Where Is the World’s Best Destination for Ice Skating?
There’s nothing like the feeling you get from flying across a frozen surface. Here are our ice picks.
Freedom. Power. Romance. Hope. Joy. They’re all found on the whisper-thin blade of a skate as it propels you across the ice in a timeless pastime. Even if you don’t know a triple salchow from a toe loop, you know the exhilaration and the happily flushed cheeks that accompany ice skating outdoors on a crisp winter day, with the promise of a steaming mug of something ahead. If you want to skip the crowds at the smaller, touristy rinks, try these hot spots for a cold-weather wonder.
Ottawa, Canada
Stretching nearly five miles through Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, the Rideau Canal Skateway is the world’s longest naturally frozen skating rink. Start at the Parliament Buildings and end at the kids’ outdoor art gallery at Dows Lake. Along the way, families will find heated chalets for lacing up skates, sipping hot chocolate and snacking on beaver tails—pastries topped with cinnamon and sugar.
Moscow
The ice skating in Gorky Park (a great spot for young singles) isn’t just the opening scene of a 1983 film: It’s a real phenomenon that happens every winter, when the Russian walkways become an expansive labyrinth of frozen fun. So attached are Muscovites to their ice skating, they deliberately ice-over the pathways and, on weekends, add an ice disco—complete with music and lights—to the famous park.
Carinthia, Austria
And for those seeking more solitude along with a seemingly endless expanse of ice, Austria’s Lake Weissensee has 6.5 square kilometres of slick, reliable ice each winter. There’s a special academy here just for figure skating and speed skating, plus trails and marathons also just for skating.
You Tell Us
Of course, you may prefer smaller, more intimate and historic rinks for the chance of pirouetting with the past or bumping into a future date, such as at London’s Somerset House or New York’s Rockefeller Center. So tell us, where’s the world’s best destination for ice skating?
The central southern parts of Sweden has some of the best and most consistent natural ice skating conditions in the world because of the varying winter climate, abundance of lakes and gradient salinity of the Baltic Sea. It’s even possible to skate around in central Stockholm every winter. This is from lake Vänern: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjN9J_MOXNE
I have you all beat!!! Half way between Montreal & Quebec City is a privately owned labyrinth of zambonied ice paths through the woods totaling 12km. This is the largest non rink ice skating in the world. It is called The Labyrinth du Domaine Enchanteur. It is absolutely amazing, an ice skaters mecca!! See for yourself, well off the beaten path, no crowds here. These people are beekeepers and have this in the winter along with ice fishing to support their livestock and bees. Put this on your bucket list!!!
Wow, that sounds amazing! Thank you so much for sharing.
Sun Valley Idaho! You can skate on ice outdoors in the summer time wearing a t-shirt! The rink is the “backyard” of the Inn surrounded by flowers and terraced dining. Gorgeous!
Noone has mentioned a spot in Asia yet…. here it is: Beijing’ s Hou Hai Lake, a hostorical areas located in the center of old Beijing: http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/212744
Camilla in Beijing
Manhattan has six outdoor rinks up and running this winter including Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library, which is great fun — and free! Here’s a link to an item about five of the best NYC rinks:
http://blog.overnightnewyork.com/the-five-best-hotels-for-ice-skating/
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – on the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. Our family lived in Winnipeg for three years and we used to take our husky/lab cross on the (“zambonied”) river in a harness pulling our young son in a sleigh. You can stop for hot chocolate (and great shopping) at The Forks (national historic site), then carry on along the ice. In February, enjoy the Festival du Voyageur along the ice rink and in the Saint Boniface region of the City!
Just returned from the magical moscow , my second time just now and it was once more so touching, so beautiful and rich as always…. As soon as we walked in red square my eyes got tears… And this time i was so surprised i found the ice skating rink in the middle of the red square infront of the kremlin!!!! So much fun and so amazing… Havent been experienced though on ice skating but last yr i did a real ski lessons in bulgaria and ice skating in london… Moscow i love you!!!
It was so nice to skate on the Rideau Canal in Mid winter to reach the office.
The winter in Ottawa is not so mild but the Frost king may give us the winter pleasures.
The Lake at Keystone Village in Colorado becomes the largest Zamboni-maintained outdoor ice rink in North America each winter. It is a lovely setting and a nice break from world-class skiing and Keystone’s remarkable restaurants.
Ok, so it’s hardly Davos, Zermatt,Paris or even Moscow… But it is literally right across the street from the Four Seasons in Boston! A beautiful spot in the evening.
“The Boston Common Frog Pond sits at the heart of Boston Common, one of America’s oldest and most treasured public parks. With a winter ice rink and skating school”
A lot of fun, if a bit touristy. Home to the Stanley Cup champion Bruins… There are a lot of good skaters.
A small rink in the Jardin de Tuilleries in Paris. It was magical, especially at night…you could see the Eiffel Tower.
I had a magical time skating in Davos, Switzerland. Shadowed by the Alps, and located right beside the local arena (home of the Spengler Cup), the place offers two ice surfaces and one of them is HUGE. For a couple of dollars, you can even rent a stick and a puck…beautiful. :>)
Zermatt Switzerland has a lovely outside rink! And you can’t beat the backdrop….the Matterhorn!!!!