Patinoire du parc Jean Drapeau

Unusual in its shape of a long circular path rather than a lake, this skating rink offers both a little escape from the city and a great view of its skyline. What serves as a hiking path during summer is turned into a shiny surface of ice in winter. Since the layer of ice is not very thick, warm weather can be more destructive than for other rinks in the city. But during a cold spell there is nothing more beautiful than gliding around the island along the St. Laurent and watching sheets of ice swim past in front of the splendid panorama of downtown Montréal on the opposite shore.
Speakers along the way accompany the aspiring ice princess with classical music.
The rink seems remote but is very accessible since it is only a short walk away from Jean-​Drapeau metro. Lockers for boots are available — bring your own lock. Oh, and did I mention that all of this is free?