Two historic icehouses reconstructed in the forests of Bratislava

The sites will be used for events in the future and will be open to visitors starting this weekend

The Bratislava Tourist Board, with the cooperation of the Municipal Forests in Bratislava, are proud to announce that they have finished the reconstruction of two historic ice houses in the outskirts of the Slovak capital. They will be open to visitors who are eager to visit these historic locations as early as 12 December after which they will be used to host all manner of events.

History, neglected

These inconspicuous cellars sunk on the slope opposite the Rotunda building were built in the 18th century. At that time, the spa was run by Jakub Palugay, the owner of a wine empire, who turned it into place famous for its excellent cuisine. During the greatest winter frosts, pieces of ice from the nearby Vydrica stream were brought into the icehouses, which then cooled food, beer, wine and, for example, the famous Champagne Jacqueson throughout the year.

The Municipal Forests in Bratislava, in cooperation with the Bratislava Tourist Board, repaired these cellars, which until recently were simple dumps. They were cleaned, the plaster of the entrance portal was repaired, the internal vaulted structures were treated and inappropriate interventions from the past were removed which has allowed these historic locations to finally serve a new purpose.

"The development of Bratislava's public environment and historically rare localities, which are visited by city residents and visitors alike, is important for the Bratislava Tourist Board. As part of the Tourists in Our Own City project, we paid attention not only to the promotion of the city and its offer but also to the beautification and improvement of the quality of several popular locations. Thanks to the cooperation with the Municipal Forests, we were, therefore, able to help this attractiveness as well,” said Vladimír Grežo, Chairman of the Board of BTB.

From here on out, the icehouses will be used for events for the public, such as the educational exhibition Night of Bats, organized by the city forests. The premises will also be available to local winemakers for non-commercial presentations of their wines. You too can see the inside of the cellars as early as the weekend of 12-13 December from 10:00 to 15:00.