Retrospect: HCR President Arnold G. Klingeis invited to the opening of a unique art exposition at Bâlea Lake/Făgăraș Mountain
Exhibition at the Ice Hotel 2025 | Balea Lake, Transfagarasan, Romania
The most famous hotel in Romania is the Ice Hotel, which is built every year in the Bâlea Lac area of Transylvania. The Ice Hotel is located right in the center of Romania, in the Făgăraş Mountains, also known as the Transylvanian Alps.
Bâlea Lake Chalet - Travel Partner of the Historic Cafés Route, organized the unique event at Balea Lake Ice Hotel to highlight the importance of artists in the development of the intangible spirit a historic cafe incorporates.
The Ice Hotel is built from pieces of ice extracted from Lake Bâlea by members of the team coordinated by Arnold Klingeis. He is the president of the Historic Cafes Route, a cultural route under the High Patronage of the Council of Europe, which promotes the historical, cultural and gastronomic heritage of the Old Continent. Access to the Ice Hotel is possible by cable car and the temporary construction has a different theme each year, inspired by culture and art. What's more, every year the Ice Hotel hosts art exhibitions, organized in partnership with the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum and Cluj Art Gallery.
Artists made and make a significant contribution to historic cafes, Historic Cafes Route will organise and promote art events at emblematic historic cafes to diversify the coffee experience while customers enjoying coffee. The first works of art by Romanian painters from all over the country were presented to the public at a vernissage on 18 January 2025, with 22 artists exhibiting in the first edition:
- 01. Andreea Alba
- 02. Andreea Beatrix Kiss
- 03. Atena Diac
- 04. Baby Ilyes
- 05. Carmen Mîndrișcanu
- 06. Corina Violeta David
- 07. Crinela Cârlogea
- 08. Daniela Cărăman
- 09. Gabriela Cătană
- 10. Geanina Gavriș
- 11. Georgeta Vasiliev
- 12. Irina Gurin
- 13. Lavinia-Cristina Dincă
- 14. Liana Plăian
- 15. Loredana Rada
- 16. Mihai Bobei
- 17. Mircea Albu
- 18. Păunița Moldovan
- 19. Rozalia Moș
- 20. Tunde Szabó
- 21. Vasile Sârb
- 22. Vasilica Maria Călușer
The opening ceremony was organised this year in the presence of the Ambassador of Great Britain His Exellence Giles Portman on 03 January 2025!
On Friday, 8 March 2025, on the occasion of International Women's Day, the second vernissage was organised as part of a festive opening at the Ice Hotel!
On this special occasion, personalities from the art world will be present, including Mr Lucian Nastasa-Kovaci, Director of the National Art Museum Banffy Castle in Cluj-Napoca and Mr Alexandru Constantin Chituta, Director of the National Museum Samuel von Brukenthal in Sibiu.
The motto is ‘Art meets art’ as the ice hotel itself is a multifaceted work of art, bringing colour and elegance to the cold shades of snow and ice.
The following Romanian and international artists of classical music were carved in ice and snow by the master Eugen Petri:
- 01. Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
- 02. Frederic Chopin 1810-1849
- 03. Antonio Vivaldi 1678-1741
- 04. Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827
- 05. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791
- 06. Johannes Brahms 1833-1897
- 07. Franz List 1811-1886
- 08. Niccolo Paganini 1782-1840
- 09. Andre Rieu 1949-
- 10. George Enescu 1881-1955
- 11. Ciprian Porumbescu 1853-1883
- 12. Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901
- 13. Piotr Ilici Ceaikovski 1840-1893
- 14. Rinski Korsakov 1844-1908
Two world-famous artists of classical music from Great Britain were also carved into the ice of Lake Ballea for the guest of honour SE Giles Portman:
- 15. Edward Elgar 1857-1934
- 16. Frederick Delius 1862-1934
About the Ice Hotel / Chalet Bâlea Lac, the Pearl of Tourism in the Făgăraş Mountains:
In the middle of one of the most beautiful mountain regions in the Carpathian Mountains, the Bâlea Lac Chalet is located next to a splendid glacial lake. The chalet is directly
accessible from the legendary Transfăgărăşan road, at an altitude of 2034 meters above sea level and offers accommodation according to international standards. All rooms are equipped with wooden furniture, showers, toilets and TVs, with breathtaking views both of the 4.6 ha Bâlea Lake and the surrounding mountain ranges.
Our thanks for the images:
Hotel of ice (hotelofice.ro), Transilvania365 (transilvania365.ro), Radio Romania Cluj (radiocluj.ro), Mesagerul de Sibiu (mesageruldesibiu.ro), Jurnalul.ro (jurnalul.ro).
