Ice Hotel is an annual art symposium and the world's first and largest ice hotel. It is located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, in Jukkasjärvi, Swedish Lapland.
Two hundred kilometers above the Arctic Circle, there is a stunning hotel overlooking the shimmering northern lights. The small village next to the Torne River is currently home to 900 people and 1000 dogs, but the history of Jukkasjärvi is particularly noteworthy. The name of the village comes from a Sami word that roughly translates as "meeting place by the water," so the village was once an important marketplace. Guests of Jukkasjärvi are attracted by the colorful culture, unique nature, local creativity, and most importantly, the Ice Hotel.
The Torne River, with its impressive length of 520 kilometers, runs from the ancient mountains in the west to the east coast, where it flows into the Gulf of Bothnia. As the largest of Sweden's national rivers, it is rare and one of the last untouched rivers in Europe. It is this river that provides the ice for the Ice Hotel. The natural ice must reach a certain strength before it is harvested in early spring, when it is at its thickest.
"Each individual ice block used to build the Ice Hotel is an inspiration that cannot be found in artificial ice. Moreover, unique art must be created anew year after year," says Yngve Bergqvist, founder of the Ice Hotel.
With 27 years of experience, Ice Hotel has nine Art Suites, eleven Deluxe Suites with bath and relaxation, an ice gallery and Icebary by Icehotel Jukkasjrävi, all created by ice builders and artists from all over the world.
Designed by architect Hans Ek, the hotel's famous vaulted architecture is combined with traditional construction methods to create a look that blends in with the surrounding environment. The indoor temperature is set at a constant minus five degrees Celsius. There is a refrigeration unit that ensures the hotel stays cool during the summer, powered by solar panels.
200 km north of the Arctic Circle, the sun shines for 50 days straight during the summer months. The Arctic nature and environment are a huge source of inspiration and necessity for the Ice Hotel to be created year after year, attracting travelers from all over the world.
The dining room and cocktail bar are warm and traditional. It’s warm enough, but still just enough to allow the ice in the surrounding interior to take center stage. The restaurant sources its ingredients from the local area, offering delicacies such as reindeer, elk, and blackberries prepared by chef Alexander Mayer and his team. Choose from the a la carte menu or pre-order one of the specially prepared lunches. Lunch in the forest or dinner in the wild can be arranged.
The Ice Hotel restaurant was voted the best in Kiruna and was among the top three in Swedish Lapland in the White Guide 2016 and 2017, and proudly holds the title of "The most agreeable restaurant in Scandinavia".
Chef Alexander Meyer offers dishes made from local ingredients sourced from the region's rivers, mountains, marshes and forests. Beautiful river ice from Thorn adds an element to your dining experience, taking the form of a table, dish or bowl.
