The most famous hotel in Romania is the Ice Hotel at Bâlea Lac in the Făgăraș Mountains, in Carpathians. The hotel attracts tourists from all over the world, and every year brings something new, as the tourist facility is rebuilt every winter. Tourists who want to spend a unique holiday in the Ice Hotel have good news, and the resort will be completed in a few days.
“Already, there are many tourists who have expressed interest in our Ice Hotel. We are happy that foreign tourists are coming in large numbers to discover this unique project. The interest of tourists is increased by the fact that this year we are honouring the memory of the great artist Andy Warhol,” says the initiator of the project, Arnold Klingeis.
Since the middle of this week, work on the construction and extension of the 17th Ice Hotel has been underway at Bâlea Lac. “Art&Ice”, the name of this season’s hotel, is slowly but surely getting closer to the shape that was planned at the beginning of the project. Thus, the rooms already completed and open to visitors since Christmas 2023 are being joined by new rooms.
The work of the construction team is helped by the weather conditions of the last few days. Specifically, the snow depth has increased and temperatures have been mostly negative. This year, the work is also going very well thanks to the use of new construction technology. In particular, a large part of the chambers is being built using giant balloons inflated to high pressure, over which the builders are spraying snow and water that solidifies mainly at night. In parallel with the exterior work, the team led by sculptor Eugen Petri is working on the interior, decorating and furnishing each room.
As in previous seasons, the initiators of the ”Ice Hotel Bâlea Lac” tourism marketing project have chosen a theme. For this season, the theme is “Art&Ice”. Thus, a large part of the architectural concept of the Hotel of Ice this winter, as well as the execution of the works and the furnishings, will be made to highlight the theme of the project: art, with its multitude of forms, expressions and exponents, highlighted by the nobility, hardness, purity and tenderness of ice.
“Many of our visitors are passionate about art, history and culture. That’s why many of them come, thanks also to one of the Council of Europe’s most beautiful initiatives, the Historic Cafes Route. In Romania, this European cultural route has aroused enthusiasm, and the number of historic cafes that have the privilege of being decorated with the prestigious Council of Europe plaque is growing every month. The public that loves this concept, is passionate about traditional gastronomy and appreciates quality wines is, in fact, the public interested in the Ice Hotel at Bâlea Lac. They are refined, educated people who want unique experiences,” says Arnold Klingeis.
The Ice Hotel in the “heart” of the mountains will have at least 20 rooms, Ice Restaurant and Ice Bar. The exterior look of the Ice Hotel will also be changed. Both the Ice Hotel and the Ice Church are unique landmarks in the Central and South-Eastern European region.
“Foreign tourists who visit us spend several days in Transylvania and have the opportunity to discover the natural, gastronomic, historical and cultural heritage of this unique place in the world. Most of them enjoy the Gothic and Baroque centres of cities such as Cluj, Sibiu or Brasov, which include cafés already included in the cultural and historical route under the High Patronage of the Council of Europe. They also choose exclusive experiences, such as those offered by the Brukenthal Palace in Avrig, and when they return to their countries they become excellent promoters of authentic Romania. In this way, through this kind of tourism, we “export” the good image that Romania deserves today”, said Arnold Klingeis.
