StayJukkasjärvi, Norrbotten, Sweden
A Night at the Icehotel
Sleeping at minus five in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland
Average rating 4.5 out of 5
4.52 reviews
Rebuilt from river ice every winter since 1989, the Icehotel is equal parts art gallery and hotel. Here is what a night in a cold room is really like.
An art gallery you sleep in
Every November a team of artists and builders cuts blocks from the frozen Torne River and raises the Icehotel again from scratch. Each art suite is designed by a different artist, chosen from hundreds of proposals, so no two winters look alike. By late April it all melts back into the river.
The cold rooms are kept at around minus five whatever the weather outside. You sleep on a block of ice topped with a timber frame, reindeer hides and an expedition-grade sleeping bag, and in practice most guests sleep surprisingly well. The trick is to go to bed warm, wear a hat and as few layers as you can bear inside the bag, and keep tomorrow's clothes in the bag with you.
There is also a permanent ice building, open all year, and plenty of warm rooms and cabins. We book one cold night followed by one or two warm ones, which is how most guests prefer it.
What to pack
- A wool or merino base layer to sleep in
- A warm hat and wool socks
- A small bag for the warm-room lockers
- Swimwear: the sauna and the outdoor hot tub are the best part of the morning
Book early
About this story
Nora NorthwindAuthor
Northwind ToursPublisher
Reviews
Write a reviewAverage rating 4.5 out of 5
2 reviews- CCChiara Conti4 out of 5 stars2 Oct
Loved the route, but budget a little more than suggested: everything up here is expensive.
- AHAhmed Hassan5 out of 5 stars13 Aug
Wonderful writing about a place that is easy to get wrong. The sauna-then-sea tip made our trip.
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