Travel to Sweden (Europe)

The Ice Hotel of Sweden is an ultimate place to chill. The Hotel is situated in the Swedish Lapland town of Jukkasjarvi. It opens every year in early December and closes at the end of April. Every year in October the artists and local villagers, most from the Sami tribe in the area, begin to build the new ice hotel, which opens in mid-December. Snow canons and front loaders start by forming the snow over the steel sections that are the main structure of the Ice hotel. Sections are moved around and replaced by ice pillars put in place to give support to the snow arches. blocks of ice taken from the frozen Torne River each winter and frozen for use the following year, the Hotel at the moment is in its twentieth re-incarnation and is as impressive as ever. It began meagerly 14 years ago - one room. The 2004 season boasted 50-rooms with 5,000 square metres built of 30,000 tons of snow and 4,000 tons of ice.

Inside the Ice hotel, there is a reception area, hall of pillars, Iceart exhibition, Absolut Icebar, Ice hotel cinema and an Icechurch and of course there is a warmer option. The hotel also has cabin accommodation, a warm bar where the staff take great enjoyment in asking if you'd like ice with your drink with wry smiles all round.All water that is used in taps and bathrooms coming straight from the river Torne. Each person is given an ultra-warm sleeping bag and most people remark how "warm" they felt during the night even though the temperature is usually a steady five degrees below zero.

The Hotel also has a range of activities provided throughout the day while guests eagerly await night-fall in the hopes of catching a glimpse of those all too elusive Northern Lights. A trip by Snow Mobile is one option. After being taught to drive the equivalent of a jet-ski for on land use, the excursion follows tracks through the fir trees and along-side the frozen river before stopping for hot lingen berry juice (a local specialty), bread, cheese and smoked reindeer heart. Other activities include Hunting, Fishing, Snow driving, Horse Riding and Skiing. Most people stay at the Ice hotel for two or three nights, but you will only spend one night in the actual Ice hotel and the additional nights in the Scandinavian bungalows also on the property.

That's what I was (or rather trying to be) for the three special days I spent up in snow country, Sweden. Tucked away in a small area of town called Arjeplog, the small community of inhabitants grow to almost double it's size during the winter months when people from other parts of the world head over to occupy their winter homes and tourists like myself who attend driving courses by the various car brands (I had breakfast across the room from the gang from AMG).

So besides IKEA and Swedish meatballs, Sweden, especially when the mercury decides to plunge well below in the negative region, have been known to have one of the most ideal conditions for a special group of people - Car Testers. These individuals, mostly made up of engineers, come from all over the world with their specially analytically-equipped laptops to test their brand's new models behaviour in such extreme weather conditions in Sweden.

So these guys knew their place in the equation and knew what they had to accomplish while on their trip. Me on the other hand, not so.

Used to the tropical sunny climate of sunny Singapore, I was immediately caught out back at the airport where I was received by the minus 20 degree afternoon breeze and an Audi representative. On the bus to the hotel, our Audi country guide gave us the low-down on what was going to be happening in the coming hours and the next few days. Distracted by the Christmas card scenery though, I only managed to catch the words Audi A4 Avant with quattro, fun, sliding and cold en route.

All freshened up and raring to go, our driving instructor ex-rally driver Jerry Ahlin briefed us on the different courses he mapped out for the group of 10 of us, what the different corners simulate, what it will require of us to take them on. He should know, having been the Swedish Junior Champion in '82, Swedish Champion in both '84 and '85 and most recently being the Swedish Champion in '91 with the Audi 90 quattro. Even while rallying, Jerry somehow found time to be the main instructor for the Audi Driving Experience for the last 20 years!

Once done, we proceeded to pair up and get into each of the five A4 Avant's lined-up neatly behind our hotel. This trip was a whole lot of first's for me.

First time I felt snow, first time I'll be driving on it, first time I had Rudolph on my plate, and now, driving a stick shift on the left.

We proceeded down a snow laden, steep downward spiral behind our hotel to the main road and kept a good 100 meter distance from the car in front all the way to where we'd be driving the rest of the day. And what a view that greeted us.

Far reaches of virgin white snow freshly shoveled to the side, carving out the track for the day - an oval.

As unimaginative as that can possibly sound, we were coached by Jerry to hone our drifting skills through the sweeping corners of the wide oval track.

So instructions were:


1. Accelerate up to the corner at about 50 km/h

2. Take foot completely off the pedal and brake just before turning into the corner

3. Aggressively turn into the corner and hold the turn

4. Once the rear slides out accelerate out of the turn while counter steering the understeer



It all sounds very straight forward but driving on something as frictionless as ice is a whole different ball game. Even predictable reactions like steering and throttle inputs yield nothing in most situations.

Taking our seat behind the wheel, we spent a good portion of the afternoon up till 1600hrs sliding off the track from severe understeer and getting tugged out of the ice by the circuit tractor from the understeer. Both of which we've studied and understood very well from Wikipedia and from driving our own cars, but nothing can prepare you for when you're faced with a sliding car and the correct procedures is the only thing standing between you and getting yourself wrapped around the lamp post.

With our tanks lightened from all that driving, we headed back to the hotel with wide smiles on our faces from the sample of comedic relief some of us exhibited earlier in the day. Knowing that we had another day of driving the next day to fully exercise the lessons we were repeatedly taught by Jerry made dinner easier to swallow.

I've got a part 2 coming up to document my next two days so make sure you check back regularly for my virgin adventures on ice accompanied by a whole lotta photos of the snowy paradise that is Sweden!

The Kingdom of Sweden lies on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe. It is a rich, ecologically friendly, progressive nation with a high standard of living. It offers much for tourists to see and do, both in the cities and countryside.

1.) Vasa Museum

In this museum in Stockholm rests the fruit of some remarkable engineering labor, the seventeenth-century warship Vasa. The ship sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 in Stockholm's harbor and was recovered in 1961. The only extant example of the period's ship architecture, the resurrected skeleton, is exhibited along with relics recovered with it.

2.) Stockholm

Sweden's capital city is replete with museums. Aside from the Vasa museum, one can also visit the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Nordic Museum. There are also many examples of historical architecture scattered throughout the city including the Riddarholmskyrkan church, the oldest building in Stockholm, and every district and every neighborhood of this high-tech city has its own unique character, developed through the years.

3.) Liseburg Amusement Park

With over 80 percent of its population living in urban centers, it comes as no surprise that Sweden's cities are well-developed to meet the needs of their denizens. In Gothenburg, treat yourself to a visit to one of the largest amusement parks in Europe. Nearby, you will find the Scandinavian, a large area which can seat up to 12,000, as well as the Trade Fair and Valhalla Baths.

4.) Gothenburg

This city is the largest port in Scandinavia, the destination of many flights and ship traffic. Close to a million citizens live here, and the city has an enormous range of attractions to keep a tourist busy. Take a stroll in the scenic Castle Wood Park, or view the masters at the Museum of Art, or listen to music from a variety of genres, from the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra to the death metal band Dark Tranquility.

5.) Hiking

The largely untouched expanse of Sweden's northern regions gives rise to a rugged beauty that makes the place perfect for many outdoor activities such as hiking. Swedish law provides the right of public access for anyone provided that they respect both other people and nature. Biking is also a popular pastime here.

6.) Boating

Since the country has over 24,000 islands, 100,000 lakes and rivers, and a long coastline, boating and sailing are integral parts of everyday Swedish life. Many tours can be found to take you sightseeing around the Swedish archipelago. Of particular interest to the tourist is the Gota Canal, but there are lots more locations that are also interesting to the watercraft-bound traveler, and boat rentals are easily obtained, and they can come with or without a skipper.

7.) Linkoping Cathedral

Stop by this masterpiece in Ostergotland to steep yourself in history and gaze upon a superb example of Gothic architecture. The cathedral is the burial place of a fifteenth-century bishop, and is also decorated with priceless paintings gifted by King John III. Visitors can also see rare manuscripts at the Diocesan Library and drop by the Bishop's Palace, which are nearby.

8) Skiing

Sweden offers some of the finest locations for skiing aficionados, especially in the mountainous north. In Lapland, one can find the Hemavan. This is a great ski destination for those who are looking for vast areas and mountainous locations.

9.) The Arefjallen Resort

The Arefjallen resort boasts of more than a hundred kilometers of ski runs. It is considered as the world's largest downhill ski race. This ski race is held there every April.

10.) Riksgransen

Riksgransen is in the extreme north of the country. It is known for its snowboarding championships and 24/7 skiing during the spring. During the spring, it seems that the sun doesn't go below the horizon, truly a sight to see!

Many people choose a holiday in Sweden whatever the season. Sweden occupies a large area, although perhaps remotely positioned from the rest of mainland Europe. Sweden provides the rare opportunity to holiday in nearly a half million km of breathtaking unspoiled nature, guaranteed to inspire and delight. From the unmatched beauty of the virgin forests to the breathtaking peaks of the vast mountain ranges, the nature of Sweden will put the spring back in your step.

Sweden's very large size makes it one of the largest of the European countries. Sweden's size and the variety of its geography means that no to Swedish holidays have to be exactly alike. An interesting fact is that around fifteen percent of Sweden lies within the boundary of the Arctic Circle. Making for nearly endless summer days - and very little sunlight during the winter. There are few places as accessible as a holiday to Sweden which afford the chance to see the northern lights or sunlit nights. Locales which offer the chance to witness these spectacular celestial phenomena are scarce, which is one of the reasons that travelers are drawn to Sweden year after year.

For winter holidays, skiers of all levels can find the perfect slope experience. Regardless of your expertise, you will find a resort that will be a perfect fit for your style of skiing. Cold weather vacations are perfectly suited to the geography and climate of Sweden. From the sparkling of the icy rivers to the pristine snow blanketed mountain peaks, Sweden in the winter is spectacular. A magical atmosphere is created as the sunshine glints off the snow to create a spectrum of crystal sparkles. Clean, brisk mountain air puts the final stroke on this masterpiece of creation that is winter in Sweden.

One would be forgiven for thinking that Sweden is a fairly cool place to visit because of its northern location, but such an assumption would be quite wrong. However this is not true - we find summer weather is extremely comfortable. The southern parts of the country even offer beaches, so a Swedish summer holiday comes complete with the possibility of a swim. Basking on the beach is just one of the activities available on a Swedish holiday, but similarly it can be about cities, mountains or forests - you can find adventures everywhere you go. Regardless of what part of Sweden you choose for your holiday, you are sure to find a body of water right around the corner.

City holidays to Sweden are also a possibility you should consider, while organizing your holidays to Sweden. There are a number of wonderful Swedish cities to investigate, Stockholm is the one most people are familiar with, and it makes a wonderful choice. When it comes to cities, Sweden seems to be able to offer at least one for every type of visitor, from the culture of Gothenburg to the modern vibrancy of Stockholm.

Using the Internet you can quickly and easily plan, organize, and book your holiday in Sweden. Using the Internet you can make all your plans for your holiday in the comfort of your own home. Once you define the experiences you'd like to include in your trip, you should be presented with lists of options to explore. When you book your holiday to Sweden online you can find out immediately if the dates you are interested in are available. If it's free just complete the booking procedure. Just submit your reservation information and before you know it you'll be enjoying the holiday of a lifetime in glorious Sweden.