With no time to spare—and somehow even less than that—I set off for Stockholm, Sweden. I stuffed a Swedish travel guide borrowed from the library into my suitcase, landed in Stockholm, and began my 12-day trip just like that. Wandering the streets at random, following tips sent in by seasoned Sweden travelers from all directions, asking locals for recommendations, and searching online on the spot became my main way of exploring central Stockholm. And that travel guide? It probably contributed exactly one adorable attraction: ICEBAR, a bar made entirely of ice!
That’s right—in snowy, freezing Sweden, there’s always somewhere colder (how many times am I going to use that line?). If 0°C outside isn’t cold enough for you, head into a freezer for a drink!
[ The visual feast inside the ice bar includes a rather handsome bartender ]
ABSOLUT ICEBAR STOCKHOLM is an offshoot of the famous ICE HOTEL in the village of Jukkasjärvi, inside the Swedish Arctic Circle (I later visited the ICE HOTEL too, which was as beautiful as an art gallery. Click here for the article and photos). The ICE HOTEL itself has an ICEBAR,serving cocktails made with Sweden’s pride and joy, Absolut,where visitors can experience the fun of swaying to music inside an ice palace at -5°C. ICEBAR later opened branches in Stockholm and London, along with occasional limited-time pop-up experiences in other cities. You don’t have to travel all the way into the Arctic Circle to enjoy such unusual nightlife. Andall the ice used is made from the pristine waters of the Torne River in the Swedish Arctic Circle, then transported to the venue for construction.。
* Note: I later discovered ICEBARs in Melbourne, Australia; Queenstown, New Zealand; Orlando, USA; Barcelona, Spain; and other cities, but they don’t appear to be authentic Arctic ice bars descended from the official ICE HOTEL family.
[ Stockholm’s ice bar is an authentic ICEBAR BY ICE HOTEL ]
When I spotted such an unusual bar in the guidebook, my weak-willed brain was naturally seduced by this distinctive local attraction. It became one of the few places on our Stockholm list (the shared list my travel companionChihand I made probably contained only ICEBAR, the library, and record shops). Little did I know that this visit to ICEBAR would become much more than just an experience.
January 1, the first day of 2016. Just like the New Year’s Day public holiday in Taipei, the streets were deserted, no attractions were open, and of course hardly any shops were doing business. After barely managing to fill the daytime with a Free Walking Tour of the Old Town, two starving young women with nowhere to go found themselves roaming the streets and quietly headed toward MAX, Sweden’s local fast-food burger chain. On a day like this, fast food was our only refuge—and trying a fast-food chain found only locally was the obvious winner among our very limited options! Sure enough, the restaurant was bustling. I imagine everyone who had met the same fate as us had gathered there.
[ The MAX fast-food restaurant near Stockholm Central Station was still doing great business on New Year’s Day ]
Walking into an unfamiliar fast-food restaurant for the first time, my travel companionChihand I stood beside the counter for ages, bewildered by the dazzling array of choices. Suddenly, a man waiting nearby for his food spoke up in the familiar sound of Taiwanese Mandarin and guided these lost young women in the right direction. He was like a beacon in a foreign land! We started chatting while waiting for our meals, talking about how few Taiwanese people there seemed to be in Stockholm and how remarkable it was that we had met in a fast-food restaurant.
“The only Taiwanese person I met was yesterday in the Old Town. Someone said Happy New Year to me,” the Taiwanese guyVincentsaid. “Wait—could that have been us?”ChihI replied in surprise, “Yesterday, we saw three guys on a street in the Old Town, and I called out Happy New Year.” And just like that, we recognized each other! At a MAX in Stockholm, we had run into three Taiwanese guys studying and working in Germany.You never know when one tiny gesture will leave a warm impression in someone else’s heart—or become the thread that connects you again another day.
[ The brightest beacon of all was the self-service kiosk, where the menu was easiest to understand ]
Suddenly, an alarm began blaring inside MAX.Everyone looked up and glanced around. If this scene had taken place in Taiwan, a staff member probably would have come out to switch off the alarm, the cashier would have kept taking orders, and the customers would have looked back down and resumed chatting and eating. But this was Sweden. This was Sweden! The staff came out from behind the counter and ushered every single customer outside, whether they were eating or ordering. We all stood on the Stockholm pavement in the bitter wind—including those of us still waiting for food, and even me, who hadn’t managed to order yet. Apparently, smoke from the grill had triggered the alarm. Even though it was nothing serious, customers still weren’t allowed back inside, and the staff said they were preparing to evacuate.
Oh my god—What kind of New Year’s Day plot twist was this? A fire alarm going off in a Stockholm fast-food restaurant on the first day of 2016? And then getting thrown out?Once again, we were stranded on the streets—and I never even got to eat my MAX!
[ The MAX staff drove everyone out of the restaurant, sending us back onto the foodless streets ]
Fortunately, life never gives you only one path, and Stockholm doesn’t have only one MAX.The three Taiwanese guys who shared our misfortune and the two of us women decided to walk to another MAX. Bonded by our shared ordeal—which honestly wasn’t that terrible, and even earned each of us a 10-krona discount voucher—we chatted all the way there and shared dinner at MAX. Our New Year’s Day fast-food dinner became warm and lively, and five strangers who had met by chance quickly got to know one another.
“Want to go to ICEBAR together?” Both groups had already been thinking of visiting, and now that we had met, ICEBAR—one of the few places open on New Year’s night—became the perfect spot to continue the evening.
[ ICEBAR’s well-hidden entrance—I almost expected a magic door to whisk me straight to the Arctic ]
ICEBAR was located on the ground floor of Nordic Hotel, not far from the central station.Admission was 205 Swedish kronor per person, including one cocktail(about NT$840—not a cheap gimmick). Each person received a shimmering blue space-age thermal cape and gloves, then waited to enter in timed groups. Each session was limited to 60 people. Perhaps everyone in Sweden spent New Year’s Day at home, because our group had no more than a dozen or so people, making the bar—which could hold up to 60—feel very comfortable. Andlike all buildings made from ice and snow, it somehow maintained a steady temperature of -5°C to -7°C.
(Oh, and by the way, ICEBAR was actually right next to the first MAX where the fire alarm went off. When we walked back, it was open again and thriving, so what was all that earlier talk about closing for the night…?)
[ Don’t assume you can wear nothing underneath that warm spacesuit—it’s only a cape ]
[ Lights projected onto the ice created a lovely atmosphere ]
From the floor, walls, tables, chairs, and bar counter down to the drinking glasses,almost every decoration and object in sight was made of ice.I was still hoping the bartender might be made of ice too, but unfortunately he turned out to be a living, breathing human. What a letdown. ICEBAR wasn’t very large,but its ice-block design was filled with small details, and every wall featured different carvings.The seats came in various shapes too. Naturally, the chairs were topped with cushions or fur, preventing the tragedy of your backside freezing to the seat.
[ The entrance foyer immediately throws down a challenge: if your hands can touch through opposite ends of the ice block, you win a free drink. The ice is ridiculously thick! What an insincere offer— ]
[ The carvings in the ice were incredibly detailed—the ice itself became a canvas ]
[ Although ICEBAR uses machinery to keep the indoor temperature constant so it won’t melt, it is still rebuilt every six months and redesigned every two years ]
[ You can’t look too cool by casually leaning your hand against the wall while chatting—it’s freezing ]
[ So I tested whether my backside would stick. Hmm—after this brutal experiment, I’m pleased to report that it remains intact ]
My lips, however, weren’t so lucky.ICEBAR’s glasses were also made from ice formed with water from the Torne River.The bar menu offered all kinds of cocktails named after Swedish places, making it blatantly obvious that this was somewhere only tourists would visit. Once you ordered, the bartender mixed the various spirits directly into an ice glass in front of you, then handed over a brilliantly colorful Absolut Vodka cocktail. Naturally, there was no need to add ice.
[ Sweden really does have a reputation for having no ugly men, but could you watch the lighting next time? ]
[ My… blah-blah-blah cocktail—I’ve forgotten its name—has arrived ]
[ A dazzling selection; apparently, you can even order by color ]
The transparent glass was a visual delight, but holding it was absolutely freezing. Even through the gloves, I could feel waves of cold radiating from the glass in my hand, never mind drinking from it.Because the warmth of your lips meets the ice, they can accidentally stick to the glass. Anyone with sensitive teeth would probably find their face twitching along with the music.(I absolutely refuse to admit that mine twitched a couple of times.) The drink seems to get bigger while the glass gets smaller—a magic trick that turns everyone at ICEBAR into a magician. (What a terrible trick.) Since I take forever to finish a drink, the rim of my glass had become incredibly thin by the end.
[ What an extravagantly impractical glass! Only ICEBAR could offer something this extravagantly impractical! ]
[ It was still ridiculously cold even with gloves on—but all the cocktails we ordered were pretty tasty ]
[ Once you finish, your personal lip print remains behind. Anyone who loves chewing ice must have a wonderful time here! You can even take the glass home as a souvenir (but how?) ]
The time it takes to finish one drink passes quickly, and ICEBAR isn’t large. Since it’s still a freezing environment, some guests in our session left after only half an hour. How long you stay in a bar depends on how long you spend chatting and having fun with friends. I suppose this newly acquainted group of Taiwanese people had far too much to talk about, because we stayed for an hour and a half. Even as the cold kept creeping up through the soles of our feet, we were reluctant to leave. Meeting fellow Taiwanese travelers far from home transformed a chilly ICEBAR into a warm and delightful New Year’s night.
I still remember when I first fell in love with independent travel more than three years ago, when the main purpose of traveling was checking off sights and taking photos. But as time passed and memories accumulated, I gradually realized that the greatest difference between personally setting foot in a foreign place and looking at photos in a book or served up by Google is, I think, meeting all kinds of people.They give a place name emotion and bring it to life in your memories.。
ABSOLUT ICEBAR STOCKHOLM
Address: Vasaplan 4, Stockholm (near the central railway station, on the ground floor of Nordic C Hotel)
Opening hours (may vary on public holidays)
Sun–Thu: 15:45-00:00 (last admission 23:15)
Fri–Sat: 15:45-01:00 (last admission 00:15)
Prices (prices change annually; these are from 2016 and include one drink)
Adults: 205 Swedish kronor
Children: 95 Swedish kronor (ages 3-17—and yes, children can actually enter; non-alcoholic drinks are available)
Nordic Hotel guests: 160 Swedish kronor
/ New Year’s Day at ICEBAR & Old Town TOUR / January 1 in Stockholm, Sweden. In a country that takes its holiday breaks seriously, naturally hardly any shops or attractions were open—but there were definitely still things to do! And there’s far too much worth sharing, so let’s begin with a list: 1. Tullfritt fried… at the entrance to the lane where we stayed
Posted by Creya! Yes, You Can—Travel Through Life on Saturday, January 2, 2016
✈ Travel date: 2016/1/1
| Follow My European Adventures | Chasing the Northern Lights in Sweden series: (Travel period: 2015/12/30-2016/1/10)
● A Northern Light Came Out of Nowhere! My Spectacular Start to 2016 in the Swedish Arctic Circle
● Grab Your Luggage and Go: Chasing the Northern Lights in the Swedish Arctic Circle with Just Ten Days to Prepare! Proof That Planning an Independent Trip Isn’t Impossible
● Turns Out Being an Eskimo Isn’t Easy Either: Spending a Night in an Igloo Snow Dome
● My Snow-Weary Tale of Venturing into Sweden’s Subzero World—A Polar Survival Guide to My Snow Gear and Equipment
● No Matter How Cold It Gets, Spend Three Nights Watching the Northern Lights in Abisko, Inside the Swedish Arctic Circle
● Infiltrating Stockholm’s Viking Restaurant, AIFUR RESTAURANT & BAR, to Play Pirate for a Night
● Oops—I Somehow Went from Sweden to Norway: Discovering a Geography-Textbook Fjord in the Town of Narvik
● So Beautiful I Rushed into the Ice Palace: Lying Inside Sweden’s ICE HOTEL, Built Entirely from Ice in the Arctic Circle
● Stockholm’s ICEBAR: Breaking the Ice over Drinks with Fellow Taiwanese Travelers Met by a Wonderful Twist of Fate
● Thank You to the Me Who Didn’t Give Up, Letting Me Discover Stockholm’s Secret Urban Forests Through Running
● A Plane That Takes You Straight to Dreamland: Jumbo Stay, the Unique Hostel Beside Stockholm Airport, Sweden
