During the 75th IIHF World Championship, the world's best ice hockey nations will crown their champion for the first time on Slovak ice. Sixteen teams will play a total of 56 games between April 29 and May 15, 2011. The tournament is set to start off with a preliminary round of four groups, each containing four teams.
General information
Upcoming Ice Hockey World Championship will take place from 29 April to 15 May 2011 in Slovak cities Kosice and Bratislava. This will be the third time that Bratislava has co-hosted Ice Hockey Championship (with Prague, former Czechoslovakia) but for the first time, this popular sport event will be hosted completely by Slovakia.
Ice hockey ranks among the most popular sports in Slovakia. Players like Marian Hossa, Jaroslav Halak or Zdeno Chara are starring in NHL, the game also has got the top national attraction after successes of Slovak national team at recent World Championship tournaments.
Moving around
If you plan to come, you will realize that it is also no problem to get from the Ice Hockey Arena to the Bratislava center. Do not miss this opportunity. Take the trolleybus No.212 at the bus stop named Zimny Stadion (unsurprisingly meaning Ice Hockey Stadium) and in 8 minutes (6th stop) you will get to the Hodzovo namestie.It is where President Palace is located.
If you want to get to the Bratislava Castle, switch there to the trolley-bus No.207 and in another 4 min you will get to the Castle. Bus ticket should cost about 0.7EUR. You need to buy it before entering the bus in any newstand or vending machine at the bus stops.
Comming to Bratislava
Airplane
If you want to fly to Bratislava, you can choose between the city's own international airport and Schwechat airport in Vienna, which is about 45 km from Bratislava and connected by regular shuttle buses. Bratislava's airport is the biggest in Slovakia and one of the fastest expanding in Europe. Regular flights link it to other Slovak cities and with many major European destinations. A city bus service, number 61, connects the airports to the main railway station and onward connections to the city centre. By car, it normally takes 15 minutes to reach the centre of town.
Boat
Perhaps the nicest way to arrive in Bratislava is by riverboat, via the Danube. The Rhine–Main–Danube Canal links Bratislava with the North Sea; the Danube River connects it to the Black Sea.
SPaP – Lodná osobná doprava a.s., Fajnorovo nábr. 2, tel.: +421 2 5293 2226, www.lod.sk - 09.00 - 17.00, 13
Twin city liner (daily/täglich 1.6. -29.10.07) Central Danube, Handelskai 265, A- 1020 Wien tel.: + 431 727 10 – 212, Kúpeľná 6, 811 01 Bratislava, tel.: +421 903 610 716, www.twincityliner.com, office@centraldanube.at, - 09.00 - 17.00, 13
Ferry boat SK-AT / Fähre SK-AT, Záhorská Ves - Angern, tel.: +421 902 965 903, www.zahorskaves.sk - 05.00 - 21.30
Cruises along the Danube have been a big hit with tourists for many years. River cruises go to and from Budapest, and a scheduled passenger service, the Twin City Liner, connects Bratislava and Vienna by high-speed catamaran several times a day during summer (services are less frequent in winter).
Bratislava's passenger port is in the heart of the city near the pedestrian zone, major historical monuments, and a wide array of attractive restaurants and cafes. Around 300,000 passengers pass through the port each year.
During the summer, boat services also run to Devín Castle, at the confluence of the Danube and Morava Rivers, and on to the nearby Austrian village of Hainburg; or downstream to the Danubiana art gallery and the hydroelectric dam at Gabčíkovo.
Orange Arena in Bratislava
Orange Arena in Bratislava (capacity: 10,000), as the main venue (currently undergoing extensive remodelling) is set to feature the same fantastic atmosphere that has graced the stadium in years gone by.
The Bratislava Ondrej Nepela Arena (formerly named the Samsung Arena, ST Arena and T-Com Arena) is the oldest hockey arena in Slovakia.
The oldest ice sprayed area in Bratislava was put into operation in 1871. Construction began on Bratislava's first ice skating rink with artificial ice on October 28th, 1939. In operation just prior to Christmas 1940, the first official hockey game was played on December 21st, 1940. The ice rink was not covered and the spectator sector provided only 300 seats for hockey fans. The first stands were added in 1948-49, thereby increasing the capacity to 11,000 spectators (most for stand). In 1958, the ice rink was part of the European Figure Skating Championships. 4,000 more seats were created.
The last significant reconstruction to date took place between 1990 and 1992. Bratislava was the co-organizer along with Prague to host the 1992 IIHF World Championship. The interior halls were changed significantly and the arena received a new roof.
The complete rebuilding for the 2011 World Championship started on April 23rd, 2009. The construction work will have been completed in late November 2010, the practice rink and the underground car park should be ready February 28th 2011.
Ice Hockey Hall of Fame moves to Bratislava shopping center during the championship
The Hall of Fame of Slovak ice hockey moves to Avion Shopping Center temporarily in order to be more accessible to Bratislava visitors and spectators of games of IIHF World Championships.
Exhibition shows not only personal belongings of the famous hockey players of Slovak history but also trophies won by Slovak national team. Full set of medals- gold, silver and bronze- won during the last decade can be seen there as well.
Admission is free and the exhibition is open from 9.00-20.00 every day until end of May 2011. Avion Shopping Center is located close to the Bratislava airport, easily accessible by public transport or by car.