A magnet for athletes and tourists
The Vogtland Arena was thrust into the spotlight at the end of November 2013. The Ski Jumping World Cup opener was held in central Europe for the first time, resulting in a first-class ski jumping weekend for Klingenthal. “It was really quite special to experience the opening of the season right here at home,” said local ski jumper Richard Freitag, who also praised the “fantastic audience”. And rightly so, as around 15,000 fans made their way to the area for the event despite the inhospitable weather.
The head coach of the German ski jumping team, Werner Schuster, also enjoys his visits to the venue along with the German athletes. He spoke highly of the year-round training facility on the compact and convenient site, and praised the highly professional operator for their responsiveness to the needs of the sport. Schuster finds the crowds in Klingenthal to be “warm-hearted, passionate and very knowledgeable” and is impressed by their patience, particularly during delays caused by the weather.
Since its opening in 2006, the Vogtland Arena has attracted large numbers of tourists in good weather especially, even outside the winter sports season. Every year, thousands of visitors come here to enjoy the stunning views of the mountains, a sight the ski jumpers barely have time to admire during competitions.
Visitor opening times: daily 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; November to January 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, www.vogtland-arena.de
Facts and figures about the Vogtland Arena:
Tower height: 30.27 m
In-run length: 97.5 m
In-run speed: approx. 94 km/h
Height of take-off platform: 3.13 m
Length of take-off platform: 6.8 m
Total height of structure: 137.1 m
Ski jump record: 146.5 m (Michael Uhrmann)
