Ice skating in Berlin 2026: indoors on 1,000 m² of real ice
An ice rink with no weather excuse: the hall at Winterquartier Berlin, Germany is fully covered. Rain, thaw or slush make no difference to opening hours. Here's when the season starts, what it costs and who should make the trip.
Winterquartier Berlin — “winter quarters” in Berlin-Friedrichshain — runs a covered ice rink with 1,000 m² of real ice at the Napoleon Komplex, a former industrial site in Friedrichshain, a few minutes' walk from Ostkreuz S-Bahn station. The 2026/27 season starts on Friday, 6 November 2026 and runs until February — outside these dates, the rink is closed. A session lasts 90 minutes. Admission depends on the day and time, from €6.00 to €9.50, and hire skates cost €5.00. Because it's an indoor ice rink , bad weather won't cancel it.
When is the ice rink in Berlin open?
Whether the ice rink is currently open depends purely on the calendar: the 2026/27 season begins on Friday, 6 November 2026 and runs until February — daily, with extended hours at weekends and on ice disco nights. That means Winterquartier opens about three weeks before the first Sunday of Advent and earlier than most Berlin winter rinks, which only open for the Christmas market season. The previous season's hours are listed further down as a guide. The confirmed times for 2026/27 will be published before the season starts.
The hall is closed outside these dates: Winterquartier is a seasonal venue, not a year-round ice stadium. The same goes for most Berlin winter rinks — they're set up in November and taken down again in February. If you want to skate outside the season, you'll need a year-round indoor ice rink — more on that further down.
Note on the season start: 6 November falls about three weeks before the first Sunday of Advent (29 November 2026). Check the ticket shop for when the Christmas market on site joins the programme.
Where can you go indoor ice skating in Berlin?
This is exactly where Winterquartier differs from most Berlin winter rinks. Its ice surface is fully covered — a genuine indoor ice rink, not an open-air rink under a marquee. Open-air rinks have to close for rain, thaw or mild weather. This one keeps running.
For planning, that means one thing: you can lock in a trip two weeks ahead without checking a weather app. That's the real advantage with kids, for birthdays or when guests are travelling from elsewhere — a cancelled plan causes more stress than a few degrees of temperature difference.
The roof also does something an open-air rink can't: it creates its own light and sound setup. The hall is lit up in colour in the evenings, and DJs play on ice disco nights. It's less ice stadium, more winter night out with a programme.
What does ice skating in Berlin cost?
Here's how prices work at Winterquartier. Admission to the Christmas market on site is separate and runs on a donation basis — you only pay if you want to get on the ice.
| Ticket | Regular | Reduced* |
|---|---|---|
| Tue–Fri until 16:00 | 6,00 € | 4,00 € |
| Tue–Fri from 16:00 | 7,50 € | 5,50 € |
| Saturday & Sunday | 7,50 € | 5,50 € |
| Ice disco Fri/Sat | 9,50 € | 6,50 € |
| Family ticket Tue–Fri 2 adults & 1 child | 14,00 € | — |
| Family ticket Sat & Sun 2 adults & 1 child | 17,50 € | — |
| School groups per person, booking required | 4,00 € | — |
| Skate hire 1 pair, sizes 26–47 | 5,00 € | — |
| Penguin aid per session | 4,00 € | — |
Good value for families Family ticket: €14.00 on weekdays, €17.50 at weekends, for two adults and one child. Bought separately, that would be €7.50 × 2 on a Saturday plus a reduced child ticket — so the family ticket clearly saves you money. Add €5.00 per pair for hire skates, unless you bring your own.
Visiting from abroad? Ice skating prices in Berlin at Winterquartier: admission €6.00–9.50 (reduced €4.00–6.50), skate rental €5.00 per pair, sizes 26–47, family ticket from €14. A session lasts 90 minutes. The rink is indoors and runs from late November to February — book online in advance, evening slots sell out.
Because time slots are limited, we recommend Booking online in advance. Evening slots are often fully booked at weekends and during Advent.
Opening hours
The rink is open from 6 November 2026 to February 2027. The confirmed times for the 2026/27 season are not yet set — once they are, you'll find them on the ice rink page and the ticket shop.
What we already know:
- Monday is closed — regular skating starts on Tuesdays.
- Afternoons cost less: The reduced rate applies until 16:00, Tuesday to Friday.
- Open earlier at weekends than on weekdays.
- Ice disco on Friday and Saturday evenings, with extended hours and its own rate.
- Each session lasts 90 minutes, with the ice surface resurfaced in between.
Opening times often differ on event days and during holiday weeks. The ticket shop always shows the times that apply.
Do you need your own skates?
No. Hire skates are available on site in sizes 26 to 47 , from toddler to adult sizes. You're welcome to bring your own skates, and they work out cheaper if you visit often.
Is ice skating at Winterquartier Berlin suitable for children and beginners too?
Yes, and it is designed with them in mind. For beginners, there are penguin aids — push frames that children and unsteady adults can hold on to — for €4.00 per session. They take the fear out of that first fall, and they are the difference between “I tried it once” and “that was fun”.
A few things that make a first visit with children easier:
- Gloves are compulsory — not because of the cold, but because of hands on the ice. Without gloves, the first fall hurts.
- Thin trousers are the wrong choice. A water-resistant layer makes all the difference — children spend a lot of time sitting on the ice.
- Bring a helmet, if you have one — a bike helmet works fine. A good habit for young children.
- Early slot, not evening. The ice is quieter in the afternoon than in the evening, when music plays and things get busier.
- 90 minutes is long. Half the time is often enough for a first visit — the break at the market stalls is part of the outing.
Discounted rates apply to children, students, senior citizens and people with disabilities (proof required at the ticket desk). Class groups get special rates. They can also take to the ice outside regular opening hours on request — a natural choice for a school trip.
Looking for other family-friendly ice rinks in the city? You’ll find them in our overview: 8 family-friendly places to go ice skating in Berlin.
How long does a session last, and how does a visit work?
An ice skating session usually lasts 90 minutes. Between slots, a machine resurfaces the ice surface, so every group starts on freshly groomed ice. That’s why the time slots are fixed — and why it pays to arrive on time.
- Book online. Choose a slot and secure your ticket. Especially worthwhile at weekends.
- Arrive and collect your skates. Arrive around 15 minutes before your slot starts — skate hire and changing take time.
- 90 minutes on ice. New to the ice? Penguin skating aids are available at the hire desk.
- Warm up. Right next to the hall, Christmas market stalls serve hot drinks and food.
What is the ice disco at Winterquartier?
The ice surface turns into a dance floor on selected evenings during Advent, mostly Fridays and Saturdays. Rotating DJs, an elaborate lighting set-up and extended opening hours turn ice skating into a club night. The music shifts between the 80s and 90s, hip hop and dark disco; on selected dates there’s live music on the ice and Rave-on-Ice formats.
These nights sell out regularly, so it pays to book early. You’ll find the season’s exact dates in the ticket shop.
What else is there besides ice skating?
Right next to the ice rink is the Winterquartier Christmas market. Admission is by donation; tickets are only needed for the ice rink and Bavarian curling. The food ranges from mulled wine (Glühwein) and roasted almonds to Flammkuchen, Spätzle and Grünkohl mit Kassler, plus vegetarian and vegan options like the mushroom pan or vegan bratwurst.
There’s arts and crafts too, design products, choir performances in Advent, fire shows and a dedicated children’s programme on family days. Prefer no limits? The all-inclusive package bundles food and drink into one fixed price.
The second activity on site is Bavarian curling on seven lanes — six on real ice, one on PVC. It also works for anyone who can’t skate or would rather not, which makes it a natural addition for mixed groups. New to it? The rules are in the insider guide to Berlin’s Bavarian curling lanes.
How do I get to the ice rink? Getting here and parking
Winterquartier is in the Napoleon Komplex, a former industrial site in Friedrichshain, at Modersohnstrasse 35-45, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain. The nearest station is the Ostkreuz station — just a few minutes’ walk away. It’s one of the city’s best-connected hubs, with ring, regional and suburban rail services.
We strongly recommend By public transport — for a very specific reason: Winterquartier sits on railway land, where parking is strictly forbidden and carries a €45 fine. If you're driving, park in the surrounding Rudolfkiez instead — a pay-and-display ticket applies there. Full details are on the Getting here.
Can you go ice skating in Berlin during summer?
Yes — but not with us. Ice skating outside the winter season needs an indoor ice rink that runs all year roundThe ones Berlin has come from competitive and school sport, not from leisure skating.
Public ice stadiums as an alternative
The best-known venues are Sportforum Berlin in Hohenschönhausen — Berlin's largest ice sports venue and training centre —, the Erika-Heß-Eisstadion in Mitte and the Horst-Dohm-Eisstadion in Wilmersdorf. Worth knowing: public skating sessions there are the exception, not the rule. Club, school and training sessions come first, and term and holiday schedules keep shifting the public slots. Planning to go? Check the times with the stadium itself — there's no one answer that covers all three.
Ice skating on frozen lakes
The classic image of a Berlin winter — but rare in practice. Most winters, Berlin's lakes don't freeze thick enough, and you're only allowed onto the ice once the surface has been officially cleared . This only happens in exceptionally cold winters, and often just for a few days. Stepping onto unchecked ice is life-threatening — even if the surface looks solid. If you want a reliable plan, a prepared rink is the safer choice.
Winterquartier is deliberately different from an ice stadium: not a sports hall, but a winter venue with an ice surface, music, food and drinks, and a Christmas market — an evening programme, not a place to train. That's why we only open in winter, but in a form no ice stadium can match.
Can you hire the ice rink or book it for a company event?
Yes. Alongside public skating, you can book the venue for Company parties, team events and private occasions can be booked — from a Bavarian curling lane for ten people to a Christmas party for several hundred guests. Groups can also arrange dates outside regular opening hours, for example in the morning.
What works best depends on your group size:
- Team on Ice — ice surface and Bavarian curling lanes as a team event
- Company Christmas party at Winterquartier — an overview of all formats
- Christmas dinner — for groups who prefer something quieter
- Costs & €110 allowance — what stays tax-free, including a calculator
- Christmas party ideas — if you haven't settled on a concept yet
The season starts on 6 November
1,000 m² of real ice, under cover, right by Ostkreuz — from Friday, 6 November 2026. Tickets for the 2026/27 season are available online — weekend evening slots tend to sell out first.
Frequently asked questions about ice skating in Berlin
When does the ice skating season start at Winterquartier Berlin?
The ice rink opens on Friday, 6 November 2026, and runs until February 2027. The hall is closed outside this season.
What are the ice rink's opening hours?
The confirmed times for the 2026/27 season aren't set yet. They'll be published before the season starts. Last season, the ice rink opened at 12:00 and closed at 19:30 Monday to Wednesday, at 21:30 on Thursday and at 22:00 on Friday. Saturday ran from 10:00 to 22:00, Sunday from 10:00 to 21:30. Times vary on event days.
Can you go ice skating in Berlin in summer, too?
No, not at Winterquartier Berlin — we run seasonally, from 6 November 2026 to February 2027. Outside the winter season, Berlin's public ice stadiums are your best option: Sportforum Berlin in Hohenschönhausen, Erika-Heß-Eisstadion in Mitte or Horst-Dohm-Eisstadion in Wilmersdorf. Clubs, schools and training take priority there, so public skating slots are the exception — check current times directly with the stadium.
Is the ice rink open when it rains?
Yes. The ice surface is fully covered. Rain, snow or a thaw doesn't affect operations — unlike outdoor rinks, which have to close in mild weather.
What does ice skating cost at Winterquartier Berlin?
Admission is €6.00 Tuesday to Friday until 16:00, then €7.50. At weekends it's €7.50, and €9.50 for the ice disco. Concessions are €4.00 to €6.50. Skate hire is €5.00 per pair, a penguin skating aid €4.00 per session. The family ticket for two adults and one child is €14.00 on weekdays and €17.50 at weekends.
How long does an ice skating session last?
Usually 90 minutes. The ice surface is resurfaced by machine between slots, so every group starts on freshly groomed ice.
Are ice skates available to hire?
Yes, in sizes 26 to 47 for €5.00 per pair. You're welcome to bring your own skates, too.
Is the ice rink suitable for children and beginners?
Yes. Penguin skating aids are available for €4.00 per session, so children and less confident adults have something to hold on to. Children pay a reduced rate and school classes get special terms. On request, they can also skate outside regular opening hours.
How do I get to Winterquartier Berlin?
Winterquartier Berlin is at Modersohnstrasse 35-45, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain, just a few minutes' walk from Ostkreuz S-Bahn station. Parking near the site is limited, so we recommend travelling by public transport.
Can you hire the ice rink for a company event?
Yes. The ice surface and Bavarian curling lanes can be booked for company parties, team events and private occasions, on request also outside regular opening hours. Details are on our company Christmas party page for Winterquartier Berlin.
Do you need to book online?
We recommend booking ahead, because time slots are limited. Evening slots regularly sell out at weekends and during Advent, and ice disco dates go first.