Ice Hotel: Artists Create The World's Largest Hotel Made From Ice And Snow In Sweden (PHOTOS)

When Ice Becomes Art

Each winter, artists from around the world gather in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden to participate in one of the region's most exciting architectural feats. Simply called the Icehotel, the amazing structure is a combination of guest lodging and art installations built by an expert crew of designers and architects using just ice, snow and snice ("the perfect blend of snow and ice").

The icy enclosure lasts for a mere four months; booking ends in mid-April this year. In order to keep all of the hotel's designs frozen, the temperature remains around –5 to -8ºC (17.6 to 23ºF) inside the frosty mammoth, but once the cold season ends, the works are allowed to melt until next year's batch of creatives come to rebuild it once again.

Spending the night in the hotel seems like an act of endurance art, as guests must sleep in a thermal sleeping bag atop a bed comprised of ice blocks, a wooden frame, a mattress and a plethora of reindeer skins. Check out images of the project in the slideshow below to get a taste of what adventurous travelers have in store for them when they check in.

ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden

ICEHOTEL

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