The most anticipated winter experience is snowfall and vacations to places synonymous with ice. Yes, winter truly offers a unique and different experience, especially in regions near the North Pole, where the world, once colorful, turns completely white. Sweden, a part of Scandinavia located in northern Europe, is one of the countries that experiences fantastic winters.
In response to this natural phenomenon and the growing interest in winter tourism, Sweden has begun focusing on developing ice tourism and more diverse and well-designed winter tour packages. One such experience is the ice hotel. Yes, a hotel made entirely of ice! This is very appealing to tourists from all over the world. And every year-end, these ice hotels receive a surge in bookings. This year, bookings are expected to increase dramatically.
How did these ice hotels come about? The story begins in 1989, when a Japanese ice artist visited Sweden, specifically the village of Jukkasjärvi. He created an ice art exhibition. In the spring of 1990, French artist Jannot Derid held an exhibition in a cylindrical igloo in the same area. One night, with no rooms available in town, several visitors asked to spend the night in the igloo in the exhibition hall. They slept in the igloo in sleeping bags on reindeer skins, becoming the “hotel’s” first guests. Since then, the ice hotel has evolved into a unique and unusual accommodation.
The entire hotel is made of snow and ice blocks taken from the Torne River, and even the glasses in the hotel bar are made of ice. This ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi is known as the world’s largest ice and snow hotel, spanning over 6,000 square meters (64,600 square feet). Each suite is unique, and the hotel’s architecture changes annually because everything is built from scratch. Artists submit their ideas for suites, and a jury selects around 50 artists to create the church, Icebar, reception, main hall, and suites. No wonder it receives so many guests every year.
