Magical. Inspiring. Unreal. We managed three words, though most people will be at a loss to describe the wonder that is Sweden’s annual pop-up Icehotel.
Think of it as the world’s largest igloo, or a grandiose Frozen sequel. Every winter, when the waters of the river Torne freezes, a hotel unlike any is sculpted out of the ice itself. The Icehotel, in the pristine wilderness of Swedish Lapland – around 200 km north of the Arctic Circle – is the “coolest” cold place to visit.
A total of 16 suites were built, plus a bar, and all manner of winter activities like husky sledding and snowmobiling are just outside your room. This is the 25th year the Icehotel has been created (and gradually dissolved), and it’s this enigmatic state of renewal and regeneration that makes this one of the most surreal places to visit.
Hot Type in a Cold Setting by John Bark & Charli Kasselbäck.
. This is Borderland by Tomasz Cjazkowski & Eryk Marks. Photo © Paulina Holmgren
Want to visit? You’ve got till April 2015 before it all melts away. Here’s how it’s built (previous edition).
Book a stay at www.discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel