Robson Square Ice Rink

Conveniently located right in city centre, the Robson Square ice skating rink is a great weekend activity with or without kids!

Bring your own skates ⛸️ or rent for $5 (helmets available). Service was friendly and quick. 

Note: The zamboni cleans the ice a few times a day. When we arrived the zamboni was just finishing up, so when we went on the ice, it was smooth!

The Robson Square Ice Rink is open from 9am-9pm everyday. There is a small cafe for coffee and snacks. 

There are holders for people to push on the ice. These are great for kids and those still learning. Everyone was pretty good about only going in one direction and being careful not to crash into people.

If you're in the city, looking for a festive and fun activity, try ice skating at Robson Square! It's a nice covered area, so even on a rainy day you can enjoy some ice skating ⛸️ 

Don't forget your snacks!

Robson Square Ice Rink

800 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 3B7

Check out their website for more info 

Open November 29, 2024 – February 28, 2025

Ice skating at Kungsträdgården

 

It's that time of year again when Stockholm is dark by 4pm so Christmas lights and stars hang in the windows are a welcome sight brightening up the city.

There are traditional Swedish pastries, like lussekatter, fikabröd and Christmas drinks available at the cafes to enjoy. 

Christmas markets are open around the city and the ice skating rink is now set-up at Kungsträdgården!

You can rent skates or bring your own (During a weekend the lineup for rentals can be long)! The ice rink is open from 8am and when I passed by one morning there was only one person skating! 

Near the ice rink there are a couple of cafes to get snacks and Swedish mulled wine or glögg. There is also a food truck "Cafe Cruiser",  at the ice rink that sells glögg or hot cocoa and some snacks like lussekatter and donuts. 

There's a stage with some performances during the day as well.

Kungsträdgården's ice rink is one of the most beautiful places to ice skate in the city!

The ice rink isn't too big and there are some shelves to leave your regular shoes. The location is central and easy to find (it's also very close to the shopping centre Gallerian). Both kids and adults can skate here, making it great for families as well! 

If you're looking for a winter activity, why not try ice skating? 

   

It's even nice just to stroll through the city and check out the ice rink on your way to Christmas shopping or Christmas markets!

If you're in Stockholm and looking for a great family activity this winter, visit Kungsträdgården! The ice rink is open until March 3rd, 2024!

Don't forget your snacks (and your helmet, especially for the kids)!

Kungsträdgården 

Stockholm, Sweden 

Check out their website for more info

Frozen Ponds in Slottsskogen City Park

Here's a look back at last month, when the ponds at Slottsskogen park were frozen over!

Walking across some Frozen ponds at Slottsskogen city park was a first for us this winter. We have never seen it actually frozen until this year. There was one time that we did walk across a frozen lake (called Delsjön). That was our first winter in Göteborg years ago and pre-kids.

I was a bit hesitant to go on the ice first, so I waited and watched the scene. There were so many others out on the ice for a long time and the temperature had been way below freezing the last few days. Some were skating, others walking or standing. I decided to go out on it too since who knew when it would be like this again. It was such a cool experience seeing the frozen leaves under the ice just below your feet.

One of the ponds we walked on is by the Villa Belparc restaurant in the Slottsskogen, and the other pond was on the way there by the other cafe, Björngårdsvillan.

The little ones had so much fun playing on the frozen ponds. Sliding on it, making snow angels, or just walking on it. There were even some people even playing Hockey when we first got there.

Slottsskogen which means "Castle Forest" in English, is Göteborg's main park with a large area for exploring. The park has a small outdoor zoo (with seals, penguins and even Moose), and pre-pandemic they also had a petting zoo for the kids. There are a couple of nice play areas in the park like "Plikta" with the huge wooden whale and a wooden playground by the Penguin area. 

There's a sign on the whale to keep your distance... A bit challenging when at a playground though. 

We love to go and explore Slottsskogen. There are so many different paths through the park (most are Stroller friendly too!) and on a nice day pre-pandemic, we have enjoyed many picnics and events at this park. The city park also hosts many events, such as being the start or end point for the city's half marathon (Göteborgsvarvet) and the popular Summer Music festival Way out West.

If you're visiting Göteborg, Sweden in the future, add Slottsskogen to your list, for a stroll, fika, the zoo or just exploring. There are a few different cafes around the park, and some ice cream/hot dog stands but their opening hours vary. We love Villa Belparc. They have delicious dagenslunch, and a covered outdoor area with heaters for the winter. Björngårdsvillan is a great cafe with ice cream and other snacks. We have taken shelter from the rain here a number of times! In the summer, they also have a bouncy castle for kids.

Björnsgårdsvillan cafe in Slottsskogen!

Just in case the cafes are closed, don't forget your snacks!

Slottsskogen
Slottsskogspromenaden, 414 76 Göteborg, Sweden
Check out their website for more information

Two cafes at the park:

Villa Belparc
This one is a proper restaurant with daily lunch special and fika treats.
Check out their website for the menu

Björngårdsvillan
This cafe is right next to path up to the zoo area and in the same building as an art school.

Their facebook page has more information

Snowy Day in Göteborg

Chilly temperatures in Göteborg, Sweden made sure the snow has stayed around for a few weeks. Winter this year really feels like the Swedish winter that people think about when they think about Scandinavia. We love to see the beautiful snow and it brightens up the city especially when it's sunny.

Yesterday, the snow kept falling and kids kept playing ;) It was great to get some new snow! And building snowmen really is a workout :)

So glad we don't need to worry about commuting anywhere in this wintry weather. All around the neighborhood, strollers were left at home and everyone used their sleds or 'pulkas' in Swedish, to take their kids around. Our own sled, which we ordered just last month, has been getting some good use over the last few weeks!

Sledding!

Parent Tip to stay warm... bring multiple gloves for the little ones (and yourself) as they often get wet, lost, kids want to switch etc. and bring a thermos with a warm drink!

Snack bag and drinks - a must for our daily adventures!

Need to enjoy the snow before the forecasted rainy weather melts it all away (Göteborg is usually rainy during winter). Hope you are enjoying the winter weather if you have some in your city, and remember, don't forget your snacks!