Experience Oberhof: The best tips for your final trip in 2025!

Experience Oberhof: The best tips for your final trip in 2025!

A complete success for travelers and winter sports fans: From October 31st to November 2nd, 2025, an exciting “trip into the blue” takes you to Oberhof, Thuringia. The participants can not only look forward to an unforgettable time in the panoramic hotel, but also to an interesting city tour, which is on the program on the second day. It's not for nothing that Oberhof is popular as a winter holiday destination - the town, which is located at around 815 m above sea level. NHN, located in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, has made a name for itself as a German winter sports center.

Oberhof is known for its first-class winter sports facilities and the variety of sports that are practiced here. From biathlon to luge to bobsleigh and cross-country skiing, sports enthusiasts can experience plenty here. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2009, the tourist facilities welcomed 132,000 guests and recorded an impressive 426,000 overnight stays. This makes Oberhof the most visited place in Thuringia after Erfurt and Weimar. This attractive destination has a long tradition of winter sports, dating back to the first world championships in two-man bobsleigh and Nordic combined in 1931.

A look into history

The city has continued to develop. In 1939, Oberhof was entered into the list of Greater German spas as a climatic health resort. The highlights include the impressive winter sports facilities, including the Lotto Thüringen Arena biathlon stadium and the ski jumps in Kanzlersgrund. The luge track, built in 1998, is ideal for adrenaline junkies and is also used for non-competitive events such as ice rafting and bobsledding. The 800 m long slope with chair lift and snowmaking system offers a modern experience for downhill skiers and snowboarders.

But it's not just tourism that is important in Oberhof. The city has also made a name for itself in international winter sports. At the 2023 Biathlon World Cup, around 58,000 spectators attended the event - an increase of around 5,000 compared to the previous year, even if the target of 60,000 visitors was narrowly missed. The organization went much better this year. A second route to the buses was created to avoid traffic jams in the parking lot, and police reported an overall quiet situation with only a few isolated crimes recorded. There was also a pleasing podium finish for the German team in the single mixed relay.

The future of winter sports

The anticipation for the next Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof, which will take place from January 8th to 11th, 2026, is already growing. Exciting sprint and pursuit races as well as relay competitions are planned. The tickets are already available in advance, and while the prices for season tickets range between 110 and 320 euros, children up to the age of nine get in free. The German Ski Association plans to host further biathlon world cups in Oberhof between 2027 and 2030. Application documents were submitted a year ago, but it remains to be seen whether Oberhof will continue to be on the calendar of winter sports events in the future.

Overall, Oberhof shows that a good knack for combining sports and tourism is important. Whether as an attractive destination for travelers or as a location for international competitions, the country town will continue to be in the spotlight. For all adventure seekers, the trip into the blue will be an unforgettable experience!

Further information about the ski sports hall in Oberhof can be found here: oberhof-skisporthalle.de.