Reconstruction of the Königssee artificial ice track –
a traditional venue for ice channel sports is being rebuilt
Berchtesgaden (FIL/June 13, 2025) The legendary track at Königssee – the first of its kind in the world – is being rebuilt. Following the devastating storm on the night of July 17-18, 2021, which destroyed large parts of the track, construction work to restore and modernize this internationally renowned sports facility has been underway since April 2024.
Opened in January 1969, the Königssee ice track is considered the birthplace of modern luge, bobsleigh, and skeleton sports. Seven FIL Luge World Championships, annual World Cups, and Olympic preparation and junior races have taken place there over the past years – unforgettable for the region, for example, was the “home World Championship triumph” of the Bavarian athletes in 2016, when Natalie Geisenberger, Felix Loch, and the doubles team Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt brought all titles home.
Extensive renovation after storm damage
The storm disaster in 2021 left massive damage to the track and the surrounding slopes. The upper part of the track, including the men's start and the first three curves, was particularly affected. Demolition of this section began in spring 2024.
A so-called debris flow barrier is currently being built in its place, which will protect both the sports facility and the valley from new mudslides in the future. The track is being rebuilt in close accordance with safety, sustainability, and sporting requirements. The necessary concrete work, slope stabilization, and technical renovations are underway. The goal is to reopen the track for training and competition in time for the 2025/26 Olympic season.
From November 2025, the first training runs for women, doubles, and bobsleigh starts should be possible again. The new men's start for the luge athletes will follow in a second construction phase in summer 2026. This will complete the facility step by step.
Owner and financing
The project is being built by the Berchtesgadener Land district, with ARGE Deyle – iC – aquasoli acting as general planner under the leadership of the renowned engineering firm Deyle from Stuttgart (Germany). The total cost of 53.5 million Euros will be financed by the program for the restoration of infrastructure in the municipalities, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany as part of the 2021 reconstruction aid fund, relief measures for those affected by the heavy rain and flooding in July 2021.
Looking ahead to the sporting future
The return to the international competition calendar is firmly planned: From January 23 to 25, 2026, the first Luge World Cup after the renovation will take place at Königssee – which will also serve as a dress rehearsal for the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, which will open on February 6.
One day later, on February 7, 2026, local hero Felix Loch will once again compete for Olympic glory in Cortina – he still holds the track record from the former men’s start on his home track with a time of 48.803 seconds, set at the 2021 World Championships.
Another highlight is coming up in 2028: the FIL Luge World Championships will return to Königssee for the eighth time, exactly 59 years after the first edition in 1969, the year the track was founded.
Felix Loch: “My sporting living room is coming back to life.”
Felix Loch, three-time Olympic champion and one of the leading figures in German luge, is delighted about the return of the Königssee track: "I'm really excited that our Königssee track is being rebuilt. It's not just a track for me – it's my sporting living room. This is where I learned to luge, grew up, collected countless memories, and celebrated great successes. The fact that we will soon be able to train and race here again means a lot to me personally."
The traditional artificial ice track at Königssee will thus once again become the center of international sports and a symbol of a new beginning for sports after the natural disaster.
A video of the construction work at Königssee can be found here: https://youtu.be/tQJw64iHkls
