The Lapland Hotels SnowVillage takes its visitors to the world of Nordic mythology

Press release | Fri Sep 29 09:13:00 2023

This winter, Lapland Hotels SnowVillage, attracting the interest of international media, is built for the 22nd time in Kittilä, Finland, next door to the Ylläs ski resort. In the SnowVillage, showcasing art made of ice, the theme for the coming winter is Nordic mythology. The wonderful winter favourite will open its doors to day visitors on 25 December 2023.

Image: Chapel from the Lapland Hotels Snowvillage season 2019-2020.

Lapland has always been a place full of mystique, so the magnificent stories of Nordic mythology fit the theme of the SnowVillage perfectly.

“Many people find the theme fascinating, which is why we are again expecting a large number of both international and domestic visitors. They get to admire, for example, the legendary Mjölnir hammer of Thor, Alfheim, the land of the elves, and, of course, the famous tales of Kalevala, from the Defence of the Sampo to Väinämöinen,” Technical Manager Tomi Kurtakko explains.

The SnowVillage is reconstructed every year by a team of around 50 people. The construction will start in early November, if the weather permits. The temperature has to drop below zero before the building work of the load-bearing structures can start. To prepare for this season, we have stored around 200,000 kilograms of ice through the summer and have around 10,000 cubic metres of snow waiting in our snow storage pile. Snow guns are used to make an additional 30,000 cubic metres of snow.

Valhalla-style Ice Bar

As always, this year’s Lapland Hotels SnowVillage includes the Ice Restaurant and an exhibition room for arctic art with an ice bar, a movie theatre, a snow hotel with different suites to choose from, an ice slide and several spacious halls and lobbies adorned with sculptures. Totalling more than 3,000 square metres, the complex has an accommodation capacity of 12 suites, all made of snow.

“The Ice Bar is now styled according to Valhalla, which is the residence of gods and especially the destiny of warriors and heroes. The Ice Bar also features Odin’s throne and a bar counter made of ice that is used for serving drinks,” Kurtakko reveals.

Image: Ice restaurant from the Lapland Hotels Snowvillage season 2019-2020.

Advance reservations at the Ice Restaurant

Lapland Hotels SnowVillage will open its doors to both day visitors and overnight guests on 25 December.

“The Ice Restaurant offers a three-course dinner menu and also serves corporate guests. To get a table at the Ice Restaurant, visitors are asked to make a reservation in advance. Log Restaurant Krouvi offers à la carte dishes in a warm and cosy atmosphere,” Kurtakko says.

Lapland Hotels SnowVillage is open every day of the week. The hotel, the restaurants and the Ice Exhibition welcome visitors until 7 April 2024. There is an entrance fee for the Ice Exhibition: €23 for adults and €11 for children (aged 4–14).

Learn more: www.laplandhotels.com/EN/hotels-in-lapland/yllas/lapland-hotels-snowvillage.html

For further information and interview requests, please contact:

Tomi Kurtakko, Technical Director, Lapland Hotels SnowVillage
tel. +358 400 692 941
tomi.kurtakko@snowvillage.fi

Maria Astrén, Destination Manager, Lapland Hotels SnowVillage
tel. +358 40 484 1680
maria.astren@laplandhotels.com

Travel enterprise Lapland Hotels & Safaris offers Northern experiences for all the senses. It consists of Finland’s largest private hotel chain, Lapland Hotels, the largest experience service company in the Nordic countries, Lapland Safaris Group Oy, and Lapland Ski Resorts. The group has approximately 1,700 employees in total.

Lapland Hotels has 19 hotels, more than 2,400 rooms and apartments as well as over 10,000 restaurant seats around Finland: in Ylläs, Levi, Saariselkä, Rovaniemi, Olos, Luosto, Kilpisjärvi, Pallas, Hetta, Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu and Kuopio.

Lapland Safaris offers unique outdoor activities in five destinations in Lapland: Rovaniemi, Ylläs, Saariselkä, Levi and Luosto.

Lapland Ski Resorts comprises five ski centres located in Ylläs, Luosto, Olos, Pallas and Rovaniemi.

www.laplandhotels.com, www.laplandsafaris.com