Sparkly skating at Clifton On Ice.

“It’s even more magical than ice skating in Germany at Christmastime!” And, coming from a gal who was living in Munich this time last year, that’s saying something.

Last Friday, just after the sun had set, I met up with three of my best girlfriends at Clifton On Ice, Bristol’s newest pop-up ice rink.

Situated in the heart of Clifton (the loveliest area of Bristol in my opinion), the ice rink is a sight to behold. Having walked past it gawping at the pretty twinkly lights multiple times, I was desperate to get my skates on and have a go on the ice myself.

Wrapped up warm in winter woollies, we excitedly laced up our skates and ventured onto the ice.

Snap courtesy of Amber

My initial feeling was “HOW THE BAJEEZUS DO YOU DO THIS!?” But we soon got into the swing of things, gliding over the ice like wannabe Torvills and Deans.

OK, we definitely looked more like Bambi on ice, but we were having a great time and that’s all that mattered.

Having my very own "Harry Styles in the Night Changes video" moment

The atmosphere was simply magical! Fairy lights sparkle above and all around the rink, it’s adorned with real twinkly Christmas trees, and festive tunes play out over the ice, creating the perfect Christmassy atmosphere.

The adorable après-skate bar lines the rink (I’ll get to that later) meaning family and friends can cheer on laugh at their chums on the ice, and the skaters themselves can look out over Clifton bustling by on the other side.

Granted, the rink isn’t huge, but with its little loopy cave section, the layout is interesting and you don’t get bored. We nattered and skated for our full hour and had a great time!

Amber nailed the skating selfie

Luckily the rink wasn’t too busy, although we did have the occasional collision with some men far too eager to show off, not to mention tiny, fearless children.

Helmets were free if you wanted them though, and having two skating staff members on the ice at all times who would gracefully glide over should anyone take a tumble, we all felt safe. The staff were delightfully friendly too.

Our hour was soon up though, and we were ready to hit the utterly charming, Alpine chalet-style bar.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Warming up round the fire, I felt like I was back at Winterdorf in Bayreuth!

The free blankets and fire weren't quite enough though, oh no. We needed warming up from the inside-out. Ergo, mulled cider. 

From posh hot dogs to Champagne, there's an array of tempting treats on offer. Although they're not the most student-friendly of prices, alas.

That said, our mulled cider was indeed scrumptious and just what we needed after coming off the ice.

We all agreed it had been an absolutely perfect afternoon of festive fun, and I'd thoroughly recommend Clifton On Ice to anyone in the vicinity. Magical, sparkly, Christmassy... I utterly loved it.

Thanks to Clifton On Ice for inviting me and the girls to skate at a discounted rate - this post is, as always, entirely my honest opinion. Find out more about tickets here.