Skating on frozen lakes has its own type of magic, but large cities started finding ways to rival this. True, they can’t boast romantic backdrops of snow covered forests but they have their own kind of charm, often in the form of historical sites. Apart from that there are some other advantages. Town rinks are not necessarily dependant on the weather and thanks to their easy accessibility skating does not have to be a whole day affair and can be more of a pleasant break in an afternoon spent for example in Prague or Brno.
On Skates in Pursuit of Designs, Views as well as Romantic Moments
The lure of stylish skating is offered by Pavillon, a design restaurant in Brno. The ice rink there is fully covered and has a stall selling hot and cold food and drinks. If you fancy some skating but have come to Brno unprepared, you can make use of the hire shop, where they stock skates of all sizes.Another Brno skating attraction is the ice rink on Kraví Mountain near the observatory and planetarium, which commands a beautiful view.
A fine spectacle is promised also by the skating rink in the sports grounds in Hluboká nad Vltavou from where you can feast your eyes on the fairy-tale chateau.
Skating under the Tower
When it comes to attractive offers for skaters, the Capital City of Prague does not lag behind. It has a rink directly under the highest building in the whole metropolis. Every year a picnic lawn under the Žižkov TV Tower changes into an outdoor skating rink. If you get tired after practising your pirouettes and jumps, recharge your batteries at the bar selling grilled specialities and hot drinks. But watch out, in the case of increased consumption of punch, mulled wine or bombardino you may find that the ice becomes even more slippery.Not many ice rinks can show off such a backdrop of historical buildings as the one at the Fruit Market in Prague; and what’s more – it is open daily and admission is free. Similar conditions can be found in the Na Františku sports ground in the Old Town. From one side it is flanked by the Convent of St. Agnes and from the other by Na Františku Hospital and the Church of Sts. Simon and Jude.
In addition, there are also some shopping centres that decided to offer skating facilities. For example Harfa Gallery opened a skating ring on its roof. On Saturday you can skate in the day and even in the evening. Lovers of ice sports will undoubtedly be pleased by the Hall of Fame of Czech Hockey opened in Harfa Gallery in 2015. Moreover, you can try the largest public outdoor rink in Prague in front of the Arkády Pankrác shopping centre, and finally an ice rink can be found at the Olympia shopping centre in Brno.