The largest ice park in the Balkans opened in downtown Sofia on December 1

Bulgaria’s capital Sofia now has an ice park. The largest ice rink on the Balkan Peninsula opened today, December 1.

It was built by Sofia Municipality, modelled on the one in Vienna. It is in the Knyazheskata garden near the Eagles Bridge.

The facility is part of the "Sofia - European Capital of Sport" programme.

The ice park has an area of nearly 4,000 sq.m. There are ice paths that run through the whole garden. They are 500 metres long.

Some 2,000 pairs of new skates have been provided for people who do not have personal equipment.

Twelve instructors will teach visitors to ice skate. From 9.00 to 11.00, skating is free-of-charge for children and pupils.

With the construction of the Ice Park, Sofia ranks alongside major European capitals such as Brussels, Paris, Prague, London and Vienna, which have a long tradition of using urban facilities for winter sports.

Images by Dessislava Kulelieva