Oberhof Cross-Country Ski Hall

• The LOTTO Thüringen Ski Sports Hall Oberhof officially opened in 2009.
• It is an indoor venue for cross-country skiing and biathlon.
• The loop is up to 1,755 metres long, with gradients of up to 12 per cent.
• The hall is kept at about minus three to minus four degrees Celsius.
• An attached four-lane shooting hall opened in 2011.
• The venue is beside the LOTTO Thüringen ARENA am Rennsteig and separate from the alpine facilities at Fallbachhang.

The Oberhof Ski Sports Hall makes cross-country skiing possible on an indoor, artificially snow-covered course. Officially opened on 1 September 2009, it was Germany’s first cross-country skiing hall and provides year-round facilities for cross-country skiing and biathlon. The route largely follows natural terrain, with climbs and descents instead of a flat loop. It is up to 1,755 metres long, and the maximum gradient is 12 per cent.

The snow-covered course sits within a larger building of around 10,000 square metres. Snow is produced inside and the hall is kept cool; the stated air temperature is about minus three to minus four degrees Celsius. This makes the course available on snow throughout the year, independent of outdoor weather. Designed for Nordic skiing, it has varied sections and a wider central area for both training and recreational use.

The facility expanded in 2011 with an attached shooting hall containing four small-bore and air-rifle lanes. The complex brings cross-country training and biathlon together. The shooting hall can also be used separately, without a ski session. A viewing balcony offers a look inside the hall. The viewing balcony and recreational skiing can have different opening hours.

The hall is in Oberhof’s winter sports centre between Fallbachhang and the LOTTO Thüringen ARENA am Rennsteig. The neighbouring venues serve different disciplines: Fallbachhang is the town’s alpine skiing and downhill area, while the hall is for Nordic cross-country skiing and biathlon. The facility represents a distinct development in Oberhof’s winter sports infrastructure: a controlled indoor setting for elite and recreational skiing on cross-country skis. Other changes to winter sports venues are described in ski areas in transition.