Skyllermarks Långfärdsskridskor

Welcome to the Nordic Skater’s Paradise

Nordic skating is a huge sport in central Sweden, where the conditions are optimal. Swedish Nordic skaters can usually delight in long, snow-free winters. We have access to a nearly endless number of gorgeous natural ice surfaces within minutes or perhaps an hour at most away from our home towns – Stockholm, for instance. The landscape is dotted with everything from small lakes that freeze early in the season to very large ones you might have to wait a little longer to enjoy.

If the weather conditions are right, even the sea freezes and skaters can make their way around the archipelago. As a result, the skating season often lasts from November to April.

All through the season, the burning question for every Nordic skater is: "Where is the best ice today?" Everyone prefers to skate on perfect, glassy ice and with the wind at their backs. Swedish skaters get the answer from any one of a number of clubs that provide ice reports by phone or the Internet. The clubs, such as the Stockholm Ice Skate Sailing Association, Friskis & Svettis and Friluftsfrämjandet, also arrange group tours.

Guided Tours

Skating in a group has a number of advantages. The tour is planned to take advantage of the best ice and wind for the day. People who want to skate call an answering machine to find out about scheduled tours and where to meet. That could mean you need to be at a train station at 08.35 or at the bus stop for a chartered bus leaving at 09.00. The main thing is to get to the meeting point on time – after that, you need only to stick with the others for the rest of the day. Once you are out on the ice, skaters fall into smaller groups organized according to strength and skill level. You have to let your body tell you whether you are fit enough on that occasion to manage a fast group that will skate as far as 70 km in one day or whether it might be better to skate 30 to 50 km in a slower group. If the ice is a little bumpy or there are patches of pack ice, balance is everything. A pair of ski or ice poles will help you keep your balance and conserve your energy. You will get the most out of your Nordic Skating experience if your strength lasts until the darkness falls over the ice, as most tours don’t end until it does.

Safety in Numbers

Once you have chosen a group and started to skate, you can feel safe. A trained and experienced leader skates up front. Everyone skating in the group wears a backpack with a waist strap and many use groin straps as well. Everyone has a complete change of clothes wrapped in waterproof plastic bags in their backpacks. Every now and then, someone has a bit of bad luck and falls through the ice and should that happen, the filled backpack functions as a life vest. Ice claws are mandatory and many skaters also carry a lifeline to throw to a person in danger, so if the worst should happen, you usually won’t be in the water for more than a few minutes at most. You’ll be up and out quickly and into dry clothes, and then you can just keep on skating. Although tours are always on natural ice, no one has ever drowned in a group tour in Sweden. Beyond brief involuntary dips in the water, accidents during group skating tours are generally limited to stumbles and falls.

Natural Beauty and Relaxing Breaks

Beyond the rush of skating itself, day tours provide incredible opportunities to commune with nature. The tours usually pass areas of great natural beauty as well as cultural treasures like old castles and prehistoric monuments. The leaders are usually experts who can not only read the ice but also tell you about the sights. After a few hours of skating, it will be time to recharge your batteries. The leader stops the group at a pleasant place somewhere out of the wind. All skaters go quickly ashore, pull out their insulated cushions, and put on an additional, warming layer of clothing. Out of the backpacks come the thermoses filled with steaming coffee, the sandwiches, rolls, and sweets. Some skaters bring along full-blown – and appetizing! – picnics, while others are happy with a sandwich or two. The rest of the day is devoted to more skating punctuated by another break later on. How far the group gets depends on skating strength, ice conditions, and how long the light lasts. Day tours are shorter from November through February because darkness comes early. The days are longer in March and April and everyone has put a lot of “skating mileage” on their legs by then. Even that late in the season, true enthusiasts can skate almost 200 km between Stockholm and Örebro, as long as the ice is still there, of course.

Tired, Happy, and Content

Once you’ve reached the day’s destination, a bus or train will be waiting to take sweaty, tired, and happy skaters back to the departure point. It may be wise to keep the evening after your first real skating tour on natural ice open. After a good dinner, most skaters fall asleep happy and exhausted on the sofa.


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Welcome to the Nordic Skater’s Paradise Nordic skating is a huge sport in central Sweden, where the conditions are optimal. Swedish Nordic skaters can usually delight in long, snow-free winters. We have access to a nearly endless number of gorgeous natural ice surfaces within minutes or perhaps an hour at most away from our home towns – Stockholm, for instance. The landscape is dotted with everything from small lakes that freeze early in the season to very large ones you might have to wait a little longer to enjoy. If the weather conditions are right, even the sea freezes and skaters can make their way around the archipelago. As a result, the skating season often lasts from November to April. All through the season, the burning question for every Nordic skater is: "Where is the best ice today?" Everyone prefers to skate on perfect, glassy ice and with the wind at their backs. Swedish skaters get the answer from any one of a number of clubs that provide ice reports by phone or the Internet. The clubs, such as the Stockholm Ice Skate Sailing Association, Friskis & Svettis and Friluftsfrämjandet, also arrange group tours. Guided Tours Skating in a group has a number of advantages. The tour is planned to take advantage of the best ice and wind for the day. People who want to skate call an answering machine to find out about scheduled tours and where to meet. That could mean you need to be at a train station at 08.35 or at the bus stop for a chartered bus leaving at 09.00. The main thing is to get to the meeting point on time – after that, you need only to stick with the others for the rest of the day. Once you are out on the ice, skaters fall into smaller groups organized according to strength and skill level. You have to let your body tell you whether you are fit enough on that occasion to manage a fast group that will skate as far as 70 km in one day or whether it might be better to skate 30 to 50 km in a slower group. If the ice is a little bumpy or there are patches of pack ice, balance is everything. A pair of ski or ice poles will help you keep your balance and conserve your energy. You will get the most out of your Nordic Skating experience if your strength lasts until the darkness falls over the ice, as most tours don’t end until it does. Safety in Numbers Once you have chosen a group and started to skate, you can feel safe. A trained and experienced leader skates up front. Everyone skating in the group wears a backpack with a waist strap and many use groin straps as well. Everyone has a complete change of clothes wrapped in waterproof plastic bags in their backpacks. Every now and then, someone has a bit of bad luck and falls through the ice and should that happen, the filled backpack functions as a life vest. Ice claws are mandatory and many skaters also carry a lifeline to throw to a person in danger, so if the worst should happen, you usually won’t be in the water for more than a few minutes at most. You’ll be up and out quickly and into dry clothes, and then you can just keep on skating. Although tours are always on natural ice, no one has ever drowned in a group tour in Sweden. Beyond brief involuntary dips in the water, accidents during group skating tours are generally limited to stumbles and falls. Natural Beauty and Relaxing Breaks Beyond the rush of skating itself, day tours provide incredible opportunities to commune with nature. The tours usually pass areas of great natural beauty as well as cultural treasures like old castles and prehistoric monuments. The leaders are usually experts who can not only read the ice but also tell you about the sights. After a few hours of skating, it will be time to recharge your batteries. The leader stops the group at a pleasant place somewhere out of the wind. All skaters go quickly ashore, pull out their insulated cushions, and put on an additional, warming layer of clothing. Out of the backpacks come the thermoses filled with steaming coffee, the sandwiches, rolls, and sweets. Some skaters bring along full-blown – and appetizing! – picnics, while others are happy with a sandwich or two. The rest of the day is devoted to more skating punctuated by another break later on. How far the group gets depends on skating strength, ice conditions, and how long the light lasts. Day tours are shorter from November through February because darkness comes early. The days are longer in March and April and everyone has put a lot of “skating mileage” on their legs by then. Even that late in the season, true enthusiasts can skate almost 200 km between Stockholm and Örebro, as long as the ice is still there, of course. Tired, Happy, and Content Once you’ve reached the day’s destination, a bus or train will be waiting to take sweaty, tired, and happy skaters back to the departure point. It may be wise to keep the evening after your first real skating tour on natural ice open. After a good dinner, most skaters fall asleep happy and exhausted on the sofa.