Photos from the Ice Hotel
Sorry about the long loading times! The pictures
are definitely worth it though! If you'd like, you can go
back to the main photo page or to
the home page. After you're done
looking at the Ice Hotel, go to photos from dogsledding
and sites around Kiruna. The web site for the Ice
Hotel also has some cool photos. |
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Emily is standing in front of the entrance
to the Ice Hotel. It's built entirely out of ice and snow!
The roof on the outside looks like a big snow bank, but
inside the ceilings are formed in high arches. There are
ice columns leading down the main hall, which ends in an
ice fountain, complete with running water. The blue lights
around the entrance are actually inside of the ice.
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The hallways are like a really big snow
tunnel. They put "snice over" forms to create
the walls and ceiling. Snice is a combination of snow and
ice. Snow isn't solid enough to build it entirely out of,
but ice doesn't insulate at all like snow does. The snice
ensures that it's -5 degrees C at all times inside, even
when it's colder outside.
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The ice fountain at the end of the main hall.
Green-colored water flows out of the top and pools at the
bottom. There are blue lights all around it, which makes
it glow.
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The Ice Chapel. Hundreds of couples get married
here! Brrr. There are big ice blocks for pews, but the furs ensure
the seats aren't too cold. There's even an ice baptisimal fountain
by the ice alter.
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This is one of the "stain glass"
windows in the chapel. The ice is carved in different thicknesses
to give the colored look.
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Artists from all over the world decorate each
one of the 25 suites. They carve ice sculptures, snow scultures
and draw designs into the wall.
There are also about 40 other rooms to stay in,
but they only have a bed. No artist's touch!
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I'm glad we didn't sleep here. It's supposed to
be very warm - you're buried in insulated sleeping bags with lots
of blankets and the staff brings you a hot drink in the morning.
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One artist had a fish, blocks of ice by the bed,
and red lights under the "fire" and blue around it.
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Jon relaxing in an ice arm
chair.
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Ice furniture is very slippery!
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This couch is in the entry way. The lamp even has
a working light bulb inside of it.
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Another ice bed with ice columns and snow carvings
on the wall.
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An ice guitar. How do the artists do that?
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Absolut ice bottles behind the bar.
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The entrance to the Ice Bar.
It's sponsored by Absolut vodka, so everything is in the shape of
Absolut bottles and they only serve Absolut. The night we were there,
they were releasing a new flavor and having a huge party.
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Ice glasses. They're just ice cubes with holes drilled
in the top, but still pretty cool. These aren't our glasses -
we couldn't quite bring ourselves to pay $11.27 for one drink.
We had hot chocolate instead.
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The Ice Bar. It even has an ice TV - a projector
puts the picture onto a flat screen of ice.
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