Fantastic architecture and magnificent, if fleeting, artwork have put these 12 chilly places on the map for winter travelers.
ICEHOTEL, Sweden: Need to chill out? Unlike other hotel stays, a night in an ice hotel — a temporary structure made entirely of ice and snow — may leave you frigid. An igloo in the village of Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, eventually became the world's first, and perhaps its most famous, ice hotel. Crystal-clear ice harvested from the nearby Torne River is used to build the ICEHOTEL, which is newly created each year as a unique work of art.





Hôtel de Glace, Quebec, Canada: North American adventurers can experience the freeze at Hôtel de Glace, Quebec's ice hotel. It takes approximately one month each year to build the structure, which opens in early January and disappears at the end of March. Construction requires 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice held together, in place of traditional mortar, with a substance known as snice.



Lumilinna SnowCastle, Kemi, Finland: Standing as tall as three stories high, Lumilinna SnowCastle in northern Finland is touted as the world's largest edifice built entirely out of snow. You can explore the SnowCastle's arctic adventure land for kids, visit the ice art gallery, restaurant or snow chapel, or spend a frosty night in the snow hotel.



Snow Hotel, Kirkenes, Norway: For people who never get tired of playing in the snow, Norway is a perfect winter retreat. Kirkenes Snow Hotel, located in Gabba Reindeer Park in a remote corner of Northern Europe, can provide the ultimate Arctic experience. Take a winter wilderness safari via snowmobile or Husky-powered sled. Fish for your lunch of fresh king crab. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see the Northern Lights.



Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, China: Capitalizing on the city's worst feature — bitterly cold winter temperatures — the northern Chinese city of Harbin turns the season into the most festive time of the year. Thousands of tourists from around the world visit each January to see the city transformed into a winter wonderland for the month-long Festival of Ice and Snow. In the past, sculptures have taken the shape of iconic Chinese monuments like the Great Wall. This year, Mickey Mouse and other familiar Disney characters constructed in ice globalize the festivities as Disney takes over operations from the local Chinese government.



Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan: Sapporo was featured on the world stage when it hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, and it continues to attract winter visitors to its annual Snow Festival, held the first week of February each year. What started nearly 60 years ago as a snowman building contest now brings teams of international artists to Sapporo to compete in the Snow Sculpture Contest. You can entertain yourself by watching the sculptors at work in Odori Park, taking a ride on an ice slide, getting lost in a snow maze or taking a break in an ice bar that’s complete with karaoke.



Quebec Winter Carnival, Canada: Nobody embraces winter more than Canadians do. Each February, Quebec City transforms itself into a destination straight out of a fairy tale during the annual Winter Carnival, considered the world's largest winter celebration. A 7-foot tall snowman known as Bonhomme Carnaval is the festival’s official ambassador, welcoming visitors and locals to streets adorned with ice sculptures and temporary outdoor bars made of ice; shimmering night parades and fireworks displays are among the carnival’s highlights.



IceMusic Festival, Norway: This festival is sure to send shivers down your spine. On the first full moon of the year, in the mountainous region between Oslo and Bergen, the hills come alive during the world's only ice music festival. An ice amphitheater sets the stage for two days of performances by musicians who use instruments constructed almost entirely of ice. Nature plays a part in creating the music, as the temperature and quality of the ice both affect the sound.



World Ice Art Championships, Fairbanks, Alaska (Feb. 24 – March 22): Considered by some to be the world's capital of ice art, Fairbanks is the year-round home to many of the world's top ice artists. As soon as winter begins, snow builders, architects, designers and artists get to work preparing for the World Ice Art Championships, building an ice park complete with slides, a hockey rink, a phone booth made entirely of ice and many amazing sculptures. To take the chill off, be sure to take a side trip to Chena Hot Springs, located 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks. There, you can check into the Aurora Ice Hotel, the first ice hotel in the United States and the only primarily-ice structure in the world that stays open year-round.



Absolut Icebar: Jukkasjarvi, Sweden; London; Tokyo; Copenhagen; or Stockholm: Stop in for a cold drink at Absolut Icebar inside Sweden's ICEHOTEL or at one of its four other locations. For a cover charge, patrons receive an insulated poncho, gloves and a cocktail in a glass made of ice — giving new meaning to the phrase “on the rocks.”



Minus 5, Las Vegas: With a temperature of -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit), Minus 5 Lounge in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino may be the coolest place to chill in the desert. Minus 5 became the first permanent icebar in the United States when it opened in Sept. 2008.



IceBar Orlando: Most people come to Florida to escape the winter chill, but the creators of IceBar Orlando envisioned an icy wonderland welcoming those searching for an arctic adventure down south. As is the case at other icebars, vodka is the ideal drink — other beverages may freeze in your glass.

from: MSN Travel

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