Sculptors in Slovakia make Gothic ice dome

Slovakia:

Fifteen sculptors worked three weeks to shape 90 tonnes of ice into a gothic-style dome that opened to visitors last week in the High Tatra mountains of Slovakia.

Built 1,285 meters (4,240 feet) above sea level in the resort of Hrebienok, the ice dome also serves for weddings and engagement ceremonies and should last until April.

It features replicas of gothic statues from the nearby Spis region, including a statue of Virgin Mary with baby Jesus and a statue of Master Paul of Levoca, a 15th century woodcarver who made the world's highest gothic altar.

The ice dome is protected by a special tent which keeps the temperature at around minus seven degrees Celsius (20 degrees Fahrenheit) to keep it from melting, according to dome guide Jaroslav Orencak.