We've already discussed the Christmas markets in Florence over the festive period but there is plenty of other stuff that you can do if you are going to be in the area during winter. One of the best of these things is a little unexpected; Florence Winter Park is a winter activities park just outside of the city. While you may normally associate that great city with museums and cultural gems and Italian winter sports with the Alps, Florence Winter Park offers the chance to skip the history, heritage and culture for the day in favour of some fun. It also means that a city break can also become a ski holiday – a two-for-one, so to speak! Don't miss out on this opportunity! Once you have found a luxury villa in Florence, be sure to drop by the Winter Park.
Florence Winter Park takes place in Obihall in Lungarno Aldo Moro and is open from the 28th of October 2015 until the 6th of March 2016. It has been running for several years now and, due to its popularity, now opens for longer each year than it did in the past. This means that people can go several times and even join a Florence Winter Park Club. Birthday parties are planned in the park, skiing lessons are offered and the facilities are top notch. There is an ice-skating rink, a smaller version for kids, a slope for skiing, a track for tubing and Broomball is also offered. What, you may ask, is Broomball? It is a strange, but fun, new sport which involves playing hockey on smooth and dry ice, wearing special rubber-soled shoes (instead of skates) to improve traction. Becoming more and more popular around the world, this is still a relatively uncommon sport and the Winter Park gives you a rare chance to try it out!
Tubing is also another fun and unusual activity which involves zooming down a snow-filled ramp on an inner-tube, reaching extremely fast speeds. If you have kids or people in the group seeking less of a thrill, there is, in addition to the main track, a slower ramp with less elevation. Ski lessons for children or beginners are taught by Zari Sauro and there are free-skiing practices from Monday to Thursday from 9pm to midnight. Additionally, there is a restaurant on the premises which is rather Alpine-looking and atmospheric and a bar next to the slopes which serves hot-chocolate, mulled wine, pies and sandwiches.
The park is open Monday – Friday 14:00 – 00:00, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 – 00:00 and is a definite must for anyone in Florence this Christmas and winter!
The park is open Monday – Friday 14:00 – 00:00, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 – 00:00 and is a definite must for anyone in Florence this Christmas and winter!
