Every winter in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi, an extraordinary building rises from the snow — a hotel made entirely of ice. Known simply as the Icehotel, it is the first of its kind in the world and is rebuilt from scratch every year. The walls, ceilings, chandeliers, and even the drinking glasses in its bar are carved out of solid ice. Blocks of ice are harvested from the nearby Torne River, crystal-clear and strong enough to form the structure of this frozen palace. Once the foundations are ready, international artists arrive to sculpt themed suites, turning the hotel into a gallery of icy art. Each winter brings new creations: one room might resemble an enchanted forest, another a spaceship or a surreal dreamscape.Guests who stay overnight sleep in thermal sleeping bags on reindeer hides, braving temperatures that hover around –5 °C indoors. While it sounds uncomfortable, many describe it as magical. The silence of ice, the glow of sculpted walls, and the dreamlike feeling of sleeping inside art make it an unforgettable experience. By spring, the hotel melts back into the river, disappearing entirely — only to return the following winter in a new form. This constant cycle of creation, transformation, and melting is part of its charm, making it less a hotel and more a living piece of art that changes with the seasons..Ice blocks from a riverThe hotel uses about 1,000 tonnes of crystal-clear ice from the Torne River every year..Weddings in an ice chapelCouples can marry in a chapel with frozen pews, an altar of ice, and chandeliers carved from icicles..Frozen even in summerA solar-powered refrigeration system now keeps part of the Icehotel standing all year round.
