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    Swedish Lapland

    Icehotel

    Cool and contemporary

    When it comes to finding rooms with that little something extra, the Icehotel is hard to beat. This hotel and art exhibition was first built in 1989 and has been redesigned and built from scratch every year since.

    Water from the River Torne provides ice for the hotel and a team of skilled and hardy workers chip, carve and chisel until the building is complete. There is a mix of warm and cold rooms in which to sleep, the latter lingering between -5 and -8°C on the thermometer. The highlight for most guests is the chance to bed down in one of the cold rooms, where a thick mattress covered in reindeer skins sits on top of a huge bed of ice. Snuggle up in your thermal sleeping bag then wake up in the morning to a steaming cup of lingonberry juice before jumping in the sauna before breakfast.

    New for 2016 is the Icehotel 365, a permanent structure that is kept cool in summer by solar panels. Inside are luxury suites, each with their own bathroom as well as art suites designed and hand carved by artists from around the world.

    Despite its frosty nature, there are plenty of cosy corners in which to warm your fingers and toes. Set up camp in front of the crackling fire in the Jukkasjärvi Homestead, a timbered building that dates back to 1768. Here you can enjoy beef and salmon steaks hot out the charcoal-fired oven, or head to the hotel restaurant to sample traditional Scandinavian fare with locally sourced fish, game and berries.

    Then there is the ice bar, where everything from the glasses to the tables, chairs and bar itself is made from ice. Enjoy the totally unique surroundings and sip on what is likely to be the crispest glass of champagne or cocktail you’ll ever drink.

    Highlights

    Dog sledding

    Meet the Sami

    Ice sculpting

    Northern Lights watching

    Mix of cold and warm rooms

    Two restaurants

    Ice bar

    Lounge

    Ready to plan your adventure?

    Whatever you want from your trip, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.

    Plan your trip to Swedish Lapland

    Whatever you want from your adventure in Swedish Lapland, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.

    Places to combine Icehotel with

    Arctic Retreat

    Swedish Lapland

    Arctic Retreat

    Arctic Retreat is a little gem hidden deep in the forests of Swedish Lapland, on the banks of the Råne River.

    There are three log cabins, one of which is a family cabin sleeping up to four people. Each features a bathroom, fireplace and private outdoor Jacuzzi. Large panoramic windows allow you to enjoy your surroundings – the pale haze of an early morning and the sprinkling of stars on a clear night is truly magical. There is also a wood-fired sauna in a separate building.

    The lodge is ownded by a local family who moved from the city of Luleå to the countryside in order to create this idyllic hideaway. Hosts will be on hand during your stay should you need anything. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included and food will be high-end local cuisine prepared according to the season.

    There is so much to do during a stay at Arctic Retreat from snowmobile safaris and husky rides to Nordic skiing and wilderness skills tours.

    Ariel view of waves breaking on a forested shoreline