I arrived with my husband, Tim, in Oslo, Norway today to begin an eight-day Arctic adventure with Visit Norway USA. We kicked off our adventure with a taste of the Arctic right here in the bustling Oslo city center at ICEBAR Oslo.

ICEBAR is kept at -5° Celsius (23° Fahrenheit) all the time. To stay warm while inside, every guest is given a fur-lined Arctic cape and gloves. Boots are even available to keep your feet toasty!

Properly attired, we entered the frozen depths of Captain Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus. An octopus tentacle reaches through a porthole, jellyfish float in the ice, and the ice walls are covered with etchings of scary-looking fish only Jules Verne could dream up.

Everything inside is made out of 50 tons of crystal clear ice harvested from the frozen Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, Northern Sweden. And when I say everything, I mean everything. A menu full of custom drink creations designed by one of Norway’s best bartenders, Monica Berg, are even served up in ice glasses.

After finishing your drink, try your hand as sinking your ice glass into the wishing well. We hear it’s good luck if you make it into the wishing well and it is a lot harder than it looks!

Entrance to ICEBAR is on the hour, every hour and a reservation is recommended as a strict 60 person capacity is observed. Visits are for 45 minutes and include cape, gloves, and one drink of your choice and costs NOK 160 ($29 US) per person.

About The Author
Jennifer Dombrowski is a training specialist and social media strategist in the field of higher education. Based in Italy with her husband, Tim, they have a passion for travel and love discovering the world. Follow her on twitter @jdomb or on Facebook.

NOTE: This trip was sponsored in part by Visit Oslo and Visit Norway USA.

 

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