Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi, an Arctic hotel carved from ice

Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi in northern Sweden is built each winter from the Torne River’s ice, combining Arctic hotel rooms with changing ice art exhibitions.

Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi in northern Sweden is a hotel and art space carved from ice and snow, rebuilt each winter alongside the Torne River. Opened in 1990, it has developed into a sizeable complex that includes cold rooms sculpted from river ice and warm accommodation in conventional buildings on the same site.

An Arctic hotel made of river ice

Icehotel stands in the village of Jukkasjarvi in Norrbotten County, far north in Sweden and within the Arctic Circle. The site lies east of Kiruna and close to the Torne River, whose water is frozen into clear blocks of ice and used as the primary building material for the hotel’s seasonal structures.Jukkasjarvi location The main address for the complex is Marknadsvägen 63 in Jukkasjarvi, placing it on the edge of the village with the river within easy reach.Marknadsvägen 63 address

The hotel is constructed from snow and ice blocks harvested from the Torne River when winter temperatures have formed thick, solid ice. Inside, structural elements such as walls, columns, beds and seating are built in ice, with loose snow packed to form vaults and corridors. The hotel’s cold section occupies several thousand square metres, described as spanning around 6,000 m² (64,600 sq ft), which gives a sense of its scale on the flat ground by the river.floor area of 6,000 m²

From early experiments to a seasonal ice complex

Icehotel traces its origin to work led by Yngve Bergqvist, who is listed as the owner and central figure behind the development in Jukkasjarvi.owner Yngve Bergqvist A first ice structure was created in 1989, and the hotel in its recognisable form opened in 1990. Since that opening, an ice and snow hotel has been built each winter season, using new designs and newly harvested ice. When spring arrives and temperatures rise, the temporary ice buildings melt and the water runs back into the Torne River, completing a yearly cycle of construction and dissolution.story of Icehotel

Over more than three decades, Icehotel has expanded from a single experimental hall into a winter complex with multiple ice rooms, art suites and shared spaces. Descriptions from the operator mention that the winter hotel houses between 15 and 20 standard ice rooms as well as a set of individually designed art suites created by invited artists.15–20 ice rooms and art suites Alongside the cold section, the site includes conventional “warm” rooms and facilities so that guests can combine a night in ice accommodation with nights in more familiar hotel surroundings.

Art, architecture and staying in Icehotel

Each winter, Icehotel functions as both overnight accommodation and an art exhibition. Artists from different countries are invited to design and carve the seasonal art suites and ice sculptures, working with river ice under the guidance of the in-house team.art exhibition of ice Inside the cold section, beds are built from ice blocks and covered with insulating layers such as reindeer hides and sleeping bags, while lighting emphasises the translucence of the ice surfaces and the carved details on walls and furnishings.

Alongside the winter-built hotel, the site also includes a permanent section sometimes referred to as ICEHOTEL 365, which houses ice rooms maintained year-round in a controlled environment and sits beside warm accommodation buildings on the same property.ICEHOTEL 365 permanent section Facilities on site include at least one restaurant and bar, where parts of the interior design and serving ware draw on the same ice and snow aesthetic that defines the accommodation.restaurant at Icehotel

Visiting Icehotel: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Icehotel is situated in Jukkasjarvi in far northern Sweden, around 17 km east of Kiruna along the E10 road, with Kiruna Airport serving as the nearest air gateway to the area.
• The winter-built ice structures stand on level ground beside the Torne River, and moving through the cold section involves walking on compacted snow and ice surfaces and using corridors and chambers formed in ice.
• The official language is Swedish and the currency is the Swedish krona.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Icehotel

Where is Icehotel located?

Icehotel is located in the village of Jukkasjarvi in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden, near the Torne River and east of the town of Kiruna.

What can visitors expect during a stay at Icehotel?

Visitors encounter a combination of cold rooms sculpted from river ice and warm accommodation, with the winter-built ice hotel offering carved art suites, ice rooms and shared ice halls.

What makes Icehotel distinctive among hotels?

Icehotel is rebuilt from snow and ice each winter using blocks harvested from the Torne River, functioning as both a hotel and an ice art exhibition that changes in design from year to year.