Ice Skating in the Middle of Stockholm

Photo by Henrik Trygg

(EDIT: This info is from 2010-11, for current prices and opening hours... click here!) One of the more enduring and endearing sights of winter-Stockholm is the public ice-skating rink in the Kungsträdgården park in central Stockholm. Last week the rink opened for its 48th season! The rink is set up around the statue of Charles XIII in the middle of the park and while it's not the largest rink, people don't go there for the excercise but for the tradition, to soak up the Stockholm winter atmosphere and to get into the Christmas spirit. Skating equipment available to rent! It costs 50 SEK for adults and 20 SEK for children. The rink is open 7 days a week until the first week of March and generally closes at 6:30pm except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when it is open until 8:30pm. There are several cafés open around the rink... perfect for warming up with a hot chocolate after doing some skating.

Charles XIII

Kungsträdgården is located smack-dab in the middle of Stockholm, in between the royal palace and the NK department store. There is always something going on here... if not an event, then at least it is the place to feel the pulse of the city. Sunday, November 21st is the official start of the Christmas season in Stockholm. It is called Skyltsöndag and it is when a lot of the larger stores, like NK, will be unveiling their Christmas window decorations. There will be a Christmas parade that will start at Hötorget at 1:30pm and end in Kungsträdgården where there will be Christmas carolling between 2 and 3pm. Jultomten (Santa Claus) may show up! The weekend after that will be the start of the Christmas market in Kungsträdgården. I'll write more about that later as we get closer to the Christmas season...