Snow hotels appear all over the Barents Region

November has been extra cold this year and the first snow hotel has already welcomed its first overnight guests. The Jukkasjärvi snow hotel in northern Sweden opened two weeks ago with 60 rooms, a month earlier than previous winter season.

The Jukkasjärvi hotel also has a large main hall, an ice bar and a special designed snow- and ice entrance. More than 50 people – ice and snow sculptors, lighting designers and others were involved in the construction of the near 600 square meter building.

Snow hotels are also under construction in Kirkenes and Alta in northern Norway.

In Finnish Lapland four snow hotels will be open this winter. The Lainio Snow Village Hotel has in addition to 20 igloos and seven ice suits also a snow-restaurant and Europe’s largest ice-bar. Three other snow hotels are located near Kemi, in Ylläs and just south of Saariselkä.

This winter season’s largest snow- and ice construction will however be at the Levi ski-resort in Finland. Opening on December 17th, Europe’s largest ever ice-sculpture village will open. Named “Wonderworld of Ice” it will contain ice huge sculptures of buildings lighted with special colours LED-lights.

The ice-models are well-known sights from China and other parts of the world, including the Beijing Olympic Stadium, a labyrinth and a Pagoda of ice are the most recognisable examples of architecture. Sixty professionals are currently building Levi’s Wonderworld of Ice.

In Kirovsk on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, another snow village are under construction. The fairytale-look snow constructions include both buildings and activities for children, including a large number of slides, reports GTRK Murman. The snow village will also get a real theatre with a large screen. An ice-sculpture festival will be arranged in late January.

The southernmost snow hotel in the Barents Region will be opened in the village of Kononvskaya in Arkhangelsk Oblast. Last winter season was the first time this snow hotel was built, decorated with many fascinating ice-sculptures and designed specialities.

See BarentsObserver’s slide-show from the Russian snow- and ice hotel.