Most beautiful ice skating rinks

Banff Lake Louise - Canada

Snow capped mountains surrounding a glacier fed lake! there's a reason Banff's Lake Louise is on so many Canadian postcards. Lake Louise is a two hour drive through the Rocky Mountains from Calgary, the nearest major airport. 

Vienna Ice Dream - Austria

A pair of large rinks connected by small paths combines to create 6,000 square meters of skating in front of the Vienna City Hall. Austrian foods and drinks are available at booths scattered around the park that surrounds the rink.

Red Square Rink - Moscow

In winter, a quarter of Red Square is covered with a Christmas decorated rink. Skaters speed in ovals below the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral and the State Historical Museum.

Rideau Canal Skateway - Ottawa

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rideau Canal is a leisure skating rink but also a thoroughfare for local commuters heading to work, school and shopping. The natural rink stretches 7.8 kilometers and passes Canada's parliament buildings.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center - New York

What does every Christmas movie set in New York have in common? Skating at the Rink at Rockefeller Center. The rink was originally a temporary promotion set up in 1936 to draw attention to the "Sunken Plaza" -- the shops and restaurants under the building.

Shichahai Lake - Beijing

Shichahai Lake is actually three connected lakes: Qianhai Lake (front lake), Houhai Lake (back lake) and Xihai Lake (West Lake). Surrounded by historic architecture, the outdoor rink has ice chairs and ice bikes available for rent.

Eiffel Tower Ice Rink - Paris

Paris' picturesque rink is closed for maintenance on the tower's first floor, but next year it'll be open again. The first level rink is located about 60m above the Champs de Mars and is included in tower admission price. It opened in 1969, was renovated and reopened in 2004. 

Skate at Somerset House - London

You only get an hour of skating in the 18th-century courtyard, but it's one you won't forget. Ever had champagne and chocolates while you skate? You can here. The rink turns into a dance floor during "Club Nights" with live DJs.

Evergreen Lake - Colorado

Thirty minutes from downtown Denver, this 8.5-acre stretch of ice has 11 pond hockey rinks and a huge public skating area. Snow covered pine trees pepper the nearby Evergreen Mountain. 

Bondi Winter Festival Ice Rink - Sydney

Sydney never sees snow, but during its winter months of June and July, Bondi Beach opens an ice rink right beside the surf. As the largest outdoor rink in the southern hemisphere, it attracts around 30,000 visitors a year.