Three Of Amsterdam’s Best Ice Rinks This Winter
A Dutch winter without ice skating feels a bit like someone forgot the oliebollen.
admin
November 5, 2026
Museumplein, For The Prettiest Backdrop
If you only skate once in Amsterdam and still want it to look good, make it Museumplein. From 24 November 2026 through 16 January 2027, a rink sits right here with the Rijksmuseum as a backdrop, which makes even the most committed boarding-only skater look reasonably photogenic.
Christmas Village also sets up on Museumplein in December, so skating is easy to combine with food, warm drinks and Christmas stalls.
Best for: atmosphere, visitors, and a solid winter date.
Pro tip
Go in the late afternoon. You'll catch daylight, dusk and the lights without planning three separate visits.
Jaap Edenbaan, For The Real Deal
No Christmas huts, no decorative snow. This is where actual skating happens.
Jaap Edenbaan in Amsterdam Oost has a genuine 400-metre outdoor track, open this winter from 10 October 2026 through 21 March 2027.
That means real laps, cold cheeks, and people flying past at a speed that makes you question whether you ever actually learned to brake.
Afterwards, warm up at Café JAAP with hot chocolate, coffee, apple pie, or something stronger.
Best for: proper skating rather than winter decor.
Tourist Trap Checker
Museumplein is the photogenic choice, but it isn't automatically the best spot for serious skating. Go here for the backdrop and the Christmas atmosphere; pick Jaap Edenbaan if the ice itself matters more than the decor.
Do
Pick Museumplein for the backdrop, the Christmas Village and a proper winter date photo.
Don't
Don't expect serious skating conditions at Museumplein — for real laps and real speed, head to Jaap Edenbaan instead.
Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs, For Maximum Winter
From 17 December 2026 through 2 January 2027, the RAI turns into Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs.
There's outdoor ice plus a huge temporary indoor rink of 4,400 m². Skates can be rented and gloves are mandatory.
Add snow, rides, music, and pretty much everything else that fits under "winter" in December.
Best for: when skating alone apparently isn't enough activity for one day.
So which one do you pick? For atmosphere: Museumplein. For serious skating: Jaap Edenbaan. For a complete winter outing: Winterparadijs. And if you want hot chocolate after three laps, that still counts as skating.
Quick Summary
Want to rack up actual laps? Pick Jaap Edenbaan and save Café JAAP for afterwards. For photos, lights and a winter date, Museumplein fits better.
- Museumplein: the photogenic choice, with the Rijksmuseum as backdrop and Christmas Village alongside.
- Jaap Edenbaan: a real 400m outdoor track for serious skating, open October through March.
- Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs: indoor and outdoor ice plus snow, rides and music at the RAI.
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