Nevoga Arena

The Nevoga Arena in Znojmo does not announce itself with spectacle.

The facility opened as an open-air rink and was roofed in 1977. HC Orli Znojmo have called it home through shifts in the league structure, from the Austrian ICE Hockey League back to the Chance Liga. The team’s history between seasons adds an edge to the quiet town: they have played in the Czech Extraliga and hosted international fixtures, including the 1997 IIHF European Junior Championship and the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division I.

Inside, the structure is utilitarian. Glass partitions separate the playing surface from the spectators, while a Sportbar sits behind the protective barrier. The surface itself is artificial ice, maintained for ten months of the year, with an inline skating rink installed during the summer months when the ice is shut down.

The arena has carried different names over the decades. For thirty-four years it was Zimní stadion Znojmo, before local sponsorship from the Hostan brewery renamed it Hostan Arena. That deal ended in 2016, and the construction company Nevoga took the rights. The capacity sits at 4,800, though earlier configurations allowed for more spectators standing.