Vilnius’ magical winter ice rink will be located in the Town Hall Square

Every year during the winter season, urban spaces all over the world, from Hyde Park in London to Rockefeller Center in New York, are transformed into magical ice rinks, and Vilnius is no exception.

This year, from the 30th of November to the 26th of January, Vilnius residents and visitors will be invited to ice-skate in a special place — the Town Hall Square in Vilnius.

“For many, the magical Christmas period is inseparable from an open-air ice rink — a special tradition in Vilnius, with new colours and emotions added every year by a different space in the city,” said Simona Bieliūnė, Deputy Mayor of Vilnius. “This year, the ice rink will be located in the heart of Vilnius Old Town, so that Vilnius residents and visitors can enjoy the festively decorated streets, buildings and shopfronts when they go to the Town Hall Square to have fun.”

The ice rink will move to the new space from the courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, where more than 40,000 people skated on ice last winter.

The rink, which will be located in the Town Hall Square, will be in the shape of a wave and will have an area of around 900 square metres. At least ten skating sessions will take place daily, the first two of which will be free.

One of the oldest squares in Vilnius, once situated between the most important trade routes, used to be the city’s main marketplace until the middle of the 19th century.

It will once again be a winter market, but with a Christmas twist: Christmas shops will be set up around the skating rink, offering hot drinks and culinary delights.

“We are delighted with the success of this project last year,” said Vytautas Jasutis, President of the Lithuanian Skating Federation (LSF) and one of the organisers of “Vilniaus ledas”. “We are looking forward to the launch and the first sounds of skates in the new space.

We believe that for Vilnius this is another big step closer to the world’s most prominent capitals, where Christmas is very much in the spotlight every year. We want this space to allow everyone to feel the Christmas spirit, to forget all hardships, and immerse themselves in a magical winter adventure on ice.”

A session at the “Vilniaus ledas” ice rink will last 45 minutes and tickets can be purchased at kakava.lt or at the rink’s cash desk.