Visiting the Famous Snowhotel in Kirkenes Norway
02/13/2017
Hello from Norway! I think I'm somewhere near the city Trondheim which is also referred to as the Paris of Northern Europe. I decided to take a 12 day cruise beginning and ending in Bergen Norway with Hurtigruten Cruise lines.
One of the tours I decided to do was halfway through the cruise at one of our northern most stops in Kirkenes which is only a few miles from the Russian border. Many people on my ship took a tour bus to see the Russian border. There was only time to do one chore and I chose this one I'm so glad that I did and spite of being colder then I think I've ever been in my life. I grew up in the state of Vermont but have lived in Florida for nearly a decade and it just isn't as easy to travel to cold-weather places.
I took a lot of photos at the Snowhotel because it was so interesting and I haven't ever seen anything like it. People pay as much as $600 and more of a night to stay there. There is a bar and a restaurant. There are also reindeer on the property and dog sledding is available.
I have mixed feelings about dog sledding. This was my second such excursion. When I was in Alaska I wanted to try it and especially see if the dogs were treated well. You can read my account here:
Dog Sledding in June on the Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
One of the things I like most about going dog sledding is playing with the dogs. They just love attention and are so well behaved!
Here I am again trying to shield myself from the wind and go inside one of the many rustic buildings on the property.
I enjoyed seeing the reindeer. They were very friendly and obviously used to being around people.
The conditions were just right for dog sledding! There was definitely plenty of snow in Kirkenes!
The views were spectacular!
The ice sculptures throughout the hotel and bar we're breathtaking! The following three photos or taken in the ice bar.
Here is the hallway leading to the hotel rooms
Here is one of the larger family rooms that sleeps up to five people
You can't even sleep with Marilyn Monroe if you want... BUT I wouldn't expect her to warm you up. I think she looks quite cold and icy ;)
I must confess that I am a bit of a wimp and I would probably choose to stay in one of these beautiful cabins right beside the snowhotel! You could still visit the restaurant and bar, go dog sledding, see the views and experience the beauty of Kirkenes.
Here is the cruise ship that I was on. It's name is the Finnmarken and is one of Hurtigruten's most popular ships. This cruise was different in so many ways than any other I have been on which I will discuss in a future post.
Here I am looking like a Scandinavian snowman once again just trying to stay warm. It was below zero Fahrenheit that day and windy.
I never know what to expect when I book an excursion on a cruise. They are usually quite expensive and sometimes I feel like I got my moneys worth and other times not. This is one excursion that I definitely would recommend to others and felt was fairly priced. I paid 699 krone (NOK) which currently is about $83 USD.
Although I look like a Scandinavian snowman I definitely recommend wearing your warmest clothes if you decide to visit the Snowhotel. Trust me when I say it's probably not possible to wear too warm or too many clothes!
Thank you so much for visiting. I hope you all have a fantastic week. Please ask any questions and/or leave your comments below! So long for now.
~Michelle