Ice Hotel

For more than two centuries, ice palaces were popular in Russia and then later in north America but the fashion was short lived. Now ice hotels are catching on. Grabrielle walker reports from sweden on this unusual but fast-growing tourist destination.when Yngve Bergqvist decided to build an igloo to showcase native Sami art. After a few tourists enquired about staying the night, Yngve saw the potential, and shortly after the ice hotel was born.

Along with the original ice hotel in Sweden, there are numerous other locations that have recreated the authentic ice hotel, each offering their own twist. Some of the most notable of which are covered below

Sweden

The ice hotel at Jukka is the original and possibly the best, at least in terms of “things to do”, with a range of safari treks and artic trails on offer.

The Swedish ice hotel has a notably large range of accommodation.
For instance, for those wishing to sleep somewhere a little warmer, there are the luxurious “Aurora Houses”. The skylight in each house makes it possible to fall asleep under the famous Northern Lights.

Norway

If location and remoteness is what you are looking for, then Norway is the perfect option. The ice hotel situated in Kirkenes is a staggering 1,550 miles from Oslo, so you’d be hard stretched to find another ice hotel as remote!

The ice hotel here is essentially a smaller version of Sweden’s, with a couple of suites, ice sculptures and an ice chapel.