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Ice Age Cool

Published: Volume 13, Issue 2, March-April, 2005

At the end of the season every year, the light begins to penetrate from the ice ceilings and openings appear, creating beautiful reflections in the water on the floor, before it all melts back into the river.

What would it be like to live in the world’s largest ‘igloo’? Verve’s London correspondent, Nisha Paul, copes with the frozen assets of the remarkable Icehotel, in northern Lapland and admits that her children dealt with the freezing splendour far more bravely than she did.

Did it all begin with some random ice sculptures in an igloo, ten years ago? Or, was it indeed the immense power of the melting glaciers of the Ice Age that formed the valleys, mountains and the Torne River? All we know is that today, the Icehotel is the world’s largest igloo, comprising unusual ice sculptures and is also known as an artist’s winter garden. Ice art is fashioned from ice that contains a higher oxygen content and the perfect temperature for harvesting it is minus 10 degrees centigrade. Every winter, a new Icehotel is built (from the ice of the Torne River) in the tiny village of Jukkasjarvi, in northern Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle and thousands of guests spend nights between its glittering walls. Everything is created from frozen water molecules, including an ice chapel where couples come to get married even though they know it’s a transient structure. At the end of the season every year, Arne Bergh, (sculptor and creative head of Icehotel) and its founder Yngve Bergqvist, take photographs of the sculptures as they start to change and the light begins to penetrate from the ice ceilings and openings appear, creating beautiful reflections in the water on the floor, before it all melts back into the river.


Weathering temperatures of minus five degrees centigrade!

We stayed in the modern Scandinavian-designed Kamoos rooms that are equipped with all the much-needed necessities of modern life but for the adventurous minded, the Icehotel also has suites where you get to sleep on ice beds with warm reindeer hides, in an ultra warm sleeping bag. The snow supposedly gives you protection against the cold and our brave children weathered the bedroom temperature of around minus five degrees centigrade! There is an Absolut Ice Bar (with similar ones in Stockholm and Milan) and without doubt the drink recommended is Absolut vodka served in ice glasses, (best enjoyed at minus five degrees centigrade) making visitors move around with a sense of reverence in the dreamlike environment. The bartender shared with us this nugget of information – that the shape of the emptied glasses reveal who you are, the sipper, biter or the unstoppable talker. Nature is strongly present throughout the theme of the hotel restaurant as you taste kalix whitefish roe with freshly baked almond-potato blinis from a plate of pure, clear ice that is simultaneously rough cut and crystal clear. Other traditional culinary delicacies worth a try are marinated air-dried moose tenderloin, reindeer steaks, Arctic char and of course cloudberries served with syrup made with the local herb, angelica. For unparalleled memories, you can visit the, ‘Dinner in the Ice’ restaurant, situated near Lulea, in the middle of the frozen sea and keep a rendezvous under the stars.

GETTING THERE
Where it is: Jukkasjarvi, Swedish village of about 700 inhabitants, 200 km (160 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. How to reach there: SAS flies daily from Stockholm to Kiruna. The Icehotel is 20 minutes away
by car. Bus, snowmobile or dogsled transfers are available. Where to stay: There are 67 ice suites and deluxe rooms, 28 Kamoos rooms and several ‘Aurora houses’ for viewing the Northern Lights. What to wear: Snow suits, winter boots, hats and gloves are included
in your stay. Cross country skis and snow shoes are available on hire. Where to reserve: Icehotel, Se-98191 Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.
Telephone: +4698066800, fax: +4698066890, email: info@icehotel.com

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