Unique Igloo Experience
Driven by the ambition to be the first on the mountain early in the morning, in order to shoot photos of the sunrise and find white, untouched snow for snowboarding, Adrian Günter, initiator of the igloo village, built the first igloo. He spent the night in an expedition sleeping bag as his main equipment in his igloo. His first guiding principle was to be the first one on the mountain in the morning to enjoy the ambient and go downhill with his snowboard.
However, friends soon shared this little passion of Adrian and they built several igloos above the “Motta Naluns”. People from the village and skiing tourists appreciated the igloos and asked for permission to sleep in them. Inquiries increased and resulted in Adrian's business idea.
He increased the number of igloos and opened the "small world in white" in 2006, with 7 villages across Andorra, Switzerland and Germany now accepting guests.
Moving three thousand tons of snow every December to build each village, Adrian invites artists from all over the world to craft sculptures inside each village. With only an ice pick, motor saw and shovel, artists produce seals, arctic wolves, polar bears and whales as well as swirling designs and patterns illuminated by candle light to look over the guests from the walls.
The villages are open from Christmas day through to the beginning of April each year, snow conditions permitting. With 10,000 visitors in 2010, all ages have enjoyed the cosy hospitality of an expedition sleeping bag and sheepskin rug, from the youngest 19mth old baby to an 83 year old lady guest.
Features:
A variety of igloo options are available in the different villages, from Standard and Group igloos, to Romantic-plus igloos. Each category includes usage of the whirlpool or sauna. The team has even built a church including an altar and baptismal font for a wedding party. Every village is equipped with a large igloo hotel lobby and bar where the evening meal of Gerber fondue and 'vin chaud' is served. The top range Romantic igloo suites with a private whirlpool even include their own toilet, although you'll not want to spend too long sitting on the seat!
When the slopes are open, guests can enjoy mulled wine or a tasty cheese fondue at the Igloo Bar. Whether it's with or without skis and snowboard – during the day the sun deck is an inviting place with a view of the snow mountain peaks or in the inside bar which is decorated with snow art. Lunchtime or evening, it is worth booking a table.
Every year, new Igloo-Villages are created at seven different locations. Five Villages are in Switzerland and two abroad. In Switzerland you can find them in Davos-Klosters on Parsenn, in Engelberg near Trübsee Lake at the foot of the Titlis, in Gstaad near Saanerslochgrat, on Stockhorn north of Erlenbach or in Zermatt on Rotenboden. In Germany the Igloo-Village Zugspitze lies on the Platt. The branch in Andorra Grandvalira is run as a franchise.
