Bobsleighing, tobogganing, ice skating: Winter fun for skiing fanatics

Winter fun during the vacations: Thanks to snow and frost, families in Saxony don't have far to go skiing or snowboarding. Many ski slopes and trails in the Ore Mountains are prepared for winter sports enthusiasts. But what if after a few days your ski boots start to pinch and you need a change? Away from the ski slopes and trails, there are plenty of winter activities on offer - even for those who don't like skiing.

Adrenaline rush with bobsleighing and ice tubing

For once, you can feel like a bobsleigh pro and hurtle through the ice channel at over 100 km/h - even amateurs can do this in Altenberg. Where professional athletes usually hold their competitions, guests can join experienced pilots in the 4-man bobsleigh, which steers them through steep bends over a distance of 1,000 meters. The pleasure comes at a price of 99 euros per person and many dates are already fully booked. There are also guided tours of the ice canal every Tuesday. During the vacations, children can go on a scavenger hunt.

The Ice-Tubin is not quite as fast as the bobsleigh, but you can still travel at high speed. Here, visitors can slide through the ice channel in a tire. There are two variants: a 400-metre-long track for visitors aged 10 and over and a 1,000-metre-long track for guests aged 16 and over.

Guest biathlon in Altenberg and Oberwiesenthal

The sport of biathlon has a long tradition in Saxony and has produced some successful athletes. Away from top-class sport, those interested can also try out this discipline for themselves and put their aiming accuracy to the test in the Altenberg shooting range. This must be booked in advance at the tourist information office.

In Oberwiesenthal, both shooting training and active training are offered in the ski arena on Wednesday afternoons during the vacations. In addition to shooting at a folding target, participants can also compete in a relay race on skis and complete a lap of the stadium like real biathletes. The event is organized by the club WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal.

Sledging fun in the mountains

Get your sledges ready and go: whether in Upper Lusatia, Vogtland or the Ore Mountains, many places in the mountains offer great slopes for sledging - provided it has snowed enough. In some places, artificial snow is added to the toboggan slopes, such as "Rost's Wiesen" in Augustusburg. According to the Erzgebirge Tourism Association, there are currently good sledding opportunities in Carlsfeld, Tellerhäuser, Breitenbrunn, Eibenstock and Oberwiesenthal.

Sledgers can take the historic suspension railroad up the Fichtelberg. A 1,740-metre-long natural toboggan run then awaits there, leading down to the village. In Johanngeorgenstadt, too, toboggan fans don't have to trudge up the slope on foot, but can use a lift. For this purpose, the adventure mountain has been converted from a ski lift to a toboggan lift. However, you must leave your own vehicle at home: Special toboggans are available on site for the lift.

Gliding across the ice on runners

The frost has caused many lakes and ponds to freeze over, which now attracts ice skaters. However, there are frequent warnings against entering the water, or it is even expressly forbidden. If you still want to glide across the ice on skates in the open air, you can use artificial ice surfaces. For example, in Oberwiesenthal, in Zwickau's Muldepark and on the market square in Schneeberg. There is currently a colorful hustle and bustle on the ice every day against the backdrop of the historic town hall.

Covered ice rinks and ice rinks are open in Oelsnitz/Vogtland and Aue, as well as in Jonsdorf in the Zittau Mountains. The ice sports center in Chemnitz offers public ice skating both indoors and on the open-air speed skating rink, as does the Weißwasser ice arena in Upper Lusatia. In many places, the ice rinks also offer special events such as curling, carnival activities or ice disco.

Hiking through the winter forest

Enjoying the landscape and strolling through winter forests is also possible without skis. There are a number of winter hikes in the Ore Mountains and Saxon Switzerland - such as tours along the Malerweg trail, from Schmilka up to the Carola Rock or from Königstein via the small Bärenstein to Wehlen. In the Ore Mountains, there are routes from Altenberg to the Scharspitze, between Neuhausen and the toy village of Seiffen or from Carlsfeld over the dam wall to Weitersglashütte.