Finland's Ice Hotel

Sometime back I saw a show on the Travel Channel about the Ice Hotel in Finland. If you are an adventure traveler that enjoys a unique travel experience and isn’t necessarily concerned with warmth and cushiness, then this might be a great opportunity for you!

What is incredible about the Ice Hotel, besides the fact that it is made entirely out of ice and snow from the Torne River, is that the hotel is redesigned and constructed every single year beginning in late autumn. As the Torne River freezes over, the snow is cleared and ice blocks are excavated and used to construct this massive, one-of-a-kind tourist attraction. The river is literally cut into ice blocks that are then pulled from the banks and stored until they are ready to be used to construct the temporary hotel. The ice hotel is always ornate and absolutely breathtaking as plans include making pillars, bars, chairs, beds, archways and pretty much everything else from ice. Even the glasses at the bar are formed from ice! The lobby of this stunning facility is adorned with hand carved ice sculptures and each fixture, all furnishings and art are also made of sculpted ice. The lighting is meticulously planned, creating blue, white and silver hues that envelop the entire dwelling. The inside of the hotel is reminiscent of the stately archways and columns that adorn the world’s most ornate cathedrals. The hotel is definitely cold, with average temperatures hovering somewhere between 4 and 9 degrees below zero.

The Ice Hotel is located in a village made entirely of snow! Showshoeing, skiing, sledding, and ice fishing are among the activities that are available. Other activities include snowmobile safaris complete with northern lights viewing, and storytelling from Lapland locals about the lights. Stories are told while guests sip hot beverages, cook sausages and consume delicious snacks.

The hotel is open during the darkest time of the year in Finland and chances of seeing the Northern Lights are better than average. After a day of snowshoeing or other outdoor activity and drinking at the Ice Bar, patrons can snuggle into their ice bed between reindeer pelts and sleeping bags for a unique night’s sleep. If you are too cold or uncomfortable, you can request accommodations in a nearby, heated facility that features a fireplace and lounge with a TV.

Guests interested in experiencing a one-of-a-kind wedding can inquire in advance about availability of the ice chapel for their nuptials. This would be a wedding that would never be forgotten and the pictures would be stunning! Imagine standing at the altar in your white wool or velvet dress with a faux fur stole and hand muffs! Incredible.

When the spring of April sun begins to warm the country, the hotel melts off and simply rejoins the river until it is time to reconstruct the hotel the following fall.