When winter wraps our city in its cosy embrace, there’s one activity that many of us find ourselves raring to go out and enjoy: ice skating. Regardless of whether we’re pirouetting in the middle of a rink or inching along holding the wall, it’s just the perfect seasonal activity. And fortunately for us Londoners, we’re actually home to the most popular ice rink in Europe.
Recent research analysed 75 ice rinks across Europe to see how interest in the skating spots has increased in the past few years. And one stunning London rink rose to the top as Europe’s most popular ice rink: Skate at Somerset House.
The ice rink beat out skating destinations in Austria, Germany, France, and more to bag the top spot. And it wasn’t alone in the leaderboards either. Two other London ice rinks made it into the top 10 list of the most popular in Europe: the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Ice Rink (#2) and Glide at Battersea Power Station (#6).
Skate at Somerset House
Situated in the courtyard of Somerset House, Skate has been bringing gloriously festive skating cheer to the capital since all the way back in 2000. It was one of the first open-air ice skating rinks in the city when it opened, and in the years since, it has gone from strength to strength.
Visitors of all ages can skate their way around the historic courtyard (or stumble along), against the unbeatable backdrop of Somerset House and its gorgeous 40-foot Christmas tree. It’s a setting that looks like it’s come right out of a festive flick.
It’s more than just a spot to step out onto the ice, too. The venue hosts all manner of skating sessions. These range from Skate Lates to chilled out sessions with reduced capacity and quieter music, as well as a kids’ Skate Club, and the ever-so popular Skate School. As if that wasn’t enough, visitors can also enjoy seasonal drinks at the clubhouse, warming food at the pop-up Chalet restaurant, and browse gifts at the Shelter Boutique pop-up.
The most popular ice rinks in Europe
So, where else in Europe can you find hotly anticipated ice rinks? These are the top 10 most popular ice rinks in Europe:
- Skate at Somerset House – London
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Ice Rink – London
- Vienna Ice World (Lake Wiener Eistraum) – Vienna
- EisArena – Hamburg
- City Park Ice Rink & Boating – Budapest
- Glide at Battersea Power Station – London
- Lake Weissensee – Weissensee
- Patinoire de Plein Air – Bordeaux
- Place Kelber Christmas Markets Rink – Strasbourg
- Ice*Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) – Amsterdam
Find out more about Skate at Somerset House here.
This article was written using research from DFDS.