November 27, 2019 – The assembly of the ice raking rink at Dardin park in Split is nearing its end, the ice is slowly forming, and everything will be ready to go for Saturday’s opening ceremony at 5 pm.
The 400,000 kuna ice skating rink in Dardin is an additional offer of this year’s Advent, which should lure many Split citizens to this part of the city. The rink will be open daily from 10 am to 9:30 pm. Skating for 45 minutes will cost 30 kuna including the skate rental, and the rink can fit up to 250 skaters at once, reports Splitski Dnevnik.
“Every year, we create a novelty, and this year, as part of our winter program, it is an ice park. There is no better location than the fairytale of Darin. We have started the preparations, and apart from the ice rink, there will also be a vibrant food & drink offer and cultural program for both children and adults,” said Split Tourist Board Director Alijana Vukšić.
Groups can hit the ice every hour, as it takes 15 minutes to ready the rink for new skaters. Ante Jukić, manager of the ice park on behalf of the Rijeka-based ARCTIC, said the weather would not affect the quality of the ice much.
“The ice rink is 812 square meters, and the track was quite challenging. We respected the configuration of the terrain and the horticulture in agreement with the Tourist Board of Split, Parks and Plantations and Conservators and made one very demanding trail. We have experience because the company ARCTIC has been doing this business for 16 years, and this year we organized 55 skating rinks in Croatia as well as in BiH, Slovenia, Romania, and Portugal. We do nine ice skating rinks in Zagreb, and we brought the best experts to Split, because our wish is that this will be a great success and a reference for the future,” said Jukic, who is confident the ice won’t melt in Split, based on the example of a skating rink he set up on the island of Krk in August some 10 years ago.
“It was 15 meters from the sea; people would bathe and then dry themselves, skate and watch others swim. This is pure technique and physics. The ice-making machines are good, and we have some reservations, since the weather is not very common this time of year. The only problem may be the rain, and not because of the ice, but because people will not be able to skate, because this is an open space. The rain melts the ice a little, but the machines are strong and regenerate and create new ice,” Jukic adds.
The trail is demanding – at the narrowest part, it is two and a half meters. Since the people of Split are not very adept at skating, holding onto the fence will be a smart option. At the same time, free skating schools will be organized for schools and kindergartens, which will be reflected on weekdays from 10 am to 1 pm. All interested can visit the Split Tourist Board website for more information.
“As far as the additional program is concerned, there will be only three houses in Dardin, instead of the announced 4, because although there was interest, a different schedule was made, so there was no more space,” Ante Šunjić from DMC said. On the Riva, there will be a total of ten catering houses, three of which will be for sweets and two commercial spaces.
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