Berlin in winter with kids: 8 ice rinks compared

Rinks in Berlin work best for children when they offer skating aids, small hire sizes and enough room for beginners. The biggest rink is Holland-Park in Panketal , with 1,800 m², while the cheapest admission is at Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9 , at EUR 3.30. Weather-independent and usable year-round is Winterquartier in Berlin-Friedrichshain: 1,000 m² of real ice in a covered hall, with penguin skating aids. Important for planning in autumn: most rinks have their 2026/27 season not yet published — the table shows for each one whether the date is confirmed.

The eight rinks compared

Compare all the ice rinks at a glance: size, season status, prices and offers for children. The “Season” column shows whether the date is confirmed or still pending.

Scroll table sideways →

“Confirmed” means the information is verified. “Open” means the rink has not yet published its 2026/27 season — in that case, prices shown are from the previous season and serve as a guide only. Where information is missing, we say so directly rather than guessing a number.

What can you do with children in Berlin in winter?

Here’s the honest answer first: between November and February, almost anything happening outdoors in Berlin runs into rain or cold. What actually works reliably with children can be narrowed down to four categories, and each has its own place on this page.

• Ice skating — the only winter activity that benefits from the weather instead of suffering from it. With skating aids, children can start from around three to four years old, and indoor rinks work whatever the weather. That’s what this page is about.
• Indoor sport and play — trampoline parks, climbing and bouldering halls, ninja courses. Reliable, but with no real winter connection: the same options are there in July.
• Hands-on museums and science centres — good for constant rain, tough going on crowded holiday days. If you visit during the winter school holidays, get there early.
• Christmas markets and light trails — only in December, but with the most festive Christmas spirit of all. Which Berlin markets are worth visiting with children, and which ones are covered, is in our overview of Berlin’s most special Christmas markets.

The advantage ice skating has over all the others: it is exercise, experience and winter spirit, all at once — and in a covered rink it makes no difference whether the day brings frost, thaw or rain. That is exactly why it takes centre stage on this page.

What’s different during the winter school holidays

Berlin’s winter school holidays fall in February and last just one week, so things get busy. If you want to visit an ice rink that week, you should come in the morning or book ahead. Rinks are quietest on weekdays between 10:00 and 13:00, and busiest on Saturday afternoons. Exact holiday dates are listed in the official school holiday calendar for the state of Berlin.

From what age can children go ice skating?

From three to four years old it works well if a skating aid is available. What matters is less the age than the equipment: children who can hold on to a penguin skating aid get moving from the first day and pick up their balance along the way. Without one, it’s usually from age five or six onward.

Two things make the difference between a great afternoon and a tearful one: Gloves — these are essential, because children fall onto their hands — and Session limits. Forty to sixty minutes is the maximum for young children — after that, tiredness takes over.

Which rinks have skating aids for beginners?

• Winterquartier Friedrichshain — penguin skating aids, €4.00 per session
• Strandbad Grünau — seals as skating aids
• Filmpark Babelsberg — skating aids
• Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9 — family sessions on Mondays, when it’s quieter

Skating aids cost extra almost everywhere and are limited in number. On a busy Saturday in Advent they can run out — come early or on a weekday if you want to be sure.

Which ice rink is indoor?

That question decides your afternoon in January. Indoor and therefore weather-proof: Winterquartier Berlin in Friedrichshain, the Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9 (an indoor ice rink in Charlottenburg, also branded PO9), the Wellblechpalast, the Eishalle Senftenberg and the Metropolis-Halle at Filmpark Babelsberg. The Zenner Wintergarten is also indoor.

Holland-Park and Strandbad Grünau are outdoor rinks — which makes them the most atmospheric, weather permitting.

Where can you go ice skating in Berlin in summer too?

Most rinks only open for the winter season. Open all year round is the Wellblechpalast in Hohenschönhausen. The Winterquartier also keeps its hall running on real ice beyond the winter season — for current opening times, check the ice rink page.

How much does an afternoon cost for a family?

Here's a sample calculation for two adults and two children, all with hire skates plus one skating aid for the younger child:

• Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9 — the cheapest rink at €3.30 admission, but €8.00 hire per pair. If you bring your own skates, this is the best-value option.
• Winterquartier Friedrichshain — €7.00 admission, €5.00 hire, €4.00 for a skating aid. In return, it's indoor, with a Christmas market and Bavarian curling lanes on the same site.
• Eishalle Senftenberg — the priciest at €12.00 admission, but free on your birthday.

Bringing your own skates can save a family of four €20 to €30 per afternoon. If children skate regularly, a second-hand pair pays for itself after two or three visits.

Indoor, with skating aids and a Christmas market next door

The ice rink at Winterquartier Berlin in Friedrichshain has 1,000 m² of real ice indoors, penguin skating aids for younger children and three Bavarian curling lanes on the same site. It opens on 6 November 2026.

Ice rink & tickets For schools

FAQs

What can you do with kids in Berlin in winter?

Four things reliably work in Berlin, Germany: ice skating, indoor activity venues (trampoline parks, climbing walls, ninja-style obstacle courses), hands-on museums and, in December, Christmas markets. Ice skating is the only one that benefits from winter rather than suffering from it — in an indoor hall it works whether it freezes, thaws or rains.

When are Berlin's ice rinks busiest?

Saturday afternoons, and during Berlin's winter school holidays in February. It's quietest on weekdays between 10:00 and 13:00. If you want to skate during the holidays, come in the morning or book ahead.

Which ice rink in Berlin is best for kids?

That depends on the age. For beginners, what matters most is skating aids — Winterquartier in Friedrichshain has them (penguin skating aids), as do Strandbad Grünau (seal skating aids) and Filmpark Babelsberg. For calmer sessions, try the Monday family sessions at Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9. The largest ice surface is Holland-Park in Panketal, at 1,800 m².

From what age can children go ice skating?

From around three to four years old, provided a skating aid is available. Without one, most children manage from age five or six. Gloves are compulsory, and forty to sixty minutes is the sensible maximum for young children.

Which ice rink in Berlin is indoor?

Indoor and weatherproof: Winterquartier Berlin (winter quarters) in Berlin-Friedrichshain, Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9, the Wellblechpalast in Hohenschönhausen, Eishalle Senftenberg, the Metropolis-Halle at Filmpark Babelsberg and the Zenner Wintergarten. The Winterquartier has 1,000 m² of real ice. Holland-Park and Strandbad Grünau are open-air.

Where can you go ice skating in Berlin in summer?

Open all year round is the Wellblechpalast in Hohenschönhausen. Winterquartier Berlin in Friedrichshain also keeps its indoor real-ice hall open beyond the winter season; current opening times are on the ice rink page.

How much does ice skating with kids cost in Berlin?

Adult admission ranges from €3.30 at Eissporthalle Charlottenburg PO9 to €12.00 at Eishalle Senftenberg, depending on the rink. Skate hire costs between €5.00 and €8.00 a pair. At Winterquartier in Friedrichshain, hire costs €5.00, and penguin skating aids are €4.00 per session. Bringing your own skates can save a family of four €20 to €30 in an afternoon.

Are the 2026/27 season dates confirmed yet?

Mostly not yet. As of September 2026, most of the rinks listed here have not published their 2026/27 season dates. Confirmed so far: the ice rink at Winterquartier opens on 6 November 2026, and the Wellblechpalast stays open year-round. Prices for all other rinks are carried over from the previous season and are for guidance only.

Are there ice rinks at Berlin Christmas markets?

Yes. Winterquartier in Friedrichshain combines a covered Christmas market with a covered ice rink on the same site. The Berliner Weihnachtszeit at Rotes Rathaus has an ice rink around the Neptunbrunnen, and Zehlendorf Christmas market has an ice rink in front of the town hall — both outdoors.

About this overview

Who compiles this and how it's checked

A quick disclosure: Winterquartier is itself one of the eight rinks listed here, and it appears in the same table with the same fields as everyone else — including where other rinks are cheaper or bigger.

Where the data comes from

Data on floor space, facilities and offers for children is structural, and it barely changes from year to year. The Season dates and prices , however, do — so each row states whether a figure is confirmed (“confirmed”) or carried over from last season and still open for 2026/27 (“open”). Where a figure is missing, that's stated outright instead of a guessed number.

The previous version of this page listed dates like “16.11.24 – 12.01.25” — a season long since over. That is exactly what the status column is meant to prevent.

🤖 Note: Parts of this content were summarised and produced with the help of AI. Despite careful research, details may differ from current data. You can always find official information directly on the organisers' websites.

Compiled by Yannik Sauerwein, Winterquartier Berlin · Last checked: 10 September 2026 · 8 rinks · Price changed or a rink missing? Let us know — we'll check and fix it.

Changelog

• 10.09.2026 — Rebuilt the page in the new design. Removed outdated season dates and replaced them with status labels, and corrected skate hire at Winterquartier from €4.50 to €5.00.

Related

• Berlin Rink1,000 m² of covered real ice in Friedrichshain, from 6 November
• For school tripsA school ice day out: prices, schedule and organisation
• Bavarian curlingThree Bavarian curling lanes, two of them on real ice indoors
• Unique Christmas markets28 markets, filterable by theme, facilities and district
• Winterquartier Christmas marketThe covered market on the same site
• Access7 minutes from Warschauer Strasse, on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn network