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RSS Feed Blog02. 02. 12. - 16:00
Tova and the Stadt - Skating in Vienna
Now that the Christmas markets have closed, a lot of you (all 4 of you), might be wondering what on earth there is to do in this landlocked, moderate climate country. Well, there is one thing you can do that doesn’t involve hitting the Alps or locking yourself in your apartment wearing a Snuggy and watching re-runs of Friends: not that there is anything wrong with either option. Why not take a crack at:
Ice Skating
When I moved to Vienna years ago, I had dreams of becoming a figure skater. My parents were able to enrol me into a skating school and due to my skill (average in Canada, awesome in Austria), I was set up with an Austrian coach, who I believe was actually Czech. Oh, how I wish I knew that "Genau" meant "exactly" and not have misunderstood it for "salchow" which is a basic jump in skating. Those lessons must have been a riot to watch as I jumped every other minute in confusion. Alas, I gave up my dream of being a spokesperson for hair shampoo and stopped taking lessons. But I didn’t stop skating completely and luckily Vienna has many places you can go to get your "skate on".
Wiener Eislaufverein - this place is old school (1867 - really old) and located conveniently near Stadtpark. It is right behind the Intercontinental hotel and is an outdoor rink. What is great about this place is that there is a punschstand at the end of the rink and nothing says safety likes blades and alcohol. In the summer the rink closes down and transforms into Sand in the City which is a great place for drinks and food and, well, sand.
Wiener Eistraum - this is a temporary rink that opens up in front of the Rathaus in the dead of winter so, now, actually. The city sets up several outdoor rinks as well as an amazing "trail" that curves through the park at the Rathaus. Sundays are the busiest so I would aim to visit during the week. There are also several kiosks selling warm drinks, freshly made potato chips and beer.
Alfred Schultz Halle - this is the same place that the Vienna Capitals play hockey. On the left side of the building there is a rink that is open to the public. The advantage of this rink, compared to the other two listed above, is that it is inside so you don’t have to worry about layers and unflattering hats.
Alte Donau - when it gets really cold, parts of the Old Danube freeze. At least once during the winter someone falls through the ice. Some people continue to risk this. I wouldn’t.
So those are just a couple of options in Vienna for skating. Unfortunately, Vienna is in the middle of a cold snap and since I don’t function well in anything colder than 5 Celsius, I think I will wait a little while until I hit the ice. Until then, I will practice my pirouettes on hardwood floors and look forward to spring.
Austrian Times
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Austria outdoor lessons option trail Skating rsquo skater drinks Wiener Rathaus Vienna kiosks Schultz beer potato Alfred rink freshly chips
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