Winter has come!
In the Game of Thrones, Direwolves are played by wolf-like dog breeds such as the Siberian Husky. And at Snow Village you might run into your very own Direwolf.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram; Imaging: Satish Bodas/Rediff.com.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram; Imaging: Satish Bodas/Rediff.com.
Last year, we told you about the 5 Game of Thrones locations that are must-visits for fans. The recently-opened Game of Thrones-themed ice hotel in Finland is another destination that should be added to the list (albeit temporarily).
Lapland Hotels chose GoT as the theme for this season's Snow Village, which is an annual ice-and-snow construction project in Kittila in the Finnish Lapland.
Scroll down for a tour of the 30-room hotel that has been sculpted out of 20 million kg of snow and 350,000 kg of natural ice.
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Snow Village, which is located nearly 200 km above the Arctic Circle, comes to life each winter with a new theme.
This is the 17th year of the Snow Village.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
This is the 17th year of the Snow Village.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
The Game of Thrones theme for this year was executed in collaboration with HBO Nordic.
According to Lapland Hotels, 'The annual construction of the Snow Village begins when the temperature drops to about 10 degrees below zero during late October or early November.'
The ice hotel opens to the public in January.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
According to Lapland Hotels, 'The annual construction of the Snow Village begins when the temperature drops to about 10 degrees below zero during late October or early November.'
The ice hotel opens to the public in January.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Images shared by the hotel reveal a spectacular life-size iron throne complete with icy swords and guarded by the 'Mountain'.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
You can sleep under the watchful gaze of the fortune teller.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Or -- if you have the heart for it -- under the glowing eyes of a White Walker.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Dragons guard over the Ice Bar.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
HBO Nordic spokeswoman Nina Palmroos found the dragons particularly impressive.
The New York Post quoted her as saying, 'We found it a wonderful idea. Some of the world's best ice sculptors have done very detailed and thorough work.'
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
The New York Post quoted her as saying, 'We found it a wonderful idea. Some of the world's best ice sculptors have done very detailed and thorough work.'
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
The Ice Bar stays at -5ºC whether it is +2 or -30ºC outside.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
All interior decoration in the Ice Restaurant is naturally made of ice and snow.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
The Ice Restaurant serves 'delicacies of Lapland' like Smoked Reindeer, Cold Smoked Salmon, Lappish Cheese, White Fish Roe, Forest Mushrooms and Red Onion Jam.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
There is much to take in at the ice hotel, which stays open until early April, but the hotel suggests that guests stay only one night due to below-zero temperatures.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
Photograph: @snowvillagefinland/Instagram.
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