Kiruna is a small town within the Arctic Circle in Sweden, and its airport is also the closest to Abisko, the best place in Sweden to see the Northern Lights. In winter, relatively clear-sky Abisko enjoys the reputation of “seeing the Northern Lights on average one out of every three nights,” which is very, very appealing and made me eager to visit.
But since I was passing through Kiruna, I specifically arranged for an overnight stay in an ice igloo.
I also watched my first-ever Northern Lights on my own outside the igloo—how unforgettable.
I found the ice igloo accommodation experience quite interesting and worth recommending (More in: http://sailor-travel.blogspot.hk/2017/06/blog-post.html)
But personally, I think the already quite small Kiruna doesn’t have any other particularly special attractions, so after staying in the igloo, you can just head straight to Abisko.
However, I felt it might be a bit of a waste to just go to Abisko and wait for the sun to set after waking up...
So, before heading to Abisko, I came to the Ice Hotel, which is about a 30-minute drive from Kiruna.
The location of the ICE HOTEL is called Jukkasj
Later, other countries such as Canada, Norway, Finland, Romania, and Japan also developed their own versions of ice hotels, but this one originated in 1989 and has stood strong for 27 years now
A minimum spend for a double room at Ice Hotel for one night is around two thousand Hong Kong dollars, which is probably enough to scare off many tourists.
However, they thoughtfully offer (also quite pricey) daytime tours priced at over seven hundred Hong Kong dollars.
But being able to see this rather creative building is, personally, quite acceptable.
After all, the ice here is hand-carved and different every year—truly every block is hard-earned XD
It’s said that chandeliers are always added each year because once, a year went by without them, and guests were very disappointed
Apart from the chandeliers, ice columns are also essential. With these two prerequisites... having seen the designs of recent years, they all seem pretty similar to me XD
Tickets for the Ice Hotel daytime tour already include an English or Swedish guided tour, with the English version set at 12:00 noon daily. Only one session is offered, so don’t miss it if the timing works for you
Although Ice Hotel has over sixty guest rooms, not all of them are open for visitors to see. Even if you join the guided tour, it’s just a guide explaining the history and layout of the Ice Hotel—you won’t be taken to explore much more.
But since you’re already there, hearing the introduction once isn’t a bad idea~
The ice used in ICE HOTEL comes from the nearby Torne River, also located within the Arctic Circle. The river prides itself on being ultra-clean, free from industrial waste, and even safe to drink.
The guide even confidently stated that if Ice Hotel were ever to open in another country or for exhibitions, they would definitely bring ice made from Torne River water, as it's hard to find better material.
There is a very popular chapel here where vows are exchanged. The guide mentioned that the chapel hosts over two hundred weddings per year, and each ceremony is very brief XD. Guests hastily exchange vows in the sub-zero chapel before dashing off to the after-party.
In the spring of 1990, French artist Jannot Derid held an exhibition inside a 60-square-meter ice house. Some visitors even spread reindeer skins on the floor and slept in sleeping bags overnight. Seeing that they were all energetic the next day, the concept of Ice Hotel was born.
Since snow is a great insulator, the room temperature stays around -5 degrees Celsius. By laying a thick layer of reindeer skin on top of large ice blocks, guests can sleep in sleeping bags on the “beds.”
Well, given how expensive Ice Hotel is, I couldn’t stay there myself to comment. But I guess it probably wouldn’t be too different from my experience staying in an ice igloo. To be honest, the cold issue can be solved by piling on more sleeping bags—I used three and really didn’t feel cold at all. But sleeping in multiple sleeping bags isn’t very comfortable; you’ll probably only get light sleep... For those interested in the experience, go for an ice igloo instead—the price difference is enormous XD
Among the ice sculptors are people from China and Japan, so some rooms feature designs with an Eastern touch.
The final stop is the Ice Bar~A year ago, it used to melt away like the rest of the hotel in summer. But now they’ve built walls and installed air conditioning, so it no longer melts—365 days a year.
The guide is very proud to say that now, thanks to the walls providing sturdy support, the chandeliers here are the largest in the whole hotel.
But personally, I prefer the old look from the old photos... such a pity
The Ice Bar also has a branch in Stockholm, where you can even purchase those uniquely crafted ice glasses. Another highlight? You can take your glass home after finishing your drink XD. Even if you’re not heading to the Arctic Circle during your trip to Sweden, why not stop by for a unique experience? Haha
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