In winter, Austrians bring out their skates to enjoy the natural ice rinks.
However, this year’s high temperatures prevent the lakes from freezing.
The Lake Weissensee, in the state of Carinthia, is one of the few icy surfaces in Austria that this year has a sufficiently thick layer of icedespite not reaching the 50 centimeters thick that it reached other years.
The ice masters check its thickness and quality every morning to make sure it can support the weight of the thousands of skaters who walk it every day.
The Carinthian Nature Track is one of the most famous in the country and many visitors make long journeys to enjoy it.
As of January 21, the presence of some 6,000 Dutch athletes is expected to pass through Carinthia, to celebrate the race of the 11 cities, an ice skating march that takes place over almost 200 kilometers.
All the attention of the experts is focused on checking the quality of the ice, since wind, rain or snow can damage it.
