85-year-old ice princess celebrates 70 years of ice skating in Gmünd!

85-year-old ice princess celebrates 70 years of ice skating in Gmünd!

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Deutschland - On January 11, 2025, Mayor Richard Arnold opened the ice rink in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The ceremonial event took place in front of the balcony of the office and was accompanied by Doris Webel (born election) and another lady. Webel, who has a long ice skating history at the age of 85, remembered her experiences 70 years ago on the frozen Schießtal, where innkeepers broke ice blocks from waters to cool drinks. She spoke about the earlier, colder winter when longer ice ages were possible and told about her training in Ravensburg and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

In recent years, however, the climate has changed, and the city of Gmünd no longer offers real ice rink. Instead, a plastic lift is used that does not require any energy to cool. This decision was made taking into account climate protection and costs. The plastic track is supported by sponsors and volunteers, and Corinna Lutz, a former German runner -up in figure skating, presented a show on this new train.

opening times and admission prices

The ice rink on the Gmünder Marktplatz is in operation until March 9th. The opening times are from Monday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. During the holidays, visitors can also use the train on working days from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission prices are designed as follows: adults pay 5 euros, children under the age of 18 4 euros and a family card costs 16 euros. In addition, 10 cards are offered that cost 40 euros for adults and 30 euros for children. The skate rental is 3.50 euros, while grinding your own ice skates is possible for 5 euros.

The development towards plastic ice sheets can not only be observed in Schwäbisch Gmünd. According to a forecast of Trautner, real ice rinks gradually die out due to high water and energy costs, while plastic icemal tracks serve as an ecological alternative. These are easy to assemble and enable inexpensive driving fun all year round, as reported wwf.de . Ice sports hall operators rent the plastic railways in summer to reduce energy costs and cities use these trains in marketplaces for customer loyalty.

-transmitted by West-East media