P1020625Florence does not have a year-round skating rink – little aspiring ice skaters and hockey players train in Bologna! But over the Christmas holidays, usually through December and January, almost all cities mount temporary artificial rinks.

I went to check out the rink at the Parterre in Florence, where it has been hosted for the past 10 years (before that it was in Piazza Santa Croce, which was historically more charming, but doesn’t have parking!). It’s not very big, but if you go during the day it’s not very crowded (for proof, see my photos and video!), and certainly the price is right. The rental skates are plastic things with ski-boot-like closures and cost 6 euros per hour (that includes access to the rink). If it’s crowded, entries are scheduled every hour on the hour. There is music day-long, and at night it’s charmingly lit-up. If you’re from a cold country like I am, you can easily look like the hottest skater on the rink, cuz Tuscans don’t get much opportunity to practise!

The Parterre is just outside the viali (ring road), has underground parking, and free communal wifi that you can use while you watch your offspring sprawl itself on the ice (sign-up via Italian cell phone required to use wifi).

Many other towns in Tuscany have rinks in more historic locations – Prato’s rink in Piazza Duomo probably tops the list in the “scenic” category, although Lucca’s Piazza Grande rink is lovely and in view of a carousel that also gets decorated nicely for Christmas.

More rinks in Tuscany:

Lucca: Piazza Grande

Sesto Fiorentino: Piazza Vittorio Veneto a Sesto Fiorentino until Feb 21, 2010

Prato: Piazza Duomo until Feb 21, 2010

Arezzo: Piazza Giotto, until Jan 10, 2010

Livorno. Piazza della Repubblica, until Feb 7, 2010