Life-long ice climber, Pavel Skumavc, initially sprayed the area beside Meลพaklaย Ski Resort in the Julian Alps of Slovenia in the 1990s to create terrain for himself and his friends to climb in the winter but the otherworldly creations took on a life of their own as tourists began to flock to see his frozen formations.
Skumavc’s ice climbing park soon turned into a certified ice village and he has been building them for the past 30 years. Every winter thousands of people from around Slovenia and afar visit the ice kingdom and take frosty walks to check out the frozen tunnels, walkways, and ice-covered wooden cabins:
“I started with ice climbing and then, once I got used to ice, I started making ice for kids. I donโt know, I am in love with ice. Or maybe I am a penguin, something is off with me. I enjoy it. Especially after everything is done. But it is hard to be fully satisfied with what you make, because you always want to add something more.” -Pavel Skumavc
If you plan on checking out the ice village at Meลพakla,ย Skumavc suggests that dusk is the best time as the setting sun makes his ice kingdom glow. Learn more HERE.
