Are you going to tell I gave up enjoying tropical islands, sun, sea and fun&cocktails? Not at all! By no means! But after visiting the Ice Hotel, under the Aurora Borealis, in northern Sweden, I grew fond of ice lands, and as I know contrasts are in fashion nowadays, if everybody dreams about going on exotic holidays, during wintertime, I said to myself that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stick to the Ice Queen, too, this time at 300 km away from Bucharest. Yes, yes. How could I have possibly missed the most gorgeous ice buildings in our regions, in fact, in southern-eastern Europe, all the more as I can enjoy an experience, famous all over the world, a 100% Romanian experience? I had heard of Ice Hotel Lake Balea for some time, but I hadn’t found the right time to visit it, therefore, this winter, after the Ice Hotel Sweden experience, I decided to experience both of them. Consecutively, so that I can make comparisons, comment, tell about them. So, being well equipped, like in Sweden, I climbed our dear Fagaras mountain, having the opportunity to see Lake Balea frozen, for the first time during wintertime, and I got to the hotel, which had the theme ”Zodiac” this season. Interesting, isn’t it?

Hotel of Ice, Lake Balea ”Colored List”:

   * The hotel concept remains the same like everywhere in the world: different rooms, 12 here, many furs, fluffy beds and sleeping bags, for the courageous tourists who want to spend the night over there, and also instructions for sleeping at -2 degree C

    *  You also have a nice igloo, with 3 rooms, to try if you dare

   * The Ice Hotel is rebuilt every year, out of materials offered by nature, with big ice blocks taken from the lake, for the walls, and snow collected from the mountain slopes, for giving the finishing touch

   * Many designers and architects are glad to show off their talents in the sculptured ice, all the more as it attracts so many tourists-about 8.000 visitors, but also many shootings, all kinds of events, filming and all sorts of mad activities

   * At Ice Bar you have to be a patriot and drink some boiled wine with cinnamon or some plum brandy (tuica, in Romanian) in an ice glass. It is WORTH it!

 
   * Ice Restaurant puts delicious venison dishes at its guests`disposal, as well as fresh fish, soups, sour soups and 100% super tasty Romanian dainties for a dream dinner

   * The little ice church has a particular charm, too and is very popular…It is built on the model of a monastery in Malancrav ,Sibiu and waits quietly for ceremonies, services, baptisms and crystal…weddings. Is anybody interested ?

   * Ah, and if don’t fancy sleeping in the cold, there are lots of activities to be done here: skiing, skating on the skating-rink, tubbing,s ledging, driving a snowmobile