Warning. This post is very long and contains far too many pictures….
Back in December, I was browsing through a UK newspaper’s site (one of my strange expat addictions) when I found an article about this place in a travel section. I immediately thought of Mr R and his obsession with snow, and wondered whether he loved it enough to sleep in it? As it’s practically on our doorstep anyway, I booked it for his birthday. Booking confirmed (and with months to think about it), it was stored away in the back of my mind until last weekend when it was time for our expedition to commence!
Friends of ours who had beaten us to this experience had told us to layer up, so we packed our bags full of snow gear and extra thermals (the Singaporean students sharing our adventure didn’t get this memo however – I didn’t half feel sorry for them shivering away in their jeans)…
We parked in a grey and misty Eibsee and boarded the Zugspitze train to the top. Re-emerging from the mountain tunnel, we were so lucky to find the most gorgeous conditions waiting for us, so we quickly headed for lunch in the sunshine. On a clear day you can actually see four different countries from this point, but the cloud below wasn’t shifting so we had a view of something resembling a giant swirling witches cauldron instead – still not something you see every day obviously…
At 16.30 we met the Iglu-Dorf Team at The SonnAlpin where we collected our arctic sleeping bags, listened to a safety talk, and met our fellow intrepid explorers before making our way to the village itself. The Small people were the only Small People on this particular day by the way. This did not detract from their experience (or ours) and they enjoyed both the attention (and the audience!) provided by their fellow guests.
Taking around 2700 hours to build, the village is made up of around 12 separate sleeping iglus all in various decorative states, and connected by a series of corridors leading to the bar and eating areas. We found our room, grandly named “The Rose”, which had The Eight Year Old imagining Sleeping Beauty scenarios, and had me hoping for similar soporific instances from both her and her little brother later on that evening…
Once we had dumped our kit (and depleted the free chocolates) we then had half an hour to admire all of the other hand-carved iglus, before they became private domain, with the guides (who wake you up the next morning with welcome cups of hot steaming morning tea) the only “intruders” allowed…
Having inspected our Ice Palace sufficiently, we were then encouraged outside to make the most of the last of the sunshine, and to enjoy the spectacle that is Germany’s tallest Mountain in this deserted state (the last train down is at 16.30)… We were forced to enjoy the view from deck chairs while stuffing our faces with ham and cheese and making ourselves drink gluhwein…
Then it was time for a walk just as the sun was setting, to take in a bit more of the stunning scenery, and to learn more about the Zugspitze itself). This gave the Iglu Dorf chefs time to prepare an almighty fondue feast for our return… It had to be fondue, nothing else would have felt right in these surroundings.
Sufficiently stuffed, it was time for some extreme night sledging (without any light pollution!) before the schnapps came out and the Jacuzzi testing began. At this point, our two jet-lagged and exhausted Small People demanded that it was bedtime, and soon drifted off like Eskimos in their Norwegian sleeping bags. Our slightly early night compared to the rest of the group really was the only drawback to taking children on this adventure (incidentally, I would say 6 is a good minimum age. Any younger, and everything might become a little more difficult!), but it did mean that we didn’t suffer from any schnapps induced hangovers the following morning…
People who have already been forced into looking at my pictures have commented on how cold it looks, but it honestly isn’t. The Iglu Dorf Team have been doing this for a long time now and know all the tips in keeping warm. They make sure you have the right gear on, keep you moving, and ensure that your iglus are kitted out with plenty of sheepskins, and the correct polar sleeping gear. The only time you feel the cold is on a midnight trip to the loo really…
And before we knew it, it was morning and time to pack up and head for a hearty breakfast back at the SonnAlpin. I had hoped to wake up slightly earlier to catch the sunrise (armed with my camera), but the weather had had enough of playing nicely, and the cloud had come up to meet us. To be honest, I didn’t really mind. I felt like we had had enough privileges what with the weather the day before, and the fact that this was the very last night that anyone would sleep in this particular iglu village… It was destroyed that afternoon before the Spring temperatures begin to rise, only to be built all over again next winter!
Would I recommend it? Completely. Do I have any tips? Hurry up and book it for a start! Do make sure you are wearing the correct gear including hats and gloves and snow boots. Do join in, and give all of the activities a go. It’s all extremely well organised, and is one of those experiences that none of us will ever ever forget…
Going home...
Thank you so much for the recommendation to check this out. This looks absolutely awesome. I had no idea they’re doing this. The carvings are amazing and it sounds like a fabulous day and night up there. Since Keith loves snow so incredibly much this sounds like a good idea for a surprise birthday gift – I have to look into it :)
Love all the pictures!
I’m very happy to get to know you! Love your blog and Instagram :)
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I hope you get to go, let me know if you do! Emma :)
Hi Emma,
I enjoy your post about the iglu-dorf! Makes me wanna visit too!
Just curious how much are the return tickets by Zugspitze train from Eibsee to the top?
Regards,
Roxanne
Hi Roxanne, go if you get the chance, it’s amazing! Here’s the link to the prices! :) http://zugspitze.de/en/summer/preise/zugspitze
Oh my god I’ve only just seen this. I am DESPERATE to do this! Heading over to look now!
You must look into it Helen, such an amazing experience! :) x
Wow, this sounds like a blast! Coming from a place in Canada that does get copious amounts of snow, I have actually built and slept in my own igloo before (more of a snow cave than “igloo” to be honest) and it is a very cool experience. This looks like so much fun! Glad to have found this post via Sunday Traveler!
Thanks Travis! I do believe that the guys that do all the decoration inside the igloos are Canadian! It was a great experience, and one that I think most of us would happily repeat! (I think my 6 year old would take a warmer hat next time though!) :D
This sounds like an amazing experience. Thanks for answering the cold factor question. That’s the question I had on my mind while reading your post. Hate being cold. Not suprised that you took so many photos. They all look great.
Thanks so much! Yes, it was quite a chilly night, but the sleeping bags they provide do the trick, and it’s only when getting out to visit the bathroom or first thing in the morning when you are woken with the breakfast tea that you really feel it! :D
It looks beautiful – and cold! I’ve actually never seen a ‘real’ igloo – I keep having to explain that there aren’t any in Alaska. I wouldn’t think to look for one in Germany!
Thank you Jess! I know, they sound a bit out of place here don’t they! Hope the winter’s not too bad where you are, it sounds like it’s quite extreme this year!
I think if my parents had taken me to the Ice Palace as a kid I’d still be there, stuffing my face with cheese. Looks really fun. Plus, gorgeous scenery + gluhwein is a winning combination in my book. Great post, congrats! Good luck and safe travels!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment! Likewise, safe travels to you for 2014 too! :)
Wow, I’m not fond of the snow, but that looks like a must try kind of experience. They put so much work into the dwellings to tear them down, but I understand why. That sounds like an unforgettable birthday! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Nancie! :)
WOWZERS! This all sounds so cool, I was getting really excited and then you mentioned a +6 age rule – gah, I have to wait 4.5 more years to go – oh man. I love everything, especially the deck chairs and snacks! Thanks ever so much for linking up the #SundayTraveler this week, I have pinned this post – I hope that’s okay.
But it’s worth the wait, I promise! Thanks so much, and of course I don’t mind! :)
it looks flippin brilliant!
Thank you Gemma, I still can’t believe we did it…. :)
Even with my complete dislike for the white stuff this looks like a lot of fun. I think the carvings are so beautiful and that platter of food, delicious. And sometimes going to bed early with the kids can be a blessing in disguise.xx
It was brilliant fun, the carvings were great. We were so lucky we were able to inspect everyone elses rooms! Thank you! xx
Wow, this looks totally A-MAZING! The photos are brilliant. Thanks for your recent visits over at mine… what with the alphabet blogging and Bibsey’s birthday party, I just couldn’t keep up last week. x
Thank you BM! How very strange, I do believe I was over on your blog at precisely the same time! :D x
You must never state there are too many photos when they are as gobsmaking as those, I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t of seem them. What an awesome adventure I’m so glad you shared it on here :-D
Thanks for the lovely comment Lou! It was a great adventure! :)
Looks like an amazing experience. Would love to sleep in a carved ice hotel/iglu.
If you get the chance, I would highly recommend it! :)
Wow, what an amazing experience! It looks beautiful! x
Thank you Mama S… A week later, and I can’t quite believe we actually did it! :D
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous and no, there are not too many! I am not sure however it is enough to convince me… ;o) xx
Aw thank you K… I am so sorry I haven’t caught up properly with commenting etc. yet, and we are away yet again and I type this with limited internet access. I promise to be back on the ball properly soon! :) xx
that looks amazing! the carvings in the wall of the iglu are so cool and fondue what more could you want?!
Thank you! You are right, probably nothing more. A fairy to watch the children so we could have socialised a bit more would have been perfect though!! :D
This is making me laugh, Emma! I heard ‘I would never dream of doing that!’ so much from people before we went scuba-diving and volcano-hiking in Bali, and I always thought, “Oh, come on, it’s not such a big deal, really!” But honestly – give me a scuba mask and/or volcano hike any day! I have spent enough time freezing out in the wilderness with MrL (intrepid outdoorsman and ice climber) to have a strong aversion to the idea of spending the night in an Iglu. And you may recall that I got up at 4AM to hike through the blinding snow to the top of a mountain to watch the sun rise on New Year’s Day – so you know I am usually game for just about anything! In this case, though… I would probably be one of those people catching that last train down the mountain before sunset! It does look like a wonderful time, though, with all of the carvings and that tremendous scenery – and I bet the birthday boy loved it!
And this was my parallel to your volcano! Made me laugh too! We are in the Black Forest right now. To make up for the lack of cake last weekend, I am going to search out some genuine schwarzwälder Kirschtorte tomorrow. When I raise that fork, I will think of you. Chin up lovely, keep strong! xx
I was totally captivated reading this, what an amazing adventure, I bet the children will remember this for a long time to come.
Thank you Fiona, what a lovely comment! I hope they will too! xx
Thanks for linking up to Country Kids, a really different adventure to share!
No problem, thank you! :)
Magical! And not too long and definitely not too many photographs!
Aw thank you Sarah… It was a great thing to experience! :D
Wow Emma! That sounds brilliant! What a great present and wonderful family adventure. Love your pictures, the carvings in the iglus are amazing x
Thank you… Apparently the team who do the carving fly in from Canada every year… x
Great pics and narrative of your stayEm. I want to go…..now. Truly awesome. Xxxx
Thank you Em! You are more than welcome to leave your two with us while you go and experience it! xxxx
Looks and sounds amazing. Had to share with hubby as he too loves snow. Who knows maybe one day? We have four years to contemplate it when the wee man is old enough to enjoy it or maybe we can just leave him with the nonni.
I think you should talk nicely to Nonni! :) Thank you Sabrina x
What a wonderful birthday present, especially as you could all share it – how do you match that next year?! You make it sound magial and your pictures are superb! xx
We could do it again, and you could babysit!! :D It was magical, that’s a great way to describe it… Ta Ma xxxx
This looks fabulous, Emma. We have often wondered about doing the Ice Hotel but had read that it is very cold, which put me off a bit. If this experience isn’t too bad, we might give it a try sometime xx
The trick’s definitely in the clothes… I think the children had four layers on, and we both had three… You can always take layers off when you get too hot after all! :D Thank you Trish! xx
Oh my word that just smacks me with reminders of one of the best experiences Ali and i had as we got married in the ice church and slept in an ice hotel. such a wonderful time and it looked like it totally delivered to you as well, what wonderful rooms and what a special experience lucky you..
Was that the one in Sweden Helen? I wish we had done that when we lived in Scandinavia now, at the time I thought it would be too cold, but it’s really not that bad is it? Thank you :) xx
Wow, that looks absolutely amazing, thanks so much for sharing! Our little ones are a bit too little at the moment but I’d love to do this one day. (And there are not too many pictures at all, I love them!)
So glad you like the pics! One day then Jennifer, or perhaps just the two of you?!? Thanks so much for commenting! :)
This looks AWESOME! I am adding it to my list of places to visit when we have babysitters at hand. We were just about to book a trip to the Ice Hotel in Sweden when I found out I was pregnant with the toddler. Obviously, it was put on hold but it’s somewhere I definitely want to go to. This might be a closer version. And you’re right … only fondue will do in such climates!
Thank you… You must do it if you can, the one at Davos can’t be that far from you? Such a great experience! :)