Ondrej Nepela Arena, Indoor sports arena in District II, Bratislava, Slovakia
Ondrej Nepela Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena on Odbojárov Street in Bratislava's Nové Mesto district, home to HC Slovan Bratislava. A near-total rebuild from April 2009 to February 2011, costing over €87 million, replaced the roof with steel, demolished 80% of the old building and raised seating capacity to 10,055. Two adjacent practice arenas and an underground car park for 365 cars were added.
The first public artificial ice rink in Bratislava opened on 15 December 1940, and the first official ice hockey game was played there on 21 December. Concrete standing tribunes for 11,000 spectators were built in 1948–1949, and the open-air rink was covered with a steel structure in 1957. A reconstruction between 1989 and 1992, ahead of the 1992 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, left 7,747 seats. The arena was almost entirely rebuilt from April 2009 to February 2011 for the 2011 IIHF World Championships, at a cost of more than €87 million, with 80% of the original building demolished.
The arena has carried Ondrej Nepela's name since 29 September 1995; he competed for Czechoslovakia and took the 1972 Olympic men's figure skating title in Sapporo. The building is known as Tipos Aréna under its current sponsor, and was called Orange Arena during the 2011 IIHF World Championship.
The arena stands at Odbojárov 9 in Bratislava's Nové Mesto, reachable by tram, trolleybus and bus. Drivers can park in the garage under the arena, which holds 365 cars; the Central Shopping Center about 400 m away adds 1,300 spaces, and Tehelné pole 300 m away adds 994.
The arena's name honours Ondrej Nepela, the Bratislava-born figure skater who took Olympic gold at Sapporo in 1972; the venue has carried his name since 29 September 1995. Its sponsorship names changed with the years: Orange Arena during the 2011 IIHF Championship, later Tipos Aréna, and before that Slovnaft Arena.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,781 contributors worldwide.