Skautahöll — Reykjavík Ice Skating Rink

Story & Folklore

Skautahöll is where Reykjavík learns to skate. The indoor rink in Laugardalur operates year-round (Iceland's outdoor winters are often too windy for pond skating), offering public skating sessions, ice hockey leagues, and figure skating training. Public skating sessions run most afternoons and evenings — families with children wobbling on skates, teenagers showing off, couples holding hands on ice. Skate rental available (around 800 ISK). The rink also hosts ice hockey games — Iceland has small but enthusiastic hockey culture, and watching a local game is entertaining. Ice skating is traditional in Iceland — before indoor rinks, Icelanders skated on frozen ponds and lakes in winter. The tradition continues at Skautahöll, now with heated changing rooms and a snack bar instead of frozen toes and thermoses. It's a rainy-day family activity, a glimpse into Icelandic winter sports culture, and a chance to skate indoors while volcanic landscapes wait outside.