Königssee bobsleigh and luge track reopens five years after flash flood

The bobsleigh and luge track at Königssee officially reopened on Wednesday, more than five years after a flash flood severely damaged it, BR reported. The venue in Berchtesgadener Land is an important training centre for German bobsleigh, skeleton and luge athletes, but its reconstruction has drawn criticism.

Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder opened the track, calling it a “super talent factory”. The first official competition on the rebuilt artificial ice track saw Julia Taubitz and Felix Loch win the German luge titles in the women’s and men’s events. On November 8, the venue had hosted the German skeleton championships, with athlete Felix Seibel testing the track.

Loch, a two-time Olympic champion, said the new track felt much like the old one, as its layout had barely changed. He said the four consecutive S-curves near the start were particularly challenging for younger athletes, who had lost the chance to gain experience on the track during its five-year closure.

The July 2021 flash flood carried water, debris and tree trunks down the track, heavily damaging its upper section. Initial estimates put the damage at about 20 million euros, but the reconstruction budget eventually reached about 58.5 million euros. The federal and state reconstruction fund is providing 53.5 million euros, with Bavaria covering a further five million.

Costs have since risen by about 10 million euros because of redesigns and delays, according to Thomas Schwab, head of the German Bobsleigh and Sled Association. The project included repairs to the refrigeration system and concrete structure, as well as flood defences. About 5.7 million euros was allocated to protection along the Klingerbach stream. A new debris barrier and catchment basin are designed to hold up to 7,000 cubic metres of material.

The closure forced athletes to train at other tracks, including one in Innsbruck, about 200 kilometres away. Schwab said the Königssee venue was particularly important because Germany’s four artificial ice tracks each serve a large share of the country’s squad athletes. Loch also welcomed having a home track again, saying its return was especially important for young athletes.

The Bund Naturschutz, a German environmental organisation, has criticised the decision to rebuild the track in the same location where the 2021 storm destroyed it. The organisation considers the site a geological high-risk area and questions whether the new protective measures will be sufficient during future extreme storms.

Work is not yet complete: the upper section, including the men’s luge start and three further curves, is still missing. Construction is due to resume in 2027, with the full facility expected to be ready by early 2028, when Königssee is scheduled to host the luge world championships.