Cold afternoons are skating afternoons here, and the city's hockey halls open their ice to families on weekends. We checked the public sessions, the skate rental and which rinks rent helmets and push-along frames to first-timers. Here's what we found, from the rebuilt city rink at Harmincova to the outdoor rink in front of Vienna's City Hall, an easy day trip away.
An ice stadium that opens its rink to the public for skating sessions, with places capped per session. A rental desk runs during every public session with kids' and adult skates (figure and hockey styles), plus adjustable training frames and helmets for first-timers. Skates can also be sharpened on site.
The Vienna Christmas Market fills Rathausplatz, the square in front of Vienna City Hall, and is considered one of Europe's biggest Christmas markets. Kids come for the lights, the stalls and Ice Dream, the ice rink set between the Burgtheater and City Hall.
It works well as a day trip from Bratislava: browse the market, then go skating.
Avion Ice Rink is an indoor rink inside Avion Shopping Park, the mall that also holds an IKEA store. Public skating shares the ice with kids' and youth hockey, and the rink closes to the public on tournament days.
The mall has more for kids under the same roof, including IKEA's Småland play area, a kids' train and outdoor playgrounds, so a skate fits into a longer rainy-day outing.
The oldest ice hockey hall in Slovakia, rebuilt in 2009-2011, with a 10,055-seat main arena and two training rinks. Families come for the public skating sessions, with skate rental and sharpening on site, plus helmets and skating aids for kids still finding their balance.
A buffet in the training halls, vending machines and restaurants inside the stadium cover snacks.
A city-run ice rink, rebuilt in 2022-2023, shared by hockey clubs, schools and public skating sessions where anyone can drop in.
Skates can be rented and sharpened during public sessions, the changing rooms have an attendant, and the hall has a snack bar and a coffee machine. A free car park sits next to the stadium.
Cold afternoons are skating afternoons here, and the city's hockey halls open their ice to families on weekends. We checked the public sessions, the skate rental and which rinks rent helmets and push-along frames to first-timers. Here's what we found, from the rebuilt city rink at Harmincova to the outdoor rink in front of Vienna's City Hall, an easy day trip away.
An ice stadium that opens its rink to the public for skating sessions, with places capped per session. A rental desk runs during every public session with kids' and adult skates (figure and hockey styles), plus adjustable training frames and helmets for first-timers. Skates can also be sharpened on site.
The Vienna Christmas Market fills Rathausplatz, the square in front of Vienna City Hall, and is considered one of Europe's biggest Christmas markets. Kids come for the lights, the stalls and Ice Dream, the ice rink set between the Burgtheater and City Hall.
It works well as a day trip from Bratislava: browse the market, then go skating.
Avion Ice Rink is an indoor rink inside Avion Shopping Park, the mall that also holds an IKEA store. Public skating shares the ice with kids' and youth hockey, and the rink closes to the public on tournament days.
The mall has more for kids under the same roof, including IKEA's Småland play area, a kids' train and outdoor playgrounds, so a skate fits into a longer rainy-day outing.
The oldest ice hockey hall in Slovakia, rebuilt in 2009-2011, with a 10,055-seat main arena and two training rinks. Families come for the public skating sessions, with skate rental and sharpening on site, plus helmets and skating aids for kids still finding their balance.
A buffet in the training halls, vending machines and restaurants inside the stadium cover snacks.
A city-run ice rink, rebuilt in 2022-2023, shared by hockey clubs, schools and public skating sessions where anyone can drop in.
Skates can be rented and sharpened during public sessions, the changing rooms have an attendant, and the hall has a snack bar and a coffee machine. A free car park sits next to the stadium.
