EN 
When we talk about the sea, mountains do not usually come to mind. And when we go to the seaside we want to swim, sunbathe, dive into the beach, even just in spirit, to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Mountains, ice and snow do not come to mind. But in Caorle it is all very different: throughout December and January there is an ice rink, a real attraction not only for children but for adults too. Caorle in winter brings the mountains to you.
The ice rink is set up in Piazza San Giovanni XXIII, between the roundabout at the entrance to town and the Rio Terrà delle Botteghe. We are right in the centre, among genuine architectural beauty, with the cylindrical bell tower in the background. The rink opens on 8 December, when the Christmas events begin. It covers almost the whole square and is kept artificially frozen by special machines that keep it slippery. You skate outdoors on a roofed structure that, once running, looks very much like a real ice rink such as those in Feltre or Alleghe, the only difference being that it is outdoors.
There are two huts used for paying for skate hire and for changing shoes. Putting on skates is very easy; getting onto the ice is harder. But the rink is so big, for a seaside resort, that anyone can learn the art of skating in a few minutes.
There is also the opposite trend: people from mountain resorts come to skate in Caorle. They are people who live in the Alps, in Austria, Switzerland and the regions of northern Italy, who come to Caorle to spend the Christmas holidays and New Year and enjoy the various events. Their skate hire is a real test of whether the ice rink works well or not, and no one has ever complained. Setting it up takes a few weeks, while dismantling is completed between the beginning and the end of February.
Holding the ice rink in summer is also being considered. The problem is finding the resources and the space, as Caorle’s old town is always full of people in the evenings.
