Cold Art
Making a snowman is child’s play. The ingenious ice sculptures on display at the following festivals are far harder to create but also far more beautiful.
Four times each winter, the world’s top ice sculptors travel to Canada to participate in competitions. The most prestigious event is the Canada Cup of Ice Carving in Lake Louise, Alberta (January 18 to 20).
The tallest ice sculptures ever built in Harbin, China, were 46 meters high. Every year, thousands of laborers drag blocks of frozen water to the world’s biggest ice and snow festival. Evening is the best time to visit, when the sculptures are bathed in colored light (ends in February).
Europe’s biggest ice sculpture festival takes place in the city of Zwolle in the Netherlands. This year, 42 artists have created over 100 sculptures, each of which required roughly 275 tons of ice and snow. Europe’s southernmost ice hotel is also in Zwolle (ends March 4)+
