Lapland Luxury in the Arctic Circle

More and more people each year are exchanging their swimsuits for snowshoes and forgoing the sun-soaked beaches of the Caribbean or Mediterranean for the frigid beauty of the Arctic. So what is it about this region that is making us flock north with such urgency? Well, quite a lot, but the main difference between an Arctic holiday and a beach holiday is that generally, an Arctic holiday is nothing like anything you've experienced before.

Most of us have kicked back on a sunny beach but how many of us have spent the night in an ice hotel? How many of us have gone snowmobiling, ice-driving or husky mushing? How many of us have gazed up at the immense open skies of the North Cape – and perhaps even caught a glimpse of the spectacular northern lights, a once-in-a-lifetime experience if there ever was one?

Visiting this remarkable region gives you a chance to explore what can seem like alien territory; the breath-taking scenery of Lapland truly is a world away from a typical holiday experience. But just because you are in such a remote location doesn't mean you have to scrimp on luxury.

The stunning wilderness of Abisko. Image by bjaglin

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit Swedish Lapland and, not really being a ‘roughing-it' type of girl, was somewhat apprehensive about the amenities I would encounter. As famous as Sweden's ICEHOTEL is, how comfortable could sleeping on ice really be? The answer was a surprising ‘very'.

There is a palpable sense of extravagance as soon as you enter this exceptional hotel and this is due to the extent of its icy splendour. Each winter a team of expert ice-sculptors painstakingly carve the hotel from ‘snice' (a mixture of snow and ice), and each summer the staggering exterior dissolves under the Arctic sun. The scrupulous work is absolutely worth it, however. Ice sculptures as ornate as snowflakes make up the headboards, with the beds themselves carved out of solid blocks of ice. While the bedrooms are kept at a constant -5°C to avoid the bed melting away beneath you, a thick wooden frame and substantial mattress separate you from the ice, so it's much cosier than you might think.

The bedrooms at ICEHOTEL. Image by Greenland travel

Aside from the frosty décor, the ICEHOTEL is especially known for its Ice Bar, perhaps the coolest place on earth to have a drink. Just because you're situated in one of the most unforgiving climates in the world doesn't mean you can't enjoy a decent beverage. From glasses carved from ice (what else?) you can enjoy the finest champagne and delicious cocktails, and even throw some shapes on the snowy dance floor.

In terms of food this region offers some of the most extravagant food you can imagine, and the ICEHOTEL restaurant is no exception. Situated in a snug wooden building, the restaurant even has a choice of menus – the hot menu and the ice menu, where everything is served on slabs of ice.

To further get into the spirit of things we chose the ice menu and it didn't disappoint. I had moose carpaccio served with salsa, lingonberries and parmesan to start with, and followed it up with fillet of reindeer served with puréed butternut squash and root vegetables.

The next day we decided to treat ourselves to another once-in-a-lifetime experience in true Scandinavian style. We took a train up to the nearby Abisko Mountain Station to the public sauna and settled down to relax in the airless heat. It was hard to breathe, but being fully aware of the health benefits of saunas, this was something I was happy to endure.

What I was more apprehensive about was the next part – the mad dash out into the cold (-15°C!) to roll around in the snow like a madman. This is – apparently – what the locals do, so we decided to adopt the ‘when in Rome' mind-set and give it a go ourselves. With one last gulp of warm sauna air we raced outside and buried ourselves in the thick snow, trying to ‘swim' in it as we had been advised to. What surprised me most was that it didn't feel cold – at least not until several minutes later. With nearly 80 degrees of difference between the sauna and the outside temperature the snow was a welcome respite after the stifling sauna.

To say we felt relaxed afterwards is an understatement – I honestly felt as though I could recline on a bed for the next day and not want to move. I wasn't tired, but I was aware of a unique sense of tranquillity that I can't remember ever feeling back home. Though known best for its extreme environment and wonderful natural phenomena, to me Lapland will always be linked with luxury – and I would urge everyone to find this out for themselves.