The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, 20 kilometres east of Kiruna, is rebuilt from scratch every winter using ice harvested from the frozen Torne River. Each year a new set of artists from around the world is commissioned to sculpt the guest suites, communal rooms, and the ice chapel — which hosts real weddings. Rooms are kept at around -5°C; guests sleep in thermal sleeping bags on beds of ice and reindeer hides. The experience is unforgettable and genuinely cold.
Since 2016, the Icehotel has also operated a permanent wing ("Icehotel 365") kept frozen year-round by solar-powered refrigeration, meaning the ice rooms are accessible even in summer. The warm hotel next door provides ordinary rooms for those who want the experience without sub-zero sleeping.
The surrounding village of Jukkasjärvi is worth time in itself: it has a Sámi heritage centre, a small wooden church from 1607 (one of the oldest in the north of Sweden), and access to the Torne River for dog sledding and snowmobile experiences. Book Icehotel stays months in advance; the artistically designed suites sell out fastest.