Edu365.cat

Igloos are huts made of ice and are associated with the Inuit people, who are indigenous to the cold Arctic regions covering Greenland and the most northern parts of North America.

Dome-shaped and made of compacted, rectangular ice blocks (measuring 60-120 cm in length by 20 cm thick), igloos have been used by the Inuit as temporary dwellings, particularly during hunting expeditions.

This traditional construction has inspired so-called 'ice hotels', destinations for tourists in search of unusual experiences, even if it's below zero!

As they are made of snow and ice, this type of hotel is naturally located in very cold or, freezing rather, places. For example the Kirkenes SnowHotel and the Alta Igloo Hotel can be found in Lapland, (home to the Sami people), part of Norwegian territory; and in Quebec, half an hour from Quebec City, is the Hôtel de Glace, covering 3,000 square metres, with a room temperature of between -3 °C and -5 °C.

There's even one in the Catalan Countries: the Iglú-Hotel Grandvalira, in Andorra, which opened its doors for the first time this winter.