No Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour on the Weissensee, but there is one elsewhere
A winter skating holiday looks to be off, between corona and the cancellations. There is a glimmer of hope for skating enthusiasts all the same. There is still a tour on the programme. But where?
Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour cancelled
They are gutted: the sporting holidaymakers with a weakness for skating on natural ice abroad. The Weissensee Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour (Austria) has been cancelled. And the same goes for Runn Winter Week (Sweden).
Two holiday destinations where an alternative to the 11-City Tour cannot go ahead. Even so, there is one more option.
Skating on sea ice at Luleå (Swedish Lapland)
Because there is more to Sweden than Lake Runn. The sea, for instance, and the Gulf of Bothnia in particular. At Luleå, in Swedish Lapland, you can go skating on sea ice.
In February there is a tour here for recreational skaters too. And guess what? Besides distances of 10, 30, 60 and 100 kilometres there is that legendary 200 km. In other words, the distance of an 11-City Tour.
Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour: the tour on 19 February
According to the online home of Skating Luleå the tour is on 19 February. This tour version of the Sea-Ice Classic runs on a circuit of about 7 kilometres.
- There are two start times, first 06.30 and then 09.00.
- The early time is for the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour, the later one for the other distances.
- In both cases you can finish up to 17.00.
Collecting your transponder on 18 February
In the southern harbour there is a tent under the crane. That is where Skating Luleå hands out the numbers and transponders on 18 February, from 17.30 to 18.30.
The transponder records your performance, so everything is tracked automatically. The deposit is 85 euros.
Food and drink during the tour
The organisation provides catering. “All day there are snacks and drinks to collect at the catering tent, with your number worn visibly.”
There is also a special hot lunch to collect between 11.30 and 13.00.
Code orange
The whole of Sweden now has code ‘orange’. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just announced this public on its 24/7 channel.
For now the Alternative Dutch 11-City Tour at Luleå is going ahead.
© dionvacation®
Magical ice between the mountains. Oases that are a feast for the eyes under the sun. Team dionvacation is made up of recreational skaters and sun lovers, people who savour life. We share that zest for life from the Weissensee all the way to the Catalan coast. The holiday home ‘Vida Daurada’ (the golden life) suits that lifestyle, between mountains and sea. All articles are written by our own travel editors. Vida Daurada sponsors the Sun destination section.