A Porsche road trip to Norway’s Kirkenes snow hotel
Chill out in a spectacular palace of ice
Bed headboard carved from ice into leaf shape
Falling asleep on a frozen bed while tonnes of ice hover over your head makes a night in The Snowhotel Kirkenes in north east Norway one of the most exciting hotel experiences ever
A new way to break the ice Picture this. A Porsche road trip in a Cayenne over roads as smooth as glass, a dog sled tour through brilliant white snowscapes and, finally, an arrival at an otherworldly ice palace. This is the world-famous Norway snow hotel in Kirkenes. As your eyes gaze around your snow-ceilinged igloo abode, you’ll wonder how it will feel later as you slip into a thermal sleeping bag and head off to the land of nod on a bed made of thick ice.
Woman sits on giant ice throne within ice hotel
These elegant, hand-carved ice thrones don’t last forever
A frozen Porsche road trip that’s next levelAnd after a day of crab fishing, husky safaris and show shoeing, we pop back to our icy room, where we have a wall-carved Marilyn Monroe for company. The talented artists who sculpted this winter wonderland did so using 300 tonnes of ice blocks, taken from the surrounding frozen seas. If you’re looking for an experience that takes ‘glacial’ to the next level, then this is it.
Image of Marilyn Monroe carved into ice wall
Some like it cold: the snow hotel walls are adorned with art
On this memorable Porsche road trip you’ll encounter the largest ice bar on the planet, where you can sample a crowberry schnapps before bedtime. Served in a glass made of ice, you’ll see your own breath between sips from your fur-topped snow seat. Depending on your date of arrival, another surprise awaits, as every year the hotel creates a unique-themed world from scratch, with previous themes including ‘Russia’ and ‘royalty’.
Man behind ice bar in middle of snow hotel igloo
Frozen, not stirred: there’s always plenty of ice at this bar
Sweet dreams are made of iceWhen it’s time to tread along the shimmering corridors back to your snow suite, don’t be deceived by the fragile appearance of the finely chiselled bed. With the temperature kept at a steady –4°C, everything remains steadfastly frozen. It may sound a little too much on the chilly side, but warmth is provided via the ‘snow globes’ sleeping bags that can easily cope with temperatures down to –30°C. Reindeer skins provide natural further insulation, so you sleep soundly in the knowledge that there is no chance of the outside temperatures of –20°C affecting your slumber.
Room with walls and furniture made of ice
The Snowhotel’s bar is the perfect chillout zone
Each of the 24 ice sleeping chambers at the Norway ice hotel are made by sculptors who are among the best in their trade. They come from China’s own ice city, Harbin, renowned for its spectacular annual ice festival. For weeks, these master craftsmen chisel and hew the ice to create a spellbinding, dreamlike kingdom – one that makes this Porsche Travel Experience Arctic an experience to remember.
Continue reading
Woman standing beside porsche 911 turbo thumbnail
Can you daily drive a Porsche? A Porsche may be built to perform, but can you drive one every day? Owners use their cars for work, shopping, holidays and much more besides Read more
Aerial view of the Nürburgring:Nordschleife circuit showing the Karussell hairpin_hero thumbnail
How to drive the Nürburgring Nordschleife: a beginner’s guide Anyone with a road-legal car can drive the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Here’s how it works, need-to-knows about driving on the circuit, as well as how to improve your skills with the Porsche Track Experience Read more
Side view of Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo fitted with Adventure Accessories photographed in a mine
The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo takes on Austria’s Erzberg mine with new Adventure Accessories The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo combines electric performance with the space and versatility needed for longer journeys. New Adventure Accessories build on this, helping it tackle loose surfaces and carry useful outdoor equipment. Porsche took the car to the Erzberg mine in Austria to put that to the test Read more