Stadium under Zobor

This is one of the oldest football grounds in Slovakia, in use since 1909 — well over a century — though its current form dates only from the 2018 rebuild.

Construction and opening

Before reconstruction the ground held 5,050 spectators, of whom only 3,620 were seated. The rest stood in curves set well back from the goals, and the main stand was the only covered section. A rebuilding contract was signed at the end of 2017 and work began on 15 January 2018.

Major renovations

The project covered the main stand, the installation of undersoil heating and the construction of three new roofed stands. Two tiers were built into the curves immediately behind the goal lines, fitted with blue plastic seats beneath a matching blue roof, and the opposite stand was joined to them to form a continuous structure. The work cost roughly €8 million, with the city of Nitra contributing €5.5 million and the Slovak state €2.4 million through its stadium renewal programme. The original plan called for 7,480 places; the final seated capacity is 7,246.

Notable moments

While the work was under way, FC Nitra played home matches at Zlaté Moravce. The not-quite-finished stadium reopened on 5 August 2018 with a third-round league match against DAC Dunajská Streda, lost 2–3 in front of 6,068 spectators. The formal opening ceremony followed on 7 September 2018.

Nitra is a traditional football town, and with 7,246 seats this is a ground where the crowd sits close to the action — the 2018 rebuild pushed the curved stands right up behind the goals.

Fan culture

Before the reconstruction the curve seating sat far back from the goal lines and much of the capacity was standing; today the entire ground is seated and covered. The reopening on 5 August 2018 drew 6,068 people, filling more than eighty per cent of the ground for a match the home side lost. The stadium shares its site with the ice rink, so sport continues here outside the football season, and American football joined the calendar in 2023.

Big matches

Slovakia's senior team has played two friendlies here, beating Belarus 4–0 on 27 March 1996 and drawing 1–1 with Saudi Arabia on 24 May 2000. The under-21 side visits far more often: in qualifying for the 2021 and 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championships it beat Georgia 3–2, Liechtenstein 6–0, Lithuania 3–1 and Malta 4–0 here, losing only to Switzerland (1–2). In 2013 the stadium was one of four venues for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

The ground stands in a riverside park in the middle of Nitra, so a visit combines naturally with a walk below the castle.

How to get there

• On foot: the complex sits in Sihoť park beside the river Nitra, within reach of the city centre
• Finding it: look for the ice rink — the football ground is immediately beside it
• By car: parking is available around the park but limited for sold-out fixtures

Tickets and tours

FC Nitra sells tickets for league matches, while under-21 internationals are ticketed by the Slovak federation. Since 2023 the ground has also staged American football, with the Nitra Knights competing in the Czech league — an unusual fixture for a Slovak stadium.

Visitor tips

• Where to sit: in the curves, where the rebuilt tiers stand directly behind the goals
• Not to miss: the view of Nitra Castle rising above the complex
• When to come: the ground is fully seated and covered, so weather is no obstacle
• What is next door: the ice rink, two floodlit football pitches and two handball courts