"Bonn on Ice" offers 1,100 square meters of ice in the Stadtgarten. Due to the partial roofing with a tent, there is no limit to the fun of ice skating even when it rains. If you have never skated, you can take an ice-skating course. Learning takes place in a group or, if required, in individual lessons. In addition there is mulled wine and a snack stand.

Address: Stadtgarten, take lines 16, 63 and 66 to the "Universität/Markt" stop.

Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1st and 2nd Christmas Day from 12 a.m. to 9 p.m., New Year's Eve from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., New Year's Day from 12 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Admission: 6 Euro/adults and 4 Euro/children from 3 to 11 years (4 hours), children up to 3 years free of charge, skate rental: 5 Euro/adults, 4 Euro/children

Internet: www.bonnice.de, registration for ice skating courses: medisi@web.de

Skating outdoors isn't everyone's cup of tea. The Icedome in Troisdorf offers a firm roof over your head. The ice arena is open daily and offers many skating courses. Every day during the open skating times, beginners or those who are still a little wobbly on the ice can take part in the "skating course for everyone" between 2 and 4:30 pm. But if you just want to do a few laps, you are also very welcome here.

Address: Icedome, Uckendorfer Strasse 135, Troisdorf

Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday and Thursday from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m., Friday from 12 to 6 p.m., Saturday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 7 to 10:30 p.m., Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (opening times differ during 23.12.2019 and 06.01.2020.)

Prices: 6 Euro/adults, 5 Euro/children up to 12 years, disabled and pensioners, 5-time card 27.50 Euro (adults) or 22.50 Euro (children, disabled, pensioners), groups from 12 persons 5.50 Euro (adults) or 4.50 Euro (children, disabled, pensioners)

Internet: www.eissporthalle-troisdorf.de

First of all - if you don’t know the story of the Heinzelmännchen, it’s about little elves who do good things overnight - the book is also available in English and a Christmas market in Cologne is named after the little elves. The skating rink there at Heumarkt has a length of almost 110 meters, making it one of the largest, and welcoming you to ice skate outdoors from December to January. Located in the Heinzelmännchen Christmas Market, the ice rink opens daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. until Sunday, 5 January. If you don't like to skate, you can try the sport of curling on five curling rinks.

Address: Heumarkt Cologne

Opening hours: Daily from 11 am to 10 pm, from 26 December daily from 11 am to 9 pm, closed 24 and 25 December, 26 December from 11 am to 9 pm.

Admission prices: 7 Euro/adults (Monday to Friday) and 8.50 Euro/adults (Saturday, Sunday and public holidays), 5.50 Euro/children between 5 and 12 years and 4 Euro/children (Monday). Children under 5 years are free. Skate rental: 5.50 Euro/adult, 4.50 Euro/children

Internet: www.heinzels-wintermaerchen.de

The ice rink at Lentpark in Cologne offers an unusual viewing angle. The 260-meter-long and eight-meter-wide ice rink runs both through the ice arena and the indoor swimming pool - an unusual backdrop. There is also an eco-friendly link between the ice rink and the swimming pool: the heat generated when cooling the ice arena is used to heat the indoor pool.

Address: Lentpark, Lentstraße 30, Cologne

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. IceParty, Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Prices: 8.10 Euro/adults and 5.60 Euro/young people 6 years and older (2 hours), 11.10 Euro/adult and 7.60 Euro/young people (day ticket), 1 Euro/children under 6 years, skate rental: 5 Euro/person

Internet: www.koelnbaeder.de/eis/lentpark

Where beach volleyball players hit their balls over the net in summer, an ice rink has been set up from 7 November to 2 February 2020. The “Eisstockschießen” (called Bavarian curling by some) rinks can be rented from the afternoon until late in the evening. It differs from typical curling but is of the same genre. The rink is only a stone's throw away from the Rhein-Energie-Stadium.

Address: Playa in Cologne, Junkersdorfer Straße 1, Cologne

Opening hours: Bavarian curling on Monday to Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., ice skating only on weekends from 12 to 3 p.m. (During the winter school holidays, ice skating is also possible during the week from 12 to 3 p.m.).

Prices: Curling: An ice rink rental costs 70 euros per hour, including 8 ice sticks. Ice skating: 3.50 Euro/person, children up to 6 years free of charge, skate rental: 3 Euro/person

Internet: www.playa.de

The ice rink in the Westerwald Arena is indoors and occasionally features a light show. You can find it at the Vorteilscenter Asbach. Those who don't feel secure on the ice - or simply want to make a better impression - can also take part in an ice skating course in the ice arena.

Address: Westerwald-Arena, approach via Vorteil-Center Asbach, Anton-Limbach-Str. 3b, 53567 Asbach

Opening hours: Thursday and Friday from 3 to 7 pm, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 12 to 7 pm (Open daily during school holidays in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, but with variations over Christmas and New Year).

Prices: On short days (3 to 7 p.m.) 6 Euro/person, on long days (12 to 7 p.m.) 7 Euro/person, skate rental: 4.50 Euro/person

On an area of 1,800 square meters, ice sports enthusiasts can make their rounds in front of a historic backdrop. Between impressive industrial heritage and old cokery ovens, the ice rink is probably one of the most unusual places for ice skating. On selected days there is even an ice disco.

Address: Zollverein ice rink, Area C [cokery], printing press track [C74], Kokereiallee, 45141 Essen

Opening hours: Before the holidays (until and including December 22, 2019): Monday-Friday from 3 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; During the holidays: Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., different times over Christmas and on New Year's Day

Prices: 7 Euro/adults and 5 Euro/children up to 14 years, pupils, students, trainees (day ticket), 5 Euro/adults and 3 Euro/children, pupils, students, trainees (evening ticket), skate rental: 3 Euro/person

Internet: www.zollverein.de

The ice sports arena in Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg is open from the end of August to April and offers school and club sports as well as public running times. In the new season 2019/2020 the opening hours will change: The ice disco now takes place on Saturdays instead of Fridays from 7 pm to 11 pm. On Saturday there is also a new afternoon run from 3 pm to 6 pm. The XXL family run on Sunday now runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m..

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10 to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4.30 p.m., Saturday 3 to 6 p.m., Sunday 11 to 6 p.m. (family run), Ice disco: Saturday 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Prices: 5 Euro per person (up to 3 hours)

Internet: www.eissportarena.gl

This is a list of ice rinks which does not claim to be complete or follow objective criteria. It is also not a ranking order. Is an ice rink missing from the list? Please send us an e-mail to online@ga.de.

(Orig. text: Lisa Rademacher, ck; Translation: ck)