B2
A. Facilities
B. Reservations
C. Location
D. History
E, The Ice Hotel
F. Construction

1, People often choose to have holidays in strange and unusual
places. But there can be few places stranger than the Ice Hotel in
Sweden, which is visited by almost 37000 people each winter. Built
entirely of snow and ice, the hotel is the very opposite of the centrally
heated buildings we normally associate with northern countries. Rather
than insulate itself from the cold subzero environment all around it,
the hotel embraces the wintry surroundings and makes them into part of
its attraction.

2. The Ice Hotel is situated in the small village of Jukkasjarvi,
next to the river Tomealven. Jukkasjarvi lies 200 kilometres north
of the Arctic Circle in Saamiland (formerly known as Lapland), the
most northerly part of Sweden. Before the arrival of the Ice Hotel there
were almost no tourists in this sparsely populated region, where the
local people speak Saami, not Swedish, and there is no industry or
pollution,

3. The Ice Hotel is not @ permanent building but is rebuilt each
winter. Construction of the 5000 square metre building starts in late
October when special snow cannons shoot tons of snow onto steel
sections. After two days the steel sections are removed leaving solid
snow arches five or six metres wide. Over the following weeks the
sections are reused to make more arches. Huge ice blocks are carved
from the frozen river to make walls and pillars. .

4. The story of the Ice Hotel began in the winter of 1988—90.
There was an exhibition of ice art in the local village and a cylinder-shaped
igloo made ofice was built for an exhibition by French artist Jannot Derid.
Some of the visitors decided to sleep on reindeer skins fi the igloo and
found it surprisingly relaxing. Other people wanted to’ share this unique
‘experience and the concept of the Ice Hotel was'born.

5. (ors to the Ice Hotel are sometimes nervous about stay-
ing in a place where the outside temperature in winter is often minus
forty degrees Centigrade. But, of éodrse, conditions inside the Ice
Hotel are reasonably comfortable. The guests are provided with
sleeping bags and their beds are lined with reindeer skins, To keep
visitors amused in the evenings the hotel includes an ‘ice cinema’
and an ‘ice bar’, During the day the hotel company organises sports
activities such as white water rafting, dog sledding and fishing and
‘safaris’ to observe reindeer in their natural habitat.