Heat Advisory ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY ...

World's Coolest Skating Rinks

By kconnolly

January 18, 2013, 9:33:09 AM EST

Imagine skating hand-in-hand on a crisp winter night. A few stars may be visible above, but the really breathtaking view is of Paris’s twinkling lights—188 feet below your skates.

You don’t need to be on the Eiffel Tower’s observation deck, one of the world’s coolest rinks, to appreciate the romantic appeal of skating. It’s a fun, invigorating way to experience a destination in winter and to, yes, break the ice, whether you’re doing figure eights together or taking in the view with a cup of hot cocoa on the sidelines.

After all, skating rinks typically place you in a picture-perfect location. It could be a pristine wonderland like the Canadian Rockies or the center of a major city decked out for the season. Some of the coolest can be found where you’d least expect them—say, in the desert. The Venetian Hotel debuted a rink in 2011, complete with a holiday-theme light show. It now touts a package deal that combines a skating session with an outdoor gondola ride—only in Vegas, indeed.

It’s more fitting that the world’s largest ice-skating surface is found in Canada, where Ontario’s 4.8-mile–long Rideau Canal freezes over each winter. You can skate the entire length, connecting the cities of Ottawa and Kingston, and break at snack stands and an outdoor art gallery along the way.

Some locals even use the Rideau Canal to commute to work or school, much like the earliest skaters, who simply needed a way to get around. According to a study at the University of Oxford, ice skating got its start in present-day Finland, with blades fashioned from animal bones.

Steel blades, introduced in the 13th century, aren’t the only subsequent improvement. Synthetic ice allows for year-round gliding by palm trees in southern California, while other rinks keep skaters toasty with bonfires or stands that sell mulled wine. (A few glasses can do wonders for any frustration with the likely crowds or aching muscles.)

Whether you’re looking for a little romance, some thrills and spills with kids, or a kitschy night out with friends, you can find it on ice. Start here, with our picks for the 13 coolest skating rinks.

Report a Typo

Continue Reading on travelandleisure.com >

Leisure

More Weather News

Typhoon Hato to blast into China, near Hong Kong, on Wednesday

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 1:35:46 PM EDT

Typhoon Hato will barrel into southeastern China, near Hong Kong, with damaging winds, flooding rain and an inundating storm surge on Wednesday.
Philippines to China: New tropical threat may follow Typhoon Hato

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 1:03:16 PM EDT

On the heels of Typhoon Hato, residents from the Philippines to southeastern China and Taiwan are being put on alert for a new tropical threat.
Risk of wildfires, poor air quality to increase in western US as heat builds

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 11:45:07 AM EDT

Temperatures will again be on the rise over much of the western United States and will raise the risk of wildfire ignition and poor air quality this weekend.
Photos: Hurricane Andrew survivors reflect on the Category 5 storm's devastation

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 11:16:48 AM EDT

When Hurricane Andrew began brewing as a weak tropical storm in the Atlantic Ocean in August of 1992, meteorologists believed it would dissipate before it could grow stronger.
24 million people impacted by monsoon flooding in India, Nepal and Bangladesh

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 10:55:37 AM EDT

The worst flooding in more than a decade across parts of Nepal, India and Bangladesh has impacted at least 24 million people.
Harvey to threaten Texas with flooding rainfall to end the week

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 7:52:01 AM EDT

Depending on the track and speed of Harvey, which is likely to regenerate, enough rain may fall on portions of Texas to bring the risk of major flooding from Friday to Sunday.
Severe storms to unleash damaging winds across northeastern US into Tuesday night

Weather News - August 22, 2017, 6:27:48 AM EDT

Severe thunderstorms will march eastward across the northeastern United States, threatening to trigger damage and delays into Tuesday night.
Photos: Great American Eclipse wows spectators across the country

Weather News - August 21, 2017, 5:09:18 PM EDT

Spectators across the United States were able to catch pictures and a glimpse of the moon passing in front of the sun during the solar eclipse.