CONVERGENCE NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016

Travel
ICEHOTEL
JUKKASJÄRVI, SWEDEN
The small village of Jukkasjärvi receives a
temporary building each year during winter.
That building happens to be the Icehotel.
Built from blocks of ice and snow each year,
in November, materials for the design and
architecture come from the nearby river Torne.
The world’s first and largest hotel built of snow
and ice, the Torne River supplies enough ice
equivalent to 4,000 tonnes of ice which equals
to four ice hotels. An establishment that opens
all year round, guests are able to stay in cabins
during the summer. But, when winter arrives,
the Icehotel will be available for bookings and
activities such as skiing, husky sledding,
northern light tours and ice sculpting are on
the agenda as well as sleeping in the unique
hotel. The hotel’s Founder, Yngve Bergqvist
had the idea for such a hotel, 27 years ago.
Today, the hotel attracts over 50,000 guests
from around the world! And the best part of
this experience? When the hotel melts in the
gazing spring sun, the ice turns into water and
returns to the Torne River again.
Pictures by PinPin Studio, Asaf Kliger and
Christopher Hauser
SNOWCASTLE
KEMI, FINLAND
This 21-room snowcastle is a destination for magnificent
ice sculptures and frozen beauty. The castle houses
the world’s largest SnowRestaurant which seats over
200 guests, a SnowChapel with mystical atmosphere
for wedding ceremonies and a SnowHotel with unique
beautifully decorated snow rooms which are all made
entirely of snow and ice from the sea water. At the
restaurant, guests are also able to enjoy a meal around
the glistening ice tables indulging in specialties like
cream of smoked reindeer soup or a fillet of reindeer
with game sauce and lingonberries. However, just like
all the other ice hotels or castles, the SnowCastle is
built anew every season in a different architectural
style and takes about six weeks to construct.
Pictures by Kemi Tourism Ltd and Timo Laapotti
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