12 Amazing Ice Castles & Igloos from Around the World

The Hôtel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Quebec is the first and only ice hotel in North America. It is rebuilt every year in December and lasts for just a three-month season. The month and a half building process requires 30,000 tons of specially formulated snow and 500 tons of ice. Those weary of cold weather should be wary—even the beds are made of ice.

One of the four largest snow and ice festivals in the world takes place in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, in northeastern China. The monthlong celebration and showcase of icy architecture happens every January and boasts enormous buildings people can wander through, admiring the sheer size of these constructions—as well as how nice they look lit up!

The Ice Camp in Kitzsteinhorn, Austria, is a series of interconnected igloos that feature 60 tons of ice, an ice bar, ice lounge, sun deck with lounge chairs, and modern ice art for a totally unique après-ski experience... and for the brave out there, nearby igloos are available for a few nights' stay, cheese fondue dinner included!

If the promise of bone-chilling sleep doesn't deter you, you can venture to the village of Ruka in remote northern Finland to rent an igloo for a night—a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You might guess the structures are built from blocks of ice, but they're actually formed by piling a thick layer of snow over an enormous inflated balloon. Once the walls are strong enough to support themselves, the balloon is deflated and a door is added.

Coinciding with the Sapporo Snow Festival, the Asahikawa Winter Festival presents a collection of grand ice sculptures of its own; some are rumored to be the biggest in the world. The festivals aren't far from each other, so it's possible to visit both. We were drawn to this unusual sculpture, a replica of the Daisetsuzan Mountains, built for the 2011 celebration.

Since the 1920s, this 20-foot-tall ice castle has been built every winter by volunteers in Eagle River, Wisconsin. Twelve-inch-thick bricks are cut from a nearby lake and transported to the location in a process that takes nearly 700 man-hours. The castle's form varies slightly from year to year...usually growing larger.

While not quite as grand as the others on our list, this colorful igloo earns points for ingenuity. Composed entirely of snow and colored ice blocks formed by milk cartons, this backyard project was taken on by a New Zealander visiting Canada, making it an international undertaking. This recycled igloo really shines at night when lit from the inside!

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