Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi and its sculpted world of ice
Published on 08/21/2026 at 16:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi in northern Sweden brings together a full-scale hotel and an art exhibition carved each year from snow and ice taken from the nearby Torne River. First opened in 1990 as an ice-built hotel in Swedish Lapland, it continues to combine temporary snow-and-ice structures with permanent warm accommodation in the village beside the river.
An Arctic hotel made from river ice
Icehotel stands in Jukkasjarvi in Norrbotten County, north of the Arctic Circle and east of the town of Kiruna, close to the course of the Torne River. The hotel is described as a large complex built largely from blocks of ice and packed snow harvested from this river and set up on the riverbank each winter season.The Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi The structure has grown over the years into a snow-and-ice building with a floor area of around 6,000 m² (64,600 sq ft), arranged as a series of corridors, rooms and public spaces made of compacted snow and clear river ice.a hotel of ice and snow
The concept is closely tied to the Torne River, whose clear winter ice is cut and shaped into walls, columns, beds and decorative features, and which later receives the building back when the seasonal structures melt. The address Marknadsvägen 63, 981 91 Jukkasjärvi, appears across the hotel’s official material and locates Icehotel on the village’s main road near the riverbank.the address in Jukkasjarvi Within this frozen architecture, the hotel combines cold rooms sculpted from ice and snow with warm buildings constructed in conventional materials nearby.
From early experiments to a permanent Arctic landmark
Icehotel grew from early experiments with ice art and winter structures in Jukkasjarvi at the end of the 1980s and opened as an ice-built hotel in 1990 under the ownership of entrepreneur Yngve Bergqvist.Opening in 1990 under Yngve Bergqvist The seasonal hotel has since been rebuilt each winter, with artists and builders reshaping the interior layout and sculptural details while keeping the basic idea of cold accommodation and a public ice-art exhibition.
Alongside the winter-only section, Icehotel now includes a permanent structure known as Icehotel 365, which houses suites and an ice bar kept at sub-zero temperatures throughout the year in a cooled building.Icehotel 365 in Jukkasjarvi The wider site mixes this cooled building with conventional hotel rooms, service buildings and restaurants, turning the complex into a hybrid between a traditional northern Swedish hotel and an Arctic art project based on snow and ice.
Rooms, art suites and ice-crafted details
Icehotel offers a variety of cold rooms and suites sculpted from snow and ice, alongside warm rooms in conventional materials, giving guests a choice between spending the night on an ice bed and sleeping in more standard accommodation.around 120 rooms in total The cold rooms are arranged as simple ice chambers and as individually designed art suites, each created by invited artists and designers who carve intricate reliefs and sculptural forms into the snow walls and ice surfaces.
The site also includes an ice bar where drinks are served in carved ice glasses, and a chapel-like space made from snow and ice that is used for ceremonies and celebrations.Icehotel in winter in Jukkasjarvi Beyond the frozen spaces, the warm-side buildings house reception areas, a restaurant and other services, and the surroundings of Jukkasjarvi and Kiruna place Icehotel within a broader landscape of Arctic forests, frozen river scenery and winter darkness punctuated by clear views of the northern sky.
Visiting Icehotel: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Icehotel stands in the village of Jukkasjarvi in northern Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle and east of Kiruna, reached via Kiruna’s transport links and local roads.
- The site combines cold buildings made of snow and ice with warm accommodation blocks, so moving around the complex means crossing packed snow and icy surfaces in sub-zero winter conditions.
- Icehotel lies close to the Torne River in Swedish Lapland, and the surrounding landscape includes flat riverbank terrain, low forest and open views towards the Arctic sky.
- 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 northern Sweden, in Norrbotten County, east of Kiruna and close to the Torne River.
What can visitors expect during a stay at Icehotel?
Visitors encounter cold rooms and art suites carved from snow and ice, an ice bar and a chapel-like ice space, alongside warm hotel rooms and restaurant facilities.
What makes Icehotel distinctive among hotels?
Icehotel is rebuilt from snow and ice each winter and incorporates Icehotel 365, combining temporary Arctic ice architecture and year-round cooled suites with conventional accommodation in one complex.
