in this igloo village. The snow igloos offer a peaceful, eerily silent albeit cosy getaway from the world outside while the glass igloos reinforced with frost-resistant thermal glass, offer splendid views of the northern lights and starry skies. The temperatures inside the snow igloos remain a consistent -30 C to -60 C even though outside temperatures may drop to as low as -400 C. Showers and saunas are available in separate buildings. The 20 glass igloos have attached toilets and are available throughout the Northern Lights season which begins around the third week of August and ends by the end of next April. The snow igloos are available from December till April. Apart from the igloos, the hotel also provides accommodations throughout the year in earth lodges, classy queen suites, rustic log cabins that can house up to 10 people, traditional 19th century houses with attached saunas and in the newly introduced ‘Santa’s Home’ and the idyllic ‘Gold Digger’s Cottages’. Guests can book their own reindeer safaris or visit the impressive ice sculpture gallery and even try their hand at ice-sculpting or request a unique personal ice sculpture to decorate their own snow igloos. Dog-sledding, ice-fishing, Northern Lights tours, skiing and snowmobile tours are common touristy pursuits in the area.
§ Snow Village, Montreal, Canada About three hours down river St. Lawrence from the Hôtel de Glace in Quebec, this snow village was located in the Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau and was complete with a restaurant, a chapel and an outdoor recreation area. It was accessible by metro, making it exceedingly convenient for visitors. Unfortunately, it did not garner much attention since its initiation and unlike its other counterparts, it was somewhat lacklustre despite its array of attractions. Due to what the founders claim to be a result of lack of funding assistance, this snow village was closed down in 2014.
§ Hotel of Ice, Balea Lake, Romania Accessible only by cable car in winter, this ice hotel built in 2005 is the first of its kind in Eastern Europe. It is set high in the Romanian Carpathian mountains at an altitude of 2,034 metres beside the picturesque Balea Lac, deep within the Făgăraş Mountains and is the most remote hotel of its kind. The hotel is generally completed by December every year and remains open till late April or early May when the ice begins to melt. The hotel has just 10 to 14 small rooms, each designed with a musical theme in mind, built by local craftsmen who wait for the lake to freeze before using the ice to build it as well as the adjacent ice church. The sculptures inside are imitations of the creations of Romanian modernist sculptor, Constantin Brâncuși. Guests can sleep in one of the hotel’s subzero rooms or claim own private igloos near the hotel. They are provided with bedding, furs and specially developed sleeping bags. Bathroom facilities are located nearby. Two chalets within walking distance also provide accommodation. Visitors can sample traditional Transylvanian and Romanian cuisine at Chalet Balea Lac’s restaurant. Activities nearby include skiing, sledging, snow-biking and the more adventurous heli-skiing, though the latter is arranged only on request. Apart from these, usual wintry activities like snowball fights, snowman-building competitions and ice-bowling are also arranged by the hotel’s Winter Park.
§ Lainio Snow Village, Kittilä, Finland Easily accessible from Kittilä Airport that has a connecting service from Helsinki, this winter wonderland located between Ylläsjärvi and Kittilä, covering an area of about 20,000 sq m, operates from December through April every year and is complete with rounded snow corridors illuminated with colourful lights and decorated with intricate sculptures. Guests can opt for a grand entry to this snow village on a snowmobile. There is an a la carte ice restaurant with tables carved out of ice, an ice bar, several lobbies, an underground sauna, standard ice hotel-rooms shaped like igloos and snow suites in addition to outdoor buildings made of ice. Guests can sleep in high quality thermal sleeping bags and fleece-lined bags or opt for the two warm bedrooms in the hotel. Shower and toilet facilities are separately located in a warm subterranean building nearby. Cozy log cabins and a massive three-floor log castle are also available to guests who would rather sleep in normal beds than on ice slabs. Arctic adventures like snowmobile safaris under the Lappish night sky in the northern wilderness are a favourite among tourists here.
§ Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, Alta, Norway This igloo hotel started functioning in 2000 in Europe’s northernmost ice hotel in a rural area in the Finnmark region of Norway, about 250km away from North Cape and around 20km from Alta Airport. The 2,000 square metres structure has 28 regular rooms and 2 suites which are adorned with ice sculptures and ice furnishings including illumination schemes that enhance the grandeur of the varied array of crystalline formations. Not only is it aesthetically decorated but it also has a pleasant homely ambience. There are several common ice lounges in the hotel and an on-site saunas and hot tubs. It also features an ice chapel, an ice gallery, an ice bar and the restaurant ‘Laksestua’. The architectural designs showcase different themes every year and a few themes tested over the years are Viking theme, Norwegian fairytale theme and a theme featuring the wild animals of the region. Guests can glimpse the beauty of the icy fjords and panoramic views of the mountains on snowmobile safaris or go dog-sledding on sleds pulled by friendly huskies. River-boat excursion on the Alta River, one of Norway’s famous salmon rivers on the banks of which the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is situated, is also very popular. Viewing the Northern Lights is another memorable experience and sometimes the lights can even be seen just above the restaurant building as well as above the hotel itself.
§ Snow Castle, Kemi, Finland Situated right on the Bothnian Bay and rebuilt featuring a different architecture each year, the Snow Castle in Kemi was first created in 1996 as a gift from UNICEF. It is located in the SnowCastle Area in Kemi Inner Harbour, only 1km away from the city centre. It takes 5 weeks to build the structure and the area it covers has varied from 13,000 to over 20,000 square metres over the years. The tallest towers have been over 20 metres high and the longest walls, 1,000 metres long and over 12 feet high. The castle itself has featured three storeys. Although the configurations have fluctuated, a few components like a chapel, a restaurant and a hotel have remained constant. The hotel area also features an ice gallery featuring the ice sculptures of artists from all over the world. The Snow Restaurant has ice tables and seating arrangements covered in reindeer fur and decorated with ice sculptures. The Snow Chapel has 50-100 seats and has hosted weddings of couples from as far away as Japan and Hong Kong. The Snow Hotel in the castle has single and double rooms as well as rooms for bigger groups. A maximum number of 48 people can stay in the hotel at a time. Exciting snow mobile safaris, day trips to Rovaniemi and Ranua, snow-shoeing amongst the wilderness, kick-sliding, husky safaris and ice-fishing are a few touristy pursuits to indulge in here.
§ Eskimska Vas, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia ‘Eskimska Vas’, means ‘Eskimo Village’ in the Slovene language. In 2008, the Sejalec Award Committee noted the comprehensive and financially efficient manner in which Koren Sports introduced a new feature to the Slovenian tourism industry, the Eskimo Village on Krvavec. Later, it was shifted to the ski-slopes in Kranjska Gora. This snowy village can be reached by a cable car ride up the mountain followed by a snowshoe hike. The Igloo Hotel was constructed as a part of the Eskimo Village. There are about 4 to 5 igloo accommodations. The beds are carved out of blocks of ice and first draped with an insulating material and then with warm sheepskins. Special expeditionary sleeping bags which can withstand temperatures up to -300 C are provided to guests. The Igloo Restaurant here provides traditional Slovenian dishes like Carnolian Sausage with Horseradish on the side and fresh bread. There is an idyllic snow bar which also hosts birthday parties, anniversary and wedding celebrations. The Eskimsa Vas operates between the end of December and the beginning of March. Apart from skiing and cross-country tracks, tourists can go snowboarding at Vogel or visit the free-style ski park at Rogla.
§ Engelberg-Titlis Igloo Village, Engelberg, Switzerland Located 1,800 metres above sea-level with breathtaking, panoramic views of the wildly romantic Swiss Alps and twinkling stars set against dark skies, the Igloo Village in the popular mountain resort town of Engelberg in central Switzerland was built by the company Iglu-Dorf which also has other igloo villages elsewhere. It usually operates from Christmas to Easter and can easily be reached from Lucerne, Zurich, Basel and Bern. One standard igloo can hold up to six people. A maximum of 52 people in groups can be accommodated in the igloo accommodations out of which one is a completely private ‘romantic igloo’ for couples. The newly introduced ‘Hot-Iglu’ comes equipped with a Swedish stove. Savour the delicious Moitie-Moitie cheese fondue or fresh bread with a pot of bubbling Gruyère cheese at the Igloo Bar. There is no dearth of activities for visitors as this igloo village is located in Trübsee, in the middle of the ski area. The new SnowXpark in the igloo village offers rides on electric snow-bikes and paragliding. Visitors can also indulge in skiing, sledging down the mountain, snowshoe hiking and night-time local excursions.
§ Schneedorf Snow Village, Oetz, Austria Conveniently located in Sölden, a popular Austrian ski resort, the first snow village of Austria has 18 Classic rooms and Romantic 2 and 4-person igloos, all made of snow and ice. This snow village, situated 8,850 feet above sea-level, is somewhat smaller than the other ice hotels but a lot more affordable and in no way less remarkable. It operates from the end of December to midApril. Winter sports like skiing, snowshoe hiking, snowboarding and tobogganing are popular. Guests can also relax in the mountain sauna made out of local Zirbenwood. Apart from these, there are a few other ice hotels across the globe. In the winter of 2011, Hotel Lumen in The Netherlands built a temporary ice hotel as part of the town of Zwolle’s ice-sculpture festival. It had 3 sleeping options – an ice cave, a mermaid room and a shell-themed room. The IgluDorf company has igloo-villages in various places, for instance, Iglu-Dorf Andorra in Grandvalira, Spain and Iglu-Dorf Zugspitze in Grainau, Germany. It has many igloo villages in Switzerland, viz., Iglu-Dorf Gstaad in Saanenmoser, Iglu-Dorf Zermatt in Zermatt and Iglu-Dorf Davos Klosters in DavosDorf. Located on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, there is the Ice Cave, a snowy paradise on the premises of the magical Alpha Resort Tomamu Ski Resort. It has only one room to accommodate guests. Everything in the resort itself is hewn from ice, from igloos to trees, the plates and the glasses. Interested visitors can also carve their own ice goblet with an ice pick. There is also a snow hotel in Rovaniemi, Finland called the Arctic SnowHotel and the Bjorli Ice Lodge in the mountains in the Molde region of Norway.
Comentarios