On Thursday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission for Munich 2018 visited the Koenigssee Sliding Park, proposed host venue for the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. The venue is in situated in an idyllic setting adjacent to Lake Koenigssee surrounded by the Alps.
A scene in the movie “The Sound of Music” was shot on Lake Koenigssee, and from the looks of it not much has changed, giving you an idea of the charm of the area.
The original track was built 40 years ago and was the first in the world with artificial ice. It was renovated in 2010 for the 2011 World Championships and venue representatives say it is ready for the 2018 Games right now, meeting all federation requirements. The track is used regularly for training and hosts teams from other parts of the world.
The venue was proposed as part of the failed Salzburg 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games bids and it is situated right near the Austrian border making it almost a 2-hour drive from the Munich Olympic Park – the most distant of the venues.
The Mayor of the Municipality of Schoenau Am Koenigssee Stefan Kurz, where the venue is located, said the area has ambitious plans. A sport resort and hotel ranging from 4 to 5 storeys tall will be built on the opposite side of the lake on the hillside to provide accommodations for athletes and the media – and to shorten the distance to the Sliding Park, a permanent footbridge will be built across the lake whether the Games are won or not. While these features may add to the functionality of the area, they may diminish the iconic scenic beauty of the popular German vacation spot.
