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Ice skating has long been a favorite winter pastime. But this fun was accessible only at sub-zero temperatures, when water froze in reservoirs - on a river or in a lake.

The oldest skating rink in the world was organized on Petrovka in Moscow in 1862. And today it remains a favorite vacation spot for citizens and guests of Moscow.

In Europe, the world's first artificial ice rink was opened in January 1876. He, too, could function only in winter, but was not tied to a specific reservoir, but was flooded in an open artificial arena, which already became a sensation at that time.

The indoor ice arena was first built in Canada in the city of Victoria. She hosted the first skaters on Christmas Eve 1912. Its capacity was only 400 people (for comparison, some modern skating rinks have a capacity of more than 10 thousand people).

Since the first skating rinks in the world were opened, they have changed a lot, becoming larger and more powerful, the quality of the ice surface has changed, and new opportunities for holding various sports events have appeared. Next, let's talk about the largest ice rinks on our planet.

Lake Zhu, Switzerland

This reservoir lies in the Jura mountains in the valley of the same name at an altitude of more than 1000 meters above the sea. The area of ​​the lake is 9.5 km2. In spring, summer and autumn, this is an ordinary alpine lake, distinguished by the beauty of the scenery and the purity of the water. But in winter, for about 3-4 weeks, the lake completely freezes over, turning into the largest natural ice rink in the world. Competitions on Lake Zhu are not held, only amusement carnival evenings and figure skating demonstrations. But every day more than 3000 amateurs ride here for free. By the way, there is practically no infrastructure in the lake area, so both adults and children enjoy spending time in nature.

This water canal, the oldest in North America, connects the Canadian capital Ottawa and the town of Kingston. Its length is 202 km. In spring, summer and autumn, the canal is used for its intended purpose: ships, barges, boats go along it. But in the harsh Canadian winter, the water in the canal freezes, and the authorities are equipping a giant 8-kilometer ice rink on it, which stretches across the capital.

It could easily accommodate 900 hockey fields. It hosts an annual winter festival called Winterlude. It includes many fun winter competitions, ice shows, ice sculpture exhibitions, music concerts and other events. But the most popular is the massive ice skating along the Rideau Canal.

Interestingly, this largest skating rink is also used as a kind of "ecological transport". Locals skate along the canal to the city center all winter long. The authorities even equipped the ice track with special signs for the safety of skaters. Green light means that the ice is good, you can safely go forward, and red signals that the warming has softened the ice, you need to be careful!

Ice rink in Mexico City, Mexico

It is the largest human-made ice rink in the world. There is no other country in the world yet. The skating rink is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It has an area of ​​32,000 square meters, at the same time it can ride 14,000 people.

Mexico is a country with a hot climate, and it is all the more amazing that it was here that the engineers were able to create this amazing ice rink. For its construction, special equipment was required; pipes were laid underground for cooling almost a hundred meters.

It is also interesting that this is a non-profit project. It was built in 2008 at the expense of large businessmen, admission is free for everyone. The only pity is that it does not work all year round, it is poured in a couple of weeks before the New Year and removed a few weeks after the holiday.

Skating rinks at VDNKh and in Gorky Park, Moscow

In 2014, a huge artificial skating rink was inaugurated at VDNKh in Moscow. Its area is 20 thousand square meters.

After the Mexican one, it is the largest artificial ice rink on the planet. But it is paid, there are many skate rental shops, cafes and other places where visitors spend their money.

The skating rink itself is very beautiful. Everything sparkles with lights, 100,000 LED bulbs illuminate it, and the ice is refreshed twice a day. It is divided into 4 zones: a nursery, equipped with bumpers, a hockey zone, an extreme zone with towers and jumps, and an amateur zone for ordinary people to ride.

At the same time, no more than 5,000 skaters are allowed on the skating rink. Although it can accommodate more skaters, the administration believes that the crowd is unsafe and controls the flow of tourists.

A year earlier, in 2013, an ice rink with an area of ​​15,000 square meters was opened in Gorky Park (Moscow). An impressive size too! He quickly became popular among Muscovites and visitors to the city. The entrance to it is also paid, it is surrounded by a detailed service: skate rental points, the help of an instructor for beginners, cafes and bars for those who want to eat. Again, 4 zones are allocated here: hockey, dance (for figure skating lovers), children's and main. For the convenience of movement along the ice paths, long wooden platforms have been built. The skating rink is very beautiful. It is decorated with lighting, 3D animations depicting snowfall, fireworks, fire explosions and other 3D illusions. From time to time, colorful ice shows and amateur competitions are tripled here.

Medeo, Kazakhstan

Another artificial ice rink that deserves attention. It is located in the sports complex of the same name near Almaty, Kazakhstan. The complex was built in 1972 on the slope of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountain at an altitude of almost 1700 meters above sea level. Its area is really impressive: 10.5 thousand square meters. The ice cover here is of very high quality, more than 200 world records have already been set at this skating rink, for which Medeo was called the "Factory of Records".

At the same time, 8100 spectators can watch the competition (according to the number of seats).

Skating rink in St. Petersburg

In the Northern capital, in the Udelny Park, the world's 4th largest artificial ice rink is flooded. Its area is "only" 4 thousand square meters. Despite the powerful advertising campaign, many visitors give the skating rink low marks. They do not like its shape in the form of a "donut" with a width of 7-8 meters, which is good for straight-line running, but does not allow fans of pirouettes to turn around; there are also long queues at the ticket office (people stand for 2 hours for a ticket), cramped changing rooms. The administration replies that the skating rink is still in test mode, and all the shortcomings will be gradually eliminated.

Red Square, Moscow

By the standards of the world's giants, this skating rink has a very modest area - 2,700 square meters. What is remarkable about it is that it is poured right on Red Square near the Kremlin. This tradition began in 2010 and is now repeated annually. The ice rink has a good quality coating that can withstand thaws up to + 7 ° С. Both professionals and amateurs can ride here for a reasonable fee. The skating rink accommodates up to 500 visitors. Hockey matches and figure skating competitions are held on the ice field. Around its perimeter, a stage was built based on a Russian fairy tale, from which it is convenient to observe everything that happens at the rink. Despite the fact that it is clearly inferior in size to the sites at VDNKh and in Gorky Park, it is he who is called the "Main Skating Rink of Russia".

Wollman Rink, New York

New York has a 2,600 square meter Wollman Rink. meters. Although it was opened back in 1950, it is still very beautiful, well equipped, and has a high quality ice cover. The skating rink is open to everyone from late October to early April.

He became especially famous and recognizable after a couple of sentimental Hollywood scenes were filmed here. Such famous people as Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson and Jim Carrey come here to ride.

The largest artificial skating rink in the world has opened in Moscow, which may very soon enter. Its area is more than 20 thousand square meters, and at the same time it can receive up to 5 thousand visitors. There are 100 thousand LED bulbs installed in the ice. The skating rink is divided into several zones: children's, hockey, extreme zone, as well as a spacious zone for comfortable skating. The ice will be refreshed twice a day during.

1. Officially, the skating rink opened at 19 pm, but those who wanted to skate were allowed in earlier.

2. The skating rink is really big, there are a lot of skate rental shops.

3. This is the 190th skating rink with artificial turf and artificial ice cooling in Moscow. And he really the largest artificial ice rink in the world - 20 thousand sq. m.... The former record holder has a thousand less - this is the "Fluonis" in the Netherlands. Bronze - Moscow again - Gorky Park and its 15 thousand square meters of ice.

4. True, there are more ice rinks in the world. But they were created not by people, but by nature itself. So, the largest ice rink in the world is on the Swiss Lake Zhu. It's hard to believe, but its area is 5 million square meters. It's like 4. Another natural ice rink opens in the Canadian capital in winter - the Rideau Canal freezes over there, with a total area of ​​more than 1.5 million square meters. But this is not even a skating rink, but rather a transport artery: locals simply get to anywhere in the city - on skates.

6. At about 20 pm, the grand opening began.

7. A lot of people came to the opening.

8. It was a French theatrical show.

9. Buffoons?

10. The structure with bells and musicians, similar to the church, was lifted up.

13. The children quickly took up the vacated seats.

16. Light installations.

Recently, a new skating rink was opened in St. Petersburg, which is also the largest in the northern capital. We decided to see where the skating rinks are located, which impress tourists and locals with their size, and present a selection of eleven of the largest skating rinks in the world.

Perhaps the largest winter ice rink in the world can be called the mountain lake Lac de Joux in Switzerland: its area is almost 5,000,000 square meters. Tourists from all over Evprova come to this place to go ice skating. The lake is not only beautiful, but in a sense "exclusive": it freezes only for two weeks a year. Therefore, the most sophisticated skaters are looking forward to these days with some impatience. In the high season, figure skating competitions and ice carnival evenings are held on Lake Zhu.

Lake Paterswoldsemer, located to the south-west of the Dutch city of Groningen, is almost twice as small as the leader, with an area of ​​2,700,000 square meters. Paterswoldsemer is part of the Groningen-Drenthe lakes. In the warm season, lovers of walks on light sea vessels rush here, and in winter the place turns into a huge ice skating rink. This lake is not only one of the largest in area, but also the longest ice rink, stretching as much as 10 km. Its water surface in winter is covered with a strong crust of ice, which lasts until the beginning of spring, allowing thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to ski every day.

The third place in our ranking of the largest ice rinks in the world is the Rideau Canal in Canada with an area of ​​1,620,000 square meters. The canal runs through almost the entire center of the Canadian capital Ottawa, and it is worth noting that in winter locals practically do not take off their skates here, quickly using this eco-friendly means of "transport" to anywhere in the city center. In Ottawa, the city authorities even came up with road signs for skating fans: green - forward, red - too warm, ice has lost its strength!

In this case, not only the ice rink is impressive, but also the work of the local Canadian administration.

In fourth place is the Mexican capital with its ice rink located in the center of Mexico City. The area of ​​the ice rink reaches 32,000 square meters and has an artificial turf. The ice rink in Mexico City is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest artificial ice rink in the world. In order for the skating rink to exist for a long time, 74 km were laid under the ice. pipes that are connected to special devices that maintain the required temperature.

Next on the list of the largest ice arenas is a domestic participant - the skating rink in the park named after V. Gorky. The size of the ice rink is 15,000 square meters. meters. There are 4 sectors here: dance, children, main and hockey. A long wooden footbridge runs along the paths filled with ice.

A brand new skating rink in the Specific Park of St. Petersburg is still working in test mode. The area of ​​this largest ice rink in the city is about 4000 square meters. Photo: Egor Tsvetkov

"The main skating rink of Russia" is in 7th place on our list - Red Square in Moscow has become an ice rink for Muscovites and guests of the capital for 6 consecutive winters. The open GUM skating rink occupies one tenth of the Red Square, and on its territory of 2,700 square meters not only holidaymakers have fun (capacity - 450 people), but also ice hockey matches and demonstration performances of figure skaters. A fabulous wooden town has been erected near the ice rink, from where you can watch the skiers.

There is an ice rink of almost the same area (2,600 square meters) in New York: Wollman Rink is spacious, beautiful, but most importantly, it has become a legend thanks to its participation in numerous romantic scenes in Hollywood films. In reality, the skating rink is as beautiful as in the cinema, and what is nice - you can skate here around the clock - a great place for leisure for all kinds of romantics. By the way, the skating rink is already 64 years old - for the first time skaters went on its ice back in 1950! A nice bonus of winter recreation at the rink is the opportunity to face a movie star - Jim Carrey, Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman are said to be very fond of Wollman Rink.

Every year the City Hall of Paris pleases the townspeople by installing an ice rink right next to its walls: everyone who wants to ride with pleasure on the arena with an area of ​​1,635 sq. m.

Seefeld, Austria. This quiet Tyrolean village rivals the best international ski resorts. All conditions have been created here for practicing winter sports, primarily alpine skiing. However, those who still have some energy left after skiing are invited to an ice rink open from December to March in the Zillertal valley with an area of ​​1,500 square meters.

And, finally, the arena closes our hit parade of the most "grandiose" skating rinks in the world, although it is not the largest (only 200 square meters), but certainly the most spectacular and romantic, because it is located in the heart of Paris, on the Eiffel Tower, at a height of 57 meters ... The 200 m² ice rink also offers a stunning panorama of Paris. Ice skating is great fun, and in this place the atmosphere is also supported by French music, as well as original lighting effects. To warm up in this realm of metal and ice, a bar is organized where you can buy hot coffee, hot wine and other drinks. The ice premiere took place back in 1969, but ice is not poured every year, and the ice rink is open only until January 31. The Eiffel Tower ice rink is also one of the five most visited Christmas ice rinks in the world.

Also, skating rinks in Vienna near the City Hall, on the Museum Square in Amsterdam and in London near the Natural History Museum are in great demand among tourists.

With the onset of cold weather, almost all world capitals plunge into the atmosphere of winter magic, giving their squares and streets to ice arenas. Moreover, ice skating is one of the most popular and, perhaps, the most exciting winter entertainment.

There are, of course, many indoor ice rinks operating all year round. But it is much more interesting to ride outdoors, on frozen rivers or canals.

Airlife presents 18 of the world's most famous ice rinks.

• New York, USA

Go ice skating in Central park Surrounded by picturesque trees and skyscrapers of Manhattan, it is one of the most popular activities for New Yorkers and visitors alike. In 1949, it was flooded for the first time, and to this day it is flooded from year to year. If you've never been to New York, you might have seen him in the movies. It is on this skating rink that the heroes of almost all films are circling, the action of which takes place in winter New York.

Skating rink in Rockefeller Center- one of the main symbols of the city, especially popular during the holiday seasons, from November to January. The expensive tickets to this skating rink are well worth it.



• Yosemite National Natural Park, California, USA.

This outdoor ice rink in Yosemite Park is not only one of the largest, but also one of the most beautiful in the world, with the towering silhouette of the granite Half Dome mountain in the background. It is worth noting that the tradition of organizing ice skating in this park dates back to 1928. It was then that the employees of the nature park decided for the first time to flood an abandoned car park with water.



• Seefeld, Austria

The quiet Tyrolean village rivals the best international ski resorts. All conditions have been created here for practicing winter sports, primarily alpine skiing. However, those who still have strength after skiing are invited to the skating rink, open from December to March in Zillertal valley.



• Vienna, Austria

Ice Dream fully justifies its name: here you can not only go ice-skating to music (from waltzes to jazz and disco), but also speed up (415 meters of tracks) and even play curling on one of the six courts. And all this - against the backdrop of the magnificent building of the City Hall. And don't forget about Viennese delicacies and mulled wine!



• Weissensee, Austria

Initially, it should be noted that Weissensee is one of the cleanest and deepest lakes on Earth, and in winter it is the largest ice rink in the old world. The water is so clean that it was awarded the International Tourism for Tomorrow Award. The skating rink has an area of ​​6.5 sq. kilometers, on which you can decently speed up on skates.



• Paris, France

Winter skating rink on the eiffel tower Is a good old tradition. The ice premiere took place back in 1969, but ice is not poured every year. If you are lucky enough to get to the opening of the ice rink, you will have a unique opportunity to ride at a height of 57 meters.



The equally popular French ice rink opens every year before Christmas for everyone on the square in front of the famous city hall- one of the landmarks of Paris.



• Kinderdijk, Holland

Sleepy village in 15 kilometers from Rotterdam famous for its windmills. Located along the canals, they serve not only to pump out incoming water (most of Holland lies below sea level), but also a picturesque landscape for a winter ice rink.



• Toronto, Canada

It is easy to guess that there are dozens of outdoor ice rinks in Toronto - the climate not only allows it, but strongly recommends it! One of them - at Nathan Phillips Square- is a practical and ingenious solution: in summer it is a rather pretentious fountain, and in winter - a cozy skating rink, under the "arches of freedom" of which it is pleasant to dissect in the glitter of evening lights. Ice hockey is banned here, but illegal games of shinny (street version of hockey) are often started after 10 pm, when the skating rink keepers leave their post.



• Banff Lake Louise Resort, Canada

This ice rink forms when it freezes Lake Louise surrounded by mountains. No wonder the beautiful landscape is adorned with many Canadian postcards. The resort itself is a 2-hour drive from Calgary.



• Ottawa, Canada

When heading to the capital of Canada, do not forget to bring your skates. In winter Rideau canal connecting Ottawa and Kingston, it turns into one of the longest ice rinks in the world, which stretches almost the entire city center.



• London, Great Britain

Rivers in the UK have not been frozen for many years, but ice skating is very popular with the inhabitants of foggy Albion. The best skating rinks are traditionally filled in the most beautiful historical places - near museums, fortresses, in squares. The skating rink in South Kensington has become a favorite destination for skiers and fits perfectly into the city skyline.



Hampton Court is a beautiful tourist attraction, and in winter it turns into an ice rink for romantic couples. Here you will find beautiful lighting, a bright carousel, the smell of hot chocolate, and the corresponding music.



• Lake Zhu, Switzerland

The largest natural European ice rink turns Lake Zhu in Switzerland... True, it does not work for long, since the lake freezes only for 2-3 winter weeks. But on the other hand, during this period, figure skating competitions, as well as ice carnival evenings, are held there.



• Medeo, Kazakhstan

The highest mountain skating rink in the world is located in Kazakhstan, which allows it to delight residents and guests of the country for six months. This skating rink is located in the Medeo sports complex, not far from Almaty. The height at its location ( mountains Medeo) 1,691 meters above sea level, and the area of ​​the ice field is 10.5 square meters. km.



• Berlin, Germany

If you happen to be in Berlin in winter, you can have a great time on the open skating rink on Potsdamer Platz... The skating rink itself is not very large - 40 x 15 meters, but it is one of the attractions of the capital of Germany in the cold season. To the ice skating rink, the organizers decided to add the Winterwelt winter amusement park with a 70-meter snow slide, from which you can ride both sledging and skiing.



• Brussels, Belgium

Smart Brussels invites you to ride on one of the main squares of the city, which has the old name Fish Market Square. In addition to excellent ice and the invariably cheerful Brussels people (by the way, plowing the skating rink in a very professional manner), the skating rink offers a lot of entertainment in the surrounding area.



Where would you go for ice skating?

The largest ice rink in the world will start operating at VDNKh on December 1. The ice area will be over 20 thousand square meters. As in previous years, the skating rink will be located on the main alley. It will stretch from Pavilion No. 1 "Central" to Pavilion No. 58 "Agriculture".

Ice will be poured around the Stone Flower and Friendship of Nations fountains. On the opening day of the skating rink, a special festive program awaits visitors. For the guests, performances of aerial acrobats of the Spanish high-rise theater Grupo Puja were prepared. They will present the theatrical show "The Way of the Star" with tricks at a height of 35 meters.

The decoration this year will be devoted to winter sports, and the motto of the season will be the words “Sport. The winter of your achievements. " An art installation with multi-colored half-rings 10 meters high will appear in the center of the ice field. In the evening hours, the backlight will be lit on them.

The total area of ​​the festive installation will be about two thousand square meters. One of its main elements will be a sculpture of a figure skater dancing on ice.

A pedestrian bridge will be erected in the center of the ice rink, over which you can cross from one side to the other. A panoramic view will open from it.

“The reconstruction of the VDNKh territory, which has been under way since the spring of 2017, will not prevent the townspeople from visiting the largest skating rink in the country,” said the VDNKh press service. - On the contrary, we have prepared an even richer program than last year. In winter, the skating rink will host many concerts, competitions and master classes. "

The press service noted that this year it was decided to continue the tradition of holding photo contests with the participation of visitors to the skating rink. To do this, guests are invited to take a photo of themselves against the background of the skating rink, and then post it on social networks under the hashtag # Skating rinkVDNKh.

For the convenience of visitors, four rental pavilions will be open at VDNKh during the winter months. In warm rooms, guests can change clothes, leave things in the storage room, rent skates. A separate ice rink with its own rental is provided for children. There will be a café serving hot drinks and food at the rink.

You can get to the skating rink with tickets purchased online or at the box office. The schedule of events, opening hours and ticket prices will be available on the official VDNKh website. This information will become available prior to opening.

The skating rink at VDNKh will receive visitors for the fourth season in a row. In 2014, he entered the Russian Book of Records and won the title of the country's main skating rink. In 2016, the World Record Academy officially recognized him. Its total area together with the infrastructure is about 70 thousand square meters, at the same time almost five thousand people can ride on it.