Alpincenter Bottorp

Indoor ski centres are very popular in Germany nowadays. Giving an opportunity to ski all year round these ski resorts are of great demand among ski lovers. One of the best centres of such kind is Alpincenter Bottrop.
The famous resort is situated in Bottrop, on the lands of North Rhine-Westphalia. In former times, it used to be a place of coal mining. The world’s longest indoor ski track is situated under the roof of the centre. It is 640 metres long and 30 metres wide; the vertical drop is up to 85 metres. It goes down from the mountain and circles a bit at the end of the track. Two well-equipped ski tracks are available at Alpincenter Bottrop. The small one is up to 50 meters long, it’s good for kids, beginners and snowboarders. The bigger one is for skilled or even professional skiers. It requires to be fit to slide down the track of 580 meters long. Professional skiers will appreciate its sharp incline of 24%.
Snow is produced out of water and air with help of special machines. The thickness of the snow cover is around 40 cm. The roof of Alpincenter Bottrop is covered with sun batteries, which heat this huge ski park all days long. The total area of the park is 19 200 square metres.
It is Marc Girardelli, a German sportsman and the World Cup champion in skiing, who is responsible for the idea of creating this ski centre. Alpincenter Bottrop was built in record-breaking terms, 5 months only! The total cost of the project is 50 million EUR. The gala opening of the winter park was on January 7, 2001. It became extremely popular among the skiers and winter fun lovers. In first years since its opening, the centre was visited by more than 2.5 million people.
Nowadays, Alpincenter Bottrop attracts not only skiers. It is a fantastic place for families to spend their weekends together. Beside an excellent ski school, there’s a wonderful sledge track. Everyone likes it. It’s easy and fun. But for extreme lovers, who aren’t afraid of height there’s a rope park where one can check his fit and skills. Its attractions are situated on 10 metres height. They are divided into 13 stations of different complexity. Of course, professional instructors are always at your disposal.
Besides, there’s a paintball field situated on the territory of the park. Its total area is 800 square metres. There is also an air tube for paragliding and an interesting high-rise beer pub, situated on the highest peak of the slagheap, what is 80 metres above sea level.
All inclusive system is available for the visitors of Alpincenter Bottrop. Discounts for students and children up to 13 years old are available. The winter park is open till midnight, so you can choose your best time for skiing: from early morning till late night. Tickets for skiing early in the morning and late at night are much cheaper.
The nearest airports are situated in Cologne and Dortmund. It’ll take you not more than 2 hours to get to Bottrop; you can take a train or bus from the airport. The place is a perfect destination for tourists. There’re lots of comfortable hotels, hostels. People can take different excursions held within the town and on its suburbs.
Alpincenter Bottrop gives a wonderful opportunity to feel the cool breath of winter in hot summer days and to have a quiet rest with your family at one of the best ski resorts.