We know you can go ice skating in this country, but nothing quite matches skating in the midst of a snow-bound, wintery landscape. Whether you’re twirling on the ice like Torvill and Dean, getting scrappy in an ice hockey match, or barely managing to go round in circles, ice skating is a hugely enjoyable activity which everyone can get involved with.
A top ski resort for ice skating is Cortina in the Italian Dolomites. Cortina’s ice rink is housed within the resort’s Olympic stadium. Recently renovated, the stadium was originally built for the 1956 Winter Olympics and pivotal scenes featuring the ice rink appeared in the 1981 Bond movie For Your Eyes Only (starring Roger Moore).
Open all year-round, this indoor ice skating rink is distinctive in providing figure skating lessons. It is the perfect place to practice your axels, lutz, toe loops, and triple salchows. For anyone who isn’t a budding figure skater, the stadium also provides beginner ice skating lessons and regularly hosts 1st division ice hockey matches and curling championships.
If you prefer your ice skating in the open air, then a trip to Tignes in France is in order. The frozen lake, situated amongst the majestic mountains, is home to a natural ice skating rink which is free to use. Ice skates can be rented locally for a reasonable fee and are available for free for anyone with a whole-area lift pass longer than 2-days.
During the warmer, spring ski season it’s not uncommon to see locals and visitors lounging beside the lake in the available deck chairs. Divided into two sections – one for games (including ice hockey), and the ‘fun square’ – the 800m2 skating area of the lake also hosts frequent ice hockey matches and a daily ‘Disco on Ice’ (depending on the weather conditions).
For Europe’s largest natural ice rink, head to Davos in Switzerland. Davos is obsessed with spending time on the ice. In addition to the natural ice rink, there is an artificial outdoor ice rink, an ice stadium and an additional ice rink at the foot of the Parsenn.
The people of Davos are particularly enthusiastic about ice hockey, and it is well worth heading to one of the premier league ice hockey matches while you are in this Swiss ski resort. Davos is home to the Spengler Cup, one of the oldest ice hockey tournaments in the world, as well as HC Davos, who have been Swiss champions as many as 30 times!
Ice skating is a classic après ski activity, but there’s no reason that it cannot feature as a more important part of your winter holiday. Many of Inghams’ ski resorts have an ice skating rink, and our reps in resort can help you to arrange lessons if you want to learn something new. This winter is the winter you really experience the ice rink. So what are you waiting for – get your skates on!