挪威冰雪旅馆之初体验

Temperatures in northern Norway are hovering around minus twenty degrees Celsius - so what better way to spend a winter holiday then in an ice hotel? A night's stay at this unique venue sees guests huddled around ice blocks by candlelight.

It is freezing outside, and in this hotel things don't get much warmer.

The inside temperatures at the Sorris-niva Igloo Hotel remain between -4 and -7 degrees Celsius.

The brisk temperatures are not due to defective radiators, but due to the fact that the Igloo Hotel is made entirely out of ice and snow.

Set in Finnmark, the largest and northernmost county in Norway, it opens its doors every January until it melts away in early spring.

The structure occupies 2000 square metres with 30 rooms, two bridal suites and a big lobby bar decorated with ice sculptures.

Dermot Morrisey and Erengul Yoldas have decided to spend the night at the unusual hotel. The stay was a surprise Christmas present by Erengul to her partner. Erengul says that, even though she had second thoughts after making the reservations, she is now delighted to be able to go through such a unique experience.

Erengul Yoldas, ice hotel guest, said, "I don't know what possessed me for a start. But it is fascinating coming in here. I wouldn't want just come in and have a look and just go away. I would want to stay in here and that's why we are staying. Ask me the same question in the morning but for now is fascinating."

The Sorris-niva Igloo Hotel is built of large blocks of ice and snow, cemented together with "snice", a mixture of ice and snow that works the same way that mortar does in traditional brick construction.

Knut Kjelsberg, the "ice architect" behind the construction explains that even though the costs of ice and snow are free, some minor maintenance work needs to be carried out on a daily basis.

Knut Kjelsber said, "The building costs this year is around one million Norwegian Kroner, that is to say around 100,000 Euro ($136,360 US Dollars). We have used approximately 600 tons of ice to pull it up and around 1000 tons of snow. It's quite a lot of material. But all these materials are free. So what really cost is the working time and the transport."

The lobby bar at the Igloo Hotel is also one of the main tourist attractions in the Alta region.

For a fee, both locals and tourists can visit the hotel and have a drink at the bar. Only blue vodka served in ice glasses is for sale though.

There are four ice hotels in Norway, but the Sorris-niva Igloo Hotel is the largest and northernmost of them.

The Sorris-niva Igloo Hotel has been rebuilt every year since 2000 and receives an average of 2000 guests every season.

Prices range from 340 US Dollars for a regular room to 390 US Dollars for a bridal suite.The bathrooms are in a wooden, heated building next to the hotel.