Hunderfossen: Ice Hotel and Winter Park

• The first Hunderfossen Snow Hotel was completed in 2008.
• The hotel stands next to an ice cathedral and fairytale castle in Hunderfossen Park.
• The ice cathedral is rebuilt each winter and decorated with ice and snow art.
• The hotel is reconstructed seasonally with a new theme and design.
• The snow hotel is around minus five degrees Celsius inside.
• The site is near Hafjell and Lillehammer in Norway.

The Hunderfossen Snow Hotel is made from snow and ice and rebuilt after each season. The first snow hotel was completed in 2008. Its architecture draws on the winter environment. Inside, ice sculptures, snow beds and changing annual themes shape the stay. Each season offers a new version of the same idea. The ice cathedral stands beside the snow hotel. The first cathedral was built in 2007, one year before the first snow hotel. It, too, is rebuilt each year, with ice and snow carvings that draw on fairytale motifs.

This annual change makes the site a combination of architecture, art and accommodation. Guests sleep on a snow bed with reindeer hides, pillows and a warm winter sleeping bag. The temperature inside the hotel is around minus five degrees. An apartment at Hunderfossen Resort provides a heated retreat as part of the overnight experience. The snow building and heated accommodation are paired. An ice bar and the neighbouring ice cathedral add to the setting.

The snow hotel is in Hunderfossen Winter Park, beside the fairytale castle and ice cathedral. The winter attraction brings together several elements of a leisure park. The winter park is the setting for the snow and ice architecture, while the hotel itself is the overnight option. The ice cathedral is also used for ceremonies, which makes it more than an exhibition space.

Hunderfossen is in southern Norway, near the winter resort of Hafjell and north of central Lillehammer. The temporary hotel, ice cathedral and winter park make Hunderfossen one of Norway’s distinctive winter experiences.