Skating with a view

From the Canadian Rockies to Moscow’s enchanting red square, here are our picks for the most visually stunning ice rinks around the world. 

Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park, Chicago

Combining state-of-the-art architecture with dazzling skyline views, the Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park makes for a unique ice skating experience. Skaters can experience “alpine in the city” as they lace up their ice skates and follow a quarter-mile circuit that runs through the park’s rolling landscape, in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Trump Wollman Rink, New York City

Beating the Rockefeller Center’s rink for sheer scale, the Trump Wollman rink is a whopping four times the size with a great surrounding view of the Manhattan skyline. A big favourite on the silver screen, the rink has featured in films including Serendipity, Love Story and Home Alone 2, truly a symbol of New York City’s winter magic.

Vienna Ice Dream, Vienna

Figure-eight your way through a Viennese fairy tale in front of the Austrian capital’s majestic City Hall Square. Located in the middle of the Christkindlmarkt and surrounded by stalls selling glühwein (mulled wine) and traditional Austrian food, the rink features idyllic ice paths that wind their way through a small park illuminated with multicoloured lights.

Curry Village Ice Rink, Yosemite National Park

Since 1928, visitors have enjoyed ice skating in the majestic Yosemite National Park. The Curry Village Ice Rink is a spectacular family-friendly outdoor skating rink where you can also enjoy views of the iconic Half Dome and Glacier Point. After skating, warm up with hot cocoa or s‘mores, served up at the rink’s outdoor fire pit.

Red Square Rink, Moscow

Being located in one of the world’s coldest cities only adds to the festive spirit. Enjoy a warming vodka shot and wrap up snug before whizzing past the Kremlin with the locals. The massive Red Square rink has a special seasonal ambience with the magnificent St. Basil’s Cathedral overlooking it.

Rideau Canal Skate-way, Ottawa

Running nearly five miles through downtown Ottawa on a stretch of the frozen Rideau Canal, this skate way is the largest in the world and runs alongside a Unesco World Heritage Site. Explore the Canadian capital on ice, passing within view of the atmospheric Parliament buildings and the turreted Fairmont Château Laurier hotel.

McCormick Tribune Ice Rick, Chicago

Set in Chicago’s Millennium Park, steps from the Magnificent Mile and Lake Michigan shoreline, the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink attracts approximately 100,000 skaters each winter and boasts striking vistas of the downtown skyline.

Somerset House, London

Kitted out with sideline indulgences like truffles, champagne, and light bites from a Michelin-starred chef, plus “club nights” with top DJs spinning, skaters can glide by the neoclassical Somerset House then trade their skates for shopping bags at the pop-up luxury shopping arcade.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park

Right outside the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, this rink in Banff National Park is ringed by Victoria Glacier and the snow-covered peaks of the Canadian Rockies. This spectacular rink features a stunning hand-carved ice castle at its centre and an adjacent ice hockey rink for sports enthusiasts.

Natural History Museum Ice Rink, London

The magnificent buildings of London’s Natural History Museum and a fabulous Christmas tree decked out in fairy lights provide an enchanting backdrop for this glistening skating area in the heart of Kensington. The Ice Rink features a fairground carousel and a café bar where visitors can indulge in hot drinks and tasty festive treats.