The best ICEhotel experiences

1.      The original ICEbar

A drink in the ICEbar is a highlight of everyone’s stay at the ICEhotel. Drinking colorful vodka cocktails out of ice glasses at a bar made of ice, whilst surrounded by ice from floor to ceiling. The temperature is -5° Celsius, both the bar and the glasses, no ice cubes needed!

The very first ICEbar was created in the ICEhotel in 1994. Since then the bar is re-created each year to a new theme. The cocktails served in the bar, all based on the Swedish Absolut Vodka, are inspired by the surroundings and heritage of Swedish Lapland. Try the “Rain of Memories”, created to celebrate the northern lights, made from Absolut Mango, cucumber syrup, sparkling wine, lime juice and Blue Curaçao. An innovative cocktail in a unique setting!

2.      Sleeping on a bed of ice

It’s not only sleeping in a temperature of -5° Celsius, it’s also sleeping inside a piece of art. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And even though it’s -5° inside, it’s better than being outside where it is -30°! You are kept warm in your ice bed by a mattress of isolating reindeer skin, and a specially designed thermal sleeping bag that keeps you warmer than your bed at home.

 

3.      Meeting the indigenous Sámi people

Usually they are pretty hidden in Lapland, living on remote locations, herding their reindeer. Luckily, there is a reindeer farm in the forests surrounding the ICEhotel. It’s fascinating to see the original inhabitants of Lapland in their local habitat, in authentic colorful clothing, and reindeer skin shoes. You can learn all about reindeer, how to catch them with a Lappish lasso, and take a ride in a reindeer sled, just like Santa!

4.      Go for a husky safari

When entering the husky kennel near the Torne River, you’re struck by how energetic and noisy the dogs are. As soon as they take off, the serenity sets in. These dogs are clearly happiest when they are running. There is a stop on the road in the-middle-of-nowhere for coffee and cake by an open fire. The huskies on the other hand cuddle up next to each other to keep warm. So friendly and warm these animals are! They are definitely the highlight of the trip.

5.      Watch the northern lights

You should see this miracle of nature at least once in your life. The magic of the green lights dancing in the night skies is unforgettable, not to mention standing in the unique setting of snow-covered pine trees and fairytale-like frozen lakes. The northern lights can be seen in the entire north of Scandinavia, take a look at abiskoaurora.com for the best northern lights holidays in the Abisko area and the ICEhotel. You don’t want to miss out on this!

Aurora hunters: Chad Blakley at Abisko

Lights over Lapland: aurora photo hunting

In search of an unforgettable experience while staying at Abisko? Participate in a most interesting and instructive activity: go aurora hunting with top photographer Chad Blakley!

Chad is bound to help you greatly improve your skills for creating tangible memories.

If you spot the northern lights, you will bring home amazing pictures, for sure.

Chad, an outgoing American with a great personality was drawn to Lapland in pursuit of his charming wife Linnea. Together they run the specialized agency “Lights over Lapland”, offering their customers top-notch expertise during an excursion focusing on one goal: capturing the Aurora.

Chad furnishes you with the perfect tools for this mission: a professional, digital SLR camera and a tripod. Insert your own SD memory card and take your treasure pics home with you.

The Northern Lights excursion is organized daily from November till the end of March in small groups of maximum 10 people. Don’t worry about the freezing winter cold. You can borrow a warm outdoor jacket.

Bradt travel guide calls Abisko “probably the best place in Scandinavia to see the Northern lights”.

At the large frozen Törnetrask lake surrounded by a vast mountain range, you can enjoy clearer nights than elsewhere in Lapland.

Xplore the North offers unique trips to Abisko, a wide range from active to relaxing programmes, according to your preferences.

For more information: check out the Chad & Linnea’s website: Lights over Lapland.

Or book a full Abisko stay including Lights over Lapland phototrip.

When and where to go for northern lights

Everybody wants to see the magical northern lights, yet everybody wonders: what is the best time and place to see the northern lights?

A basic rule:  always keep in mind that the northern lights are a natural phenomenon and can never be guaranteed. However, that’s what makes aurora hunting so magical, you never know when and where exactly they will appear, but finding them gives you all the more joy.

There is northern lights activity between October and April. Basically, this entire period offers great chances for spotting the aurora. It depends on the intensity of the solar wind bouncing off the earth’s magnetic field, to determine whether or not you’ll observe the lights on a certain night. Generally, it is said that the lights are seen best when there is low lunar light. For example when there is no moon. From

experience we know that it should not be the overriding reason determining the timing of your visit. A northern lights’ show by full moon is incredibly fascinating. Being in the right spot, is proven to be even more important, the one with the highest chances of a clear night. This spot being Abisko, high above the polar circle in the north of Sweden. 

In Abisko the percentage of nights between October and April when the lights are viewed register highest. The spectacle of seeing them from up the mountains in the Aurora Sky Station is unimaginable. You should see it for yourself.  The highest chances of actually viewing the northern lights in combination with the stunning mountain setting of Abisko, in the middle of a National Park, makes this destination your logical choice for a northern lights trip.

It’s easy to conclude that spotting the northern lights just comes down to ‘location location location’.