Lübeck's Ice World

ABOVE: A spider Web carved from ice. INSET BELOW: An exterior view, the Jeep from Jurassic Park, the catering tent, and ice grooming in the skating rink.

Archived article

December, 2005

Lübeck, "the Queen of the Hanseatic League," attracts millions of visitors each year with its Old Town (which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and its role as a gateway to Travemünde and other seaside resorts on Germany's Baltic coast.

In the winter, its Christmas markets draw shiploads of visitors from Scandinavian ferry ports, and since 2003, the city has had another winter attraction: Ice World, an international ice and snow sculpture festival.

Ice World 2005, which runs until January 29, 2006, has an "Animal Kingdom" theme with works by a team of 45 sculptors from Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Ukraine. The sculptures are displayed in a refrigerated tent by the Media Docks, between Lübeck's railroad station and Old Town.

As a bonus, Ice World offers a skating rink where visitors can rent ice skates and a comfortable heated catering tent with food and drinks at extremely reasonable prices.

Hours are 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., with slightly shorter hours over the Christmas weekend and on New Year's Day. Tickets to the sculpture hall cost €8 for adults and €4 for children from 4-12; the ice rink charges €4 and €2.50 plus optional skate-rental fees.

For more information on Ice World and Lübeck, visit the official Lübeck-Travemünde Tourism Web site.

Photos 1, 2, 3, 5 copyright © Lübeck and Travemünde Tourist-Service GmbH.
Photographer: Nils Bergmann. Jeep photo: Durant Imboden.

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