Fast-paced tobogganing at the Christmas market.

It is the ninth edition of Winterland. As always, the event takes place in front of the City-Galerie. There are also numerous huts this year where visitors can be fed. A synthetic surface invites visitors to curling. All this is well-known and familiar. What is new is a toboggan run, which outshines the multi-week event for its sheer size. It goes down almost five metres. Helmut Wiedemann, the operator of Winterland, hopes this attraction will make it even more widely accepted.

On Wednesday, the 55-year-old is still in the middle of preparations. Everything has to be ready soon, because Winterland starts on Thursday. For the photo session, Wiedemann sits down in the tyre that serves as the vehicle for the toboggan ride. The ride lasts barely five seconds. There are bales of straw at the bottom to slow the tobogganist down. The slope of the track is 36 per cent. According to Wiedemann, the maximum speed is 15 kilometres per hour. "The ride feels like being on a toboggan hill," he says.

Tobogganing does not cost an entrance fee

The ride on the toboggan hill is free of charge. However, you ride at your own risk. Signs point this out. A rental fee of five euros is charged for the tyres. Those who bring a car tyre from home can also use it, says Wiedemann. A supervisor at the top of the slope will ensure that the rides are regulated. Two people are allowed to ride at the same time. The queue is on the stairs of the facility. Wiedemann worked together with a scaffolding company that erected the construction. The Tubtrax sliding mats were provided by Skitrax World.

Wiedemann wants to limit the tobogganing times somewhat. On weekdays, it starts at 4 pm, on weekends at 11 am. "I think that in the evening it should end at around 9 pm," says the operator of Winterland, who has also joined the Plärrer as a festival host this year.

Winterland is open daily from 22 November to 30 December from 11 am to midnight. Most of the huts close at 10 pm. The Riegele beer stand is open until midnight.