Karen Bradbury

Europe Traveler

Stripes travel enthusiast Karen Bradbury shares ideas for great getaways and ways to save dollars for our Europe-based readers.

A wintertime treat to remember—an overnight in an igloo

For the past few years, Ice Hotels have been a hot winter item. While the actual stays in the hotels aren’t all that pricey per se, most of them are located in places that are prohibitively expensive to reach, north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, for example.

If it’s sleeping out in the cold that appeals to you, there’s a thriftier solution available without even leaving Germany. Just head to the Bavarian Alps, to the Allgäu, for an “Eskimo Weekend in an igloo.”

For prices starting at just 195 euros per adult, or 120 euros for kids ages 14 and under, you can get yourself an overnight stay in an igloo that you have helped construct, along with a wintery mountain hike, use of essential equipment, snack, evening meal, and breakfast. The deal is available on weekends from Jan. 26 through March 16.

The area putting on this offer is Pfronten, which seems to offer all manner of unique diversions, from ice towers for climbing; spa treatments based on hay, as well as cuisine featuring it as an ingredient; a cheese making exhibition; and plenty of castle ruins.

All in all, sounds like the recipe for one memorable weekend. Would you stay in an igloo in the Alps in the dead of winter?