Ice skating in the nippy winter air can be an exhilarating feeling. From Canada to Switzerland, winter chillingly changes lovely lakes into spectacular natural ice rinks. So if outdoor ice skating appeals to you, check out our list of the world’s most beautiful lakes for ice skating.

1.  Lac de Joux, Switzerland

You will find the enormous alpine lake, Lac de Joux, at an altitude of nearly 3,300 feet, in the Jura Mountain Region in Switzerland, not far from the French border. It becomes Europe’s largest natural ice skating rink in the winter. The lake is ringed by a forest that in the colder months has a barren, frost-tinged beauty.

During the peak months of February and March, many visitors come to this special spot in the Jura Mountains. Indeed, the lake is so vast that speed skating here is truly thrilling.

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Lake Morey, USA

Located in the state of Vermont, this lake’s frozen perimeter becomes an icy 4.5-mile expedition. So strap on some Nordic skates–a cross-country ski boot with long metal blades–and get ready to take on the United States’ longest Nordic skating trail. You’ll skate along the edge of a thick forest of birch, maple, and pine trees. Keep an eye out for the local bald eagles perched in the rather bare branches in winter.

The local Lake Morey Resort rents skates, offers lessons, and maintains the trails here.  

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Lake Louise, Canada

Picturesque Lake Louise is nestled in Banff National Park, in Alberta. The best time to enjoy winter activities here is from December to roughly mid-April. The favored Fairmont Chateau hotel’s grounds staff maintains the lake to make sure the frozen surface is safe.

You can even rent ice skates at the lake. Avoid the tourists and hit the ice after dark for a more serene skating experience.  

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The Vermilion Lakes, Canada

While in Alberta’s Banff National Park, why not go west, to this charming chain of lakes famous for its sunsets and sunrises? Lake Louise can be a bit busy during the winter holidays so this peaceful alternative might work better for those seeking some serenity.

Remember though that this terrific trio of lakes isn’t supervised so you’ll need to check the strength and depth of the ice before skating. Luckily, the water is generally little more than knee-deep but there’s no sense in being careless.

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Lake Bogstadvannet, Norway

While there are several lakes in the area, Bogstadvannet is the second largest and most popular for winter skating. It’s located on the forested outskirts of Oslo. Barring truly stormy days, this is where local skaters can be found during what little daylight hours they have during the winter months.

This popular lake is beautifully bordered by Nordic woodlands, and only a 20-minute drive from the heart of the city as well.

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Lake Mälaren, Sweden

Mere minutes from the capital city of Stockholm you can spend days on a cross-country skating adventure via numerous world-class natural ice skating rinks. The Stockholm Archipelago’s waterways and the area lakes make one of the world’s best environments for ice-skating. An hour’s drive from the city, you can skate on the clear black ice of crystal clear Lake Mälaren. It is the fifth-largest lake in Europe covering an area of 440 square miles.

The Mälaren region is both a beautiful and historic place. You can see several monuments from the Imperial Age including the onion-domed Gripsholm Castle while you skate!

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Evergreen Lake, Colorado

This large lake encompasses 40 acres and is surrounded by thickets of ponderosa and lodgepole pine trees that are vibrant and verdant all year–hence the lake’s name. Here visitors can partake in an actual natural ice-skating experience. It is arguably one of the largest groomed outdoor skating rinks in the world.

The locals actually employ a Zamboni to keep the ice usable for the ice hockey teams, and family and friends looking for an enjoyable afternoon skating experience. It’s roughly a 40-minute drive out of Denver. You can rent a pair of ice skates right there or even rent a cabin and stay overnight. 

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Portage Lake, USA

Alaska is perhaps one of the ultimate destinations for backcountry skaters seeking a perfect, pristine expanse of ice. There are various ice caves, frozen rivers, and lagoons in south-central Alaska, but the Portage Lake in the popular Chugach National Forest is a paradise for those looking to skate in the wild. It’s nearly a mile wide and three miles long and is found at the foot of the icy monolith named Portage Glacier. Indeed, if you get tired of ice-skating, you could even ride across this lake on a specially outfitted fat bike, should you so desire.  

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Great Slave Lake, Canada

As you may have already realized, there are a number of different incredible natural ice skating destinations here in Canada. Nevertheless, there are not many more spectacular than the icy Arctic lakes located in the Northwest Territories. The Great Slave Lake is not far from Yellowknife, the regional capital.

It is the world’s tenth-largest lake just 250 miles from the Arctic Circle. Hence you might even get a glimpse of the great shape-shifting lights known as the aurora borealis. Ice skaters use this lake almost half the year. Stop by in late March and attend the much-loved Long John Jamboree, where skate-clad partiers revel one last time prior to the spring melt.

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Lake Baikal, Russia

If you ever get to Siberia, be sure to participate in what some call one of the world’s “most stunning” ice skating experiences. This freshwater lake spans an area of 12,248 square miles. This World Heritage-listed wonder is actually larger than all of Belgium and holds more water than the Great Lakes combined. 

The best time to visit is between the months of November and April when it transforms into the planet’s largest ice skating rink. The ice is, on average, more than a foot thick and is so transparent you can actually see through it into the unfrozen black abyss below.

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