Outdoor Ice Rinks around the World

Vienna Ice Dream

Wiener Eistraum (Viennese Ice Dream) is an annual ice skating event organized by the city of Vienna in Austria right in front of the Rathaus (City Hall). From January to March the City Hall Square is transformed into a large ice rink. Besides the main ice skating ring, you can also skate along a 415 meter (1,361 feet) long ice skating trail through the Rathauspark, or try one of the six curling rings.

Nathan Phillips Square

Located in front of City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square is a city square in the center of Toronto, Canada. During the summer the square is in motion daily, with concerts and dance performances. In the winter months, the reflecting pool becomes an ice skating rink, with skates available for rental. Ice skating during the winter months runs from mid-November to mid-March each year.

Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal is a scenic canal that connects the cities of Kingston and Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today. In winter, a section of the Rideau Canal passing through central Ottawa becomes one of the world’s largest outdoor ice skating rinks. The cleared length of the ice rink is 7.8 kilometers (4.8 miles).

FlevOnice

At 5 km (3 miles), FlevOnice is the Netherland’s longest artificial ice rink. Thanks to the myriad of canals and rivers, skaters in the Netherlands can enjoy courses of up to 200km, but these courses only freeze over during cold winters. The five meter wide track of FlevOnice has cooling elements that guarantee real ice. It operates every year during the winter months, about 100 days in the year.

Fuji-Q Highland

Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park near the base of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida. It has a number of roller coasters, as well as The Haunted Hospital, the world’s largest haunted attraction. In winter the park features the largest outdoor ice skating rink in Japan with an ice area of 165,750 square feet (equal to 3.8 acres).