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Reopening of the Königssee toboggan run: competitions in danger!
Delays in the reopening of the Königssee-Bahn require rescheduling of important IBSF competitions for 2025/2026 in Berchtesgadener Land.
Reopening of the Königssee toboggan run: competitions in danger!
One of the most important sports facilities in Berchtesgadener Land is facing an uncertain future. As the IBSF reported that the reopening of the Königssee artificial ice rink has been delayed again. On July 11th, the Berchtesgadener Land district office and the German Association were informed about the current developments. This means thorough replanning for the upcoming competition season.
The original plan was to start operations for the 2025/2026 season, but the terrible weather conditions in July 2021 caused considerable damage to the railway and required extensive renovation work. This was also made clear in a statement from the district office, which predicts a delay of around a year.
Background and challenges
The review of the existing installations revealed that the refrigerant pipes in the lower rail area need to be replaced. Specifically, in addition to the 575 meters already identified in the upper area, 675 meters in the lower area also need to be built. The extensive repair work that became necessary after the mudslides in 2021 is still proceeding on schedule. At the same time, the lack of young skilled workers made the commissioning of the railway more complicated, which means that the target date of November 2023 cannot be met.
Overall, it is clear that the championships of the 2025/2026 season will have to be distributed to other tracks. These include major competitions such as the Skeleton Junior World Championships, the Luge World Cup and the Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup finals, all of which were scheduled to take place in March 2026. So sports fans have to prepare for a slightly different competitive season.
Reactions and outlook
IBSF President Ivo Ferriani expressed regret at the news, which is disappointing for the IBSF community and especially the young athletes in the area. District Administrator Bernhard also emphasizes that safety is the top priority in all of this. They want to get the railway back into operation as quickly as possible, but the main focus is on ensuring trouble-free operation.
A glimmer of hope could be the availability of the artificial ice rink for icing in October 2026 if everything goes according to plan. However, it remains to be seen whether the additional repairs required by then and the recruitment of skilled workers will be successful in time. The IBSF is already working on alternative venues for the affected races, which will be announced soon.
The future of the Königssee artificial ice rink remains exciting because it is not only an important part of sport in the region, but also a place where athletes and fans alike come together. We have to wait and keep an eye on developments until the matter is finally clarified.