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Long lines form on the ascent to the toboggan run in Schierke
Photo: Matthias Leg / dpa
Fresh snow and good skiing conditions attracted numerous visitors to the Harz Mountains over the weekend.
On Wurmberg, the highest mountain in Lower Saxony, there is up to 45 centimeters of snow, nine of 15 slopes and all toboggan runs were open.
But the parking lots were quickly overcrowded and long queues formed at the cable cars and lifts.
Anyone who wanted to take the cable car up the Wurmberg had to wait an hour on Sunday afternoon.
The parking lots and access roads around Torfhaus were also overcrowded on both weekend days.
The police in Braunlage even spoke of a "catastrophic situation" on Sunday and advised motorists not to drive into town.
The parking lot at the Hexenritt was already occupied in the morning, as was the parking lot at the Wurmberg cable car.
Tobogganers should avoid the big ski areas, the tourism association advised.
There are also toboggan runs in smaller towns such as Altenau or Wildemann.
And even ski areas where no technical snowmaking is possible, for example in Hohegeiss or on the Sonnenberg in Sankt Andreasberg, are now open.
vet/dpa
