The Eswe Ice Skating Rink is the Wiesbaden version of New York City's Rink at Rockefeller Center! Nestled between the Wiesbaden Kurhaus and Kurpark, this Ice Rink is the perfect place to go skating in the city!
Thinking of home
Growing up in the New York City area, when you first see that The Rink at Rockefeller Center is open, it really put you in the holiday spirit and you know that Christmas is just around the corner! I loved to watch the skaters getting lessons along the outside with a death grip on the railing, or the show-off's in the middle doing triple axel jumps. It is people watching at its best and also in its most graceful form. Then if you decide to hit the ice yourself, you feel the mixed emotions of pure exhilaration and terrifying nervousness of the possibility of flipping onto your back!
Time to try skating in beautiful Wiesbaden
When I saw the banners for the Eswe Ice Skating Rink hanging in Wiesbaden, I knew I had to check it out to fill the missing Rockefeller Center void in my holidays this year. Perhaps because of Hollywood movies influence, there is something romantic and cozy about ice skating in city parks. This rink offers the city ice skating feeling and also the inviting atmosphere of an Alpine ski lodge. What a wonderful combo!
The food and drink area is like a small Christmas Market. They have vendor stalls outside and also a sit down restaurant that is decorated like a ski lodge! It was so inviting and warm inside, I could sit there all night. However, there was skating outside and I was so excited to get on the ice!
How it works
The first ticket booth is where you pay for your wristband to enter the rink (4 euro) and also if you need, your skate rental tickets (4,50 euro). You can also give them a deposit for a locker key to store your belongings in. You are allowed to leave your shoes in an area, but if you brought a purse then you would want to lock it up for sure. So I had my tickets, then I went to the second booth to get our skates.
Time for the ice
Just like riding a bike! ..or um, an ice skate in this case. I haven’t ice skated in a year, but it all comes back to me like I do it every day. But really, this is such a great stress reliever and a great way to clear your mind. Here I was zipping around on the ice, bobbing and weaving through people and only an hour before that I was planted in my office chair staring a computer screen.
I was skating with my 4 ½ year old daughter as well and they have a great helper for kids available! They have a couple of very heavy penguins that slide along with your child and act as a walker on ice. This is a great way for kids to build their confidence and strength. We named him after the famous penguin cartoon, Pingu!
After my skating fun in Wiesbaden I definitely feel more in the holiday spirit! It may not be ‘home’, but after all they say, ‘home is where you hang your heart’. <3
About the author: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
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