In the far north of Sweden, there is a river called Torne
that runs crystal clear in the summer time. The flowing water in the summer
turns to rock solid ice in the winter, and is then shaped into everything from
ice glasses to ice beds. On the river bank, is a town called Jukkasjarvi, and
there, the brilliant Ice Hotel is built every year.
Land around the hotel turns from frozen solid to a flowing
river and back again every year, meaning that the luxurious Ice Hotel can only
be enjoyed to its fullest for the four months that it is standing. The hotel is
crafted with such design and precision, that it is many artists’ dreams to be
chosen to work on the Ice Hotel. Each room is a showcase for high class art and
design, and every artist wants to be a part of it. Around 250 applications are
received every year to work on the design team for this unique hotel.
Each bed is surrounded by artwork made of ice, snow, and
“snice” (the perfect blend of ice and snow). Each person sleeps in a thermal
sleeping bag, and lay on a bed of ice blocks, and a mattress topped with
reindeer skin.
Even though it might be -30 degrees Celsius outside of the
hotel, inside the walls, it never gets below -5 to -8 degrees Celsius.
There is even a summer version of this resort, which has a
smaller piece of the ice hotel, with an ice bar and a place to try ice
sculpting! The elegant precision with which this was sculpted is what makes the
experience so incredible.
