Paris on Ice

It’s a Paris winter tradition: skaters happily whirling or cautiously tottering on the ice in front of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). The skating rink on the square made its debut in 2001, and this year it’s open from December 17 to February 27. A smaller rink adjoining it allows children and beginners to work on perfecting their skills. Everyone is invited—skating is free, and skate rental is €5. The rink is open Monday through Friday from noon to 10 pm; weekends and holidays from 9 am–10 pm.

The monument behind the rink, affectionately known as the “wedding cake”, was built between 1874 and 1882, after the original 16th-century City Hall was burned down by rioters during the Commune uprising in 1871. The over-the-top facade is adorned with 146 statues of illustrious Parisians, and the sumptuous interior houses the office of Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, the city administration, reception rooms and exhibit halls. Until 1830 the square in front where the rink now stands was a foreshore, or grève, sloping down to the river, where the unemployed gathered, giving its name to the phrase faire la grève, to go on strike.

Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 4th. Métro: Hôtel de Ville.