The Tatra Ice Dome opens its gates again after a year! The exceptional Tatra winter attraction made of ice is this year inspired by the Temple of the Resurrection of Christ in St. Petersburg. Visitors to Hrebienok in the High Tatras will be able to admire the icy beauty from Friday 20 November. The opening of the Tatra Ice Dome is also this year connected with the official opening of the winter tourist season in the High Tatras.
The Tatra Ice Dome is already writing its eighth chapter in the High Tatras. Its author is a Slovak Adam Bakoš, who was assisted by sculptors from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The construction of the high 12 meters used a total of 1880 ice blocksthat weighed together 225 tons.
"We have created a copy of the magnificent facade, dominated by 6 main towers of the temple, highlighted with materials that had their premiere in the Tatra Ice Dome. A total of 18 sculptors and 12 helpers participated in the construction," said Adam Bakoš. The entire Tatra Ice Dome is located in a dome with a diameter of 25 metres.
A separate chapter was the production of domes, created by Mia Bujňáková and Petr Klím.
"After intensive consideration, we decided to recreate the pomp and purity of the domes by combining modern technology and hand craftsmanship. The bodies of all eight domes were conceived as self-supporting structures connected by circles and ribs. The individual parts were then cut out of polycarbonate using a water jet in Prešov," Mia Bujňáková informed.
Due to the current situation and precautionary measures, the organisers have made several changes to increase safety.
"The first and most important will be the creation of entrance corridors so that visitors can visit the Tatra Ice Dome smoothly and without crowding. The time spent admiring the icy beauty will also be limited, as will the number of people who can enter the dome at any one time, of course only with their airways covered. We would therefore also ask the visitors themselves to be responsible so that the experience of visiting this exceptional project is only pleasant," asked Lukáš Brodanský, manager of the High Tatras resort.
It is possible to get to the dome, which hides ice art on Hrebienok, by an overground cable car from Starý Smokovec or on foot along an easy hiking trail. The temple will be open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., with even longer opening hours during the main winter season and Christmas holidays. Entrance to the Ice Dome is once again free of charge for visitors.
Apart from the Tatra Ice Dome itself, Hrebienok brings one more exceptional event at the beginning of winter. On Friday 20 November 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Hrebienok restaurant, the sale of a special 0.- euro banknote with the motif of this exceptional Tatra location will start - the banknote will bear the depicted funicular, Lomnicky Peak and the tradition of ice art will be reminded by the Notre Dame Temple made of ice from last winter. The mintage of 15,000 will also include a special Anniversary 2020 overprint on 3,000 notes.
The Tatra Ice Dome is one of the most popular attractions of the High Tatras region during the winter season and its opening is a symbolic announcement that winter is near.
"We believe that the snow will be plentiful and visitors to the High Tatras will enjoy not only the art of this ice gallery but also all the other opportunities that our region offers during the winter. Despite the not entirely clear situation, we are preparing intensively for the opening of the winter season and we invite tourists to our region to enjoy all winter pleasures, skiing on the Tatra slopes, trips by cable cars, cross-country skiing or outdoor ice-skating rinks, winter hiking. Hotels and accommodation establishments are already accepting reservations for winter stays, most of them include a ski pass in the price of the stay, and it is currently possible to purchase stays with various first minute discounts. Businesses are also prepared for a safe stay of tourists, observing all hygiene standards and measures, not only hotels but also restaurants, bistros and buffets, and various attractions. We believe that the coming weeks will bring more positive news and the winter season in the High Tatras will also be with the possibility of wellness, swimming and the possibility of using all the services that we are used to during the holidays," Lucia Blašková, Director of the Regional Tourism Organisation of the High Tatras Region, informed.
The Tatra Ice Dome is realized with the financial support of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic.
Source:OOCR Región Vysoké Tatry
