When you were young, you dreamt of giants and fairies and ice-palaces. Two may have been childhood fancies but, in eastern Canada, just west of Quebec city, the ice-palace is waiting for you. At the entrance your astonishment will freeze in the air, a grand hall dazzles with high carved ice walls and huge ice candelabra.
Eighteen foot high ceilings are covered in ice art work and everywhere is meticulously carved ice furniture. You can drink in the heaving vodka bar, enjoy a hot tub under the stars and later turn to sleep in a bed of thick deer pelts. The hotel is built each winter over five weeks at the turn of the year using 12 tons of snow and 400 tons of ice, but it is not for the meek. The temperature inside the walls is just below freezing, but bring your thickest clothes and enjoy the magic with the other snow queens and kings until the spring sunshine appears in early April and the ice returns to nature.