It’s that time of year again. The time to pull off those winter boots, leave your dignity at the door and prepare to slip, spin and slide (or, you know, scramble, attempt-to-spin and fall) your way through the crisp winter air.
Ice-skating has got to be one of our favourite winter activities. It’s perfect for just about everyone: families seeking a Brady-Bunch-esq night out, friends keen on making a fool out of themselves, or new couples looking for an excuse to (quite literally) fall into each others arms.
Fancy yourself a figure skating champion? Or just keen on having some quality fun? To get you in the winter mood, we’ve put together a list of our Top 10 favourite ice skating rinks across the world…
London’s original and most glamorous open-air ice rink has returned to Somerset House this winter. Set in a spectacular 18th century courtyard to the backdrop of a sparkling Tiffany Christmas tree, it’s one of those perennial winter experiences you can’t afford to miss.
Dates: 23 November 2010 – 23 January 2011
Skate beneath New York’s famous skyscrapers and sparkling lights at the famous Rockefeller Center! Small and intimate, this iconic rink has room for only 150 skaters at a time. New York winter wouldn’t be New York winter without it.
Dates: 9 October 2010 – 11 April 2011
Provided you don’t suffer from vertigo, ice skating on the first floor observation deck of the Eiffel Tower is the epitome of romance! Check out the amazing views over Paris as you slip and slide your way across this famous French monument.
Dates: 15 December 2010 – 9 February 2011
Pull on your mittens and get skating right outside Henry VIII’s historic royal hangout. This 900-metre-square rink has space for 250 skaters to skim their way across the ice.
Dates: 27 November 2010 – 9 January 2011
Get a step (or slip!) closer to nature this Christmas as you skate through one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. Standing in the shadow of the majestic Half Dome and Glacier Point, the Ice Rink at Yosemite has been a winter tradition since the 1930s.
Dates: Mid-November 2010 – Early-March 2011
While Christmas may be over, the ice skating action in only just beginning in Vienna! Head to Rathausplatz at Vienna City Hall for a truly massive 5400 square-metre ice rink plus six curling rings and a 415 metre long skating trail.
Dates: 22 January 2010 – 7 March 2010
Skate under an array of bright lights, festive decoration and ‘freedom arches’ at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Canada.
Dates: 27 November 2010 – 13 March 2011
Britain’s biggest open-air ice-rink is set to take over Princes Street Gardens from November 2010. It’s all part of Edinburgh’s annual Winter Wonderland festivities, featuring fairground rides, food stalls, mulled wine and a magical Christmas market.
Dates: 25 November 2010 – 4 January 2011
Each year during the festive season, Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens is transformed into a veritable winter wonderland complete with Santa Claus, twinkling fairy lights, delicious mulled wine…and, of course, a picturesque ice-skating rink at Tivoli Lake.
Dates: 12 November 2010 – 30 December 2011
Visitors to Zurich can glide gracefully across a picturesque ‘Live on Ice’ rink located right outside the Swiss National Museum. After you’ve had your skating fill, head to the fondue tent for some sweet molten chocolate and a dose of festive mulled wine.
Dates: 27 November 2010 – 2 January 2011
Thanks to Sherlock77, daveograve@, marlambie, Gadl, UK Pictures, dolanh, Olivier Bruchez, Tom Holbrook, byronv2, christopherdpotts and clare_and_ben for the images off flickr.
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