There was a Bond movie that featured an ice hotel which piqued my curiosity at the time. Researching Norway I came across the Snow Hotel in Kirkenes which is where our Fjord cruise will depart. It’s a done deal and booked. It is the only ice hotel that operates year round by uniquely trapping huge mounds of snow at the end of autumn and trapping them under canvas until the next autumn snows.
Kirkenes is a dull little Arctic village with little to commend it. It is high in the Arctic circle uniquely placed only 14 km from the Russian border and just above the Finnish border as part of Norway it is an hour ahead of Finland despite being to the east of Helsinki an hour behind. There is no direct road link south to the capitol Oslo but there are various border crossings into Finland and the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk is only 3 hours drive away. This tiny outpost by virtue of its strategic position featured in WW2. It suffered 320 German bombing raids and was hardest struck by the Germans who were attempting to use the city as a base for invading Russia. Only 39 houses were left standing when invading Russian forces liberated it from Nazi control in
October 1944.
Back at the Snow Hotel we partake of the afternoon reindeer feeding under the guidance of the indigenous Sami whimsically named John Henry. Many of the Sami continue to lead a semi nomadic existence herding the reindeer and they are the only people allowed to own reindeer under Norwegian law.
Then there is the walk through the enclosure for their 160 Arctic Husky dogs who are quite boisterous when we arrive. Nonetheless they are friendly and all amenable for a pat. Our favourite is the golden coloured Kodiak who lies languidly on his kennel and loves a belly rub.
After dinner it is shots in the ice bar. Time accelerates and finally it is time to kit up for the sleep in our ice room. The temperature is -3 C and our beds as well as the room are all made of ice. There is a small vinyl mattress inlay and animal fur beneath our plush warm sleeping bags. We don our thermals a balaclava and warm woolly socks. I help my life partner to settle into her sleeping bag but the anxious look on her face tells the story. She confesses that she is unlikely to cope with this and may go upstairs and sleep on the couch in the lounge. She finally settles and I am amazed to still find her lying beside me when morning arrives. A truly amazing, once in a lifetime experience.
