INTO THE UNKNOWN
FROM A NIGHT SLEEPING ON A BED OF ICE, TO SWIMMING IN A FROZEN RIVER, Meg Honigmann DISCOVERS THE SUB-ZERO WILDNERNESS OF SWEDISH LAPLAND
From a hotel made completely of ice to hideaways nestled among snowy treetops, travel across the icy plains of Swedish Lapland for an otherworldly escape
two women ski across the surface of a frozen river and come to a stop next to me. Only a slight cracking sound indicates that Arctic waters swirl beneath us, below 3Ocm of solid ice. They’re trussed up in layer upon layer of heat-tech thermals, fleeces, down jackets, hats, gloves, thick socks and boots. But I’m about to plunge my almost-naked body into the icy depths below. Right now, the idea seems more ludicrous than luxurious, and the walkway to the carved hole in the ice feels like a gangplank leading inexorably towards my fate.
THE SETTING Swedish Lapland
If you’d asked me last year where in the world I’d like to travel to next, I’d probably have suggested New York or Paris – thriving metropolises humming with people, bars, restaurants and shops. I’ve always been city-orientated, impractically dressed in all seasons and never without a cup of coffee in my hand. But after the events of 2O2O, standing in -11°C surrounded by the wilderness of Swedish Lapland, just 2O minutes away from the Arctic Circle, seems strangely comforting.
THE STARTING POINT Ice Hotel
Our group drove from Kiruna airport to the Ice Hotel in nearby Jukkasjärvi. This was the first hotel of its kind – it’s rebuilt from scratch every year, after melting to nothing over the summer. Artists from around the world are invited to design rooms and suites – from the ethereal (a frozen library) to the bizarre (ice clowns above your bed, anyone?). There’s an ice chapel, with reindeer hides strewn over pews, a chandelier in the grand entranceway with crystals of actual frozen water, and an ice bar. After the tour, we stopped by for cocktails and champagne – each, of course, served in tumblers made of ice.
At the Veranda restaurant, a stone’s throw from the main hotel, we enjoyed a 12-course tasting menu cooked in front of us on a curved larch table. The food included local Arctic char caught that afternoon in the Torne river, Arctic brambles and sharp-and-sweet cloudberry doughnuts. They’re the most desirable berries in Sweden – but they’re notoriously difficult to cultivate, so they’re only eaten on very special occasions.
There’s the option to stay in ice rooms, but they’re not for the fainthearted. At -5°C, you sleep on a bed of ice and, trust me, you haven’t experienced silence until you’ve slept surrounded by walls of snow. My tip: opt for a deluxe suite with private heated bathroom so you can take refuge in the middle of the night…
THE NEXT STOP TreeHotel
Next up was TreeHotel, a winding four-hour drive through fairytale vistas. We paused midway for large plates of unfussy local food in the town of JokkMokk before arriving just after nightfall.
It’s hard to say what I loved most – the otherworldly rooms, perched high in the frozen trees, or the atmosphere created by owners Kent and Britta Lindvall. It’s rare for a luxury hotel to feel as welcoming as staying with relatives. As we had supper, Kent and Britta told us stories of former guests: Kate Moss taught Britta how to pose for photos (lean to one side and smile with your tongue behind your top teeth); when Richard Curtis came to stay, he looked around before calling his friend Steven (Spielberg); when Justin Bieber booked, he ended up escaping in Kent’s truck to the nearby river to avoid a media flurry.
An eco-lover’s dream, Treehotel uses compostable toilets and recycled water in its showers. The design is so enmeshed with the environment that animals can roam freely, hardly noticing the treehouses.
On the last day, we set off on snow scooters, racing past untouched forests. Our destination: lunch on the frozen river. Kent was cooking when we got there, plumes of smoke and a hearty meal waiting. The best bit? The local delicacy of coffee cheese (almost like putting halloumi in your coffee – so odd, but it works).
THE FINAL DESTINATION Arctic Bath
As I approached our final destination on foot, nothing could’ve prepared me for the Arctic Bath hotel. The log-covered main building – that floats in the summer and sits on ice in the winter – contains the restaurant, spa and river pool. Six of the 12 rooms are cabins on stilts; six are intriguing wooden boxes on the lake with walkways to reach them. The interiors are the height of Scandinavian minimalism, with pale wood and artful lighting that reflects the Swedish principle of lagom, or ‘just enough’.
While there, activities included a thrilling husky ride through the forest, snowshoeing and, on our first evening, a flavour tour with Eva Gunnare, a wild-herb specialist. But the main draw is Swedish ice bathing in the pool cut into the river ice. They say that seconds in the shivering depths has the same benefits for your heart as running 7km. You warm up in the sauna until you can take no more, then plunge yourself into the black waters.
This was how I came to be standing barefoot on icy steps. Hesitate, and the fear becomes unbearable, so I powered on until I was submerged. My body reacted faster than my mind. And my body believed I was going to die. Panicking, I ran up the steps and back to the sauna – which now felt lukewarm. ‘That was awful! That was terrifying!’ I yelled. ‘I want to do it again.’ Ice Hotel: from £345 per night. Tree Hotel: tree rooms from £400 per night B&B. Arctic Bath: from £420 per night B&B.
”THEY SAY THAT SECONDS IN THE SHIVERING DEPTHS OF THE RIVER POOL HAS THE SAME BENEFITS FOR YOUR HEART AS RUNNING 7KM”