SnowHotel Honeymoon in Kemi, Finland
The SnowCastle and Mammut SnowHotel in
Kemi, Finland, are located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia.
The SnowCastle resembles a fairy-tale castle, complete with
towers made of snow. It's populated with ice-and-snow artwork
enhanced by light and sound effects.
In addition to the requisite
restaurant, chapel, and art gallery, the Mammut SnowHotel has 15 double rooms,
two group rooms for eight
people and a suite. Guest rooms are creatively and whimsically decorated
in colorful textiles characteristic of Arctic cultures—definitely check
out the pictures of the rooms on their web site.
The hotel provides guests with
uniquely Finnish cold-weather sleeping bags that, according to its web
site, "not only guarantee the survival of the snow hotel clients, but .
. . quarantine an inappreciable amount of comfort and cosiness." Guests
can warm up in an authentic Finnish smoke sauna or warm baths. Read more about this and other ice hotels
on the Ice Hotel Honeymoon
overview page.
TOP ~ THINGS TO DO ~ LINKS
Here's just a sampling of the
activities offered at the SnowHotel; check the hotel web site for
details (see link below):
-
Tour a winter wonderland:
Explore the area around Kemi by dogsled or reindeer sledge. Or take a four-hour cruise on the frozen Gulf of Bothnia in the Sampo
icebreaker. The gulf is an attraction in itself, dotted with
thousands of forested islands and numerous lighthouses.
-
Take in a show. At the end
of February, Norwegian Terje Isungset visits the SnowCastle to
perform a concert on instruments that he sculpts, on the spot, from
a block of ice. In February and March you can also see the annual
Snow Show, which features huge snow and ice structures made by
internationally known architects. The SnowHotel's ice gallery
features especially creative and whimsical art made of ice.
-
Relax. Relax in a smoke
sauna or a hot tub under the stars, or dine in a restaurant where
even the tables and seats are made of ice (fortunately, the seats
are covered with reindeer skins).
-
Tour other area attractions.
Besides the SnowHotel, Kemi also boasts the Gemstone Gallery, "one
of the largest gemstone collections in all of Europe," according to
the SnowHotel web site. Rovaniemi, located about 80 miles northeast
of Kemi, is "one of the best-known winter sports resorts in
Finland," according to the Finnish Tourism Board; residents pass the
long winters with snowmobile safaris, cross-country skiing, and
reindeer driving. In Rovaniemi you can explore native Saami (Lapp)
culture at the Arctic Research Center, or visit Santa's
Workshop—complete with reindeer, native costumes, and mounds of
letters from children all over the world.
TOP ~ THINGS TO DO ~ LINKS
SnowHotel (Kemi, Finland)
This is another Flash-animated site, so
we can't provide deep links. A link to the English version of the site
is located in small type on the left side of the home page. Click on the "Hotel" tab, then on
"Pictures of Rooms" to get an idea of how the rooms of the SnowHotel
are decorated with everything from brightly-colored fabrics to birch
trees. You'll need to contact the hotel by e-mail or phone to find rates
(according to one old review rooms started at about $85 in 2000).
Sampo Arctic
Icebreaker
If you're planning to visit the
SnowHotel, you'll probably want to take the popular Sampo Icebreaker
cruise ("the world's only tourist icebreaker"); here's the official web
site.
Christmas Rovaniemi
The "official" site for Santa's home
base in Rovaniemi.
VisitFinland.com
The Finnish Tourist Board's official
travel guide to Finland.
Finland
(Frommers)
Frommer's guide to Finland.
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Your honeymoon story
Have you done this trip (whether on
your honeymoon or other travel)? We'd love to hear about your experience
so we can share it with others . . . just
drop us a line.
Last Updated:
March 4, 2004 |
