Pollheimer Park is once again playing a key role in the Wels Christmas world

2023-11-10 02:33:00

15 years ago, Wels Marketing, the tourism association and Christkind GmbH, founded by Wels business people, formed a partnership. In 2022, a sound barrier was broken with one million visitors. The successful run of the Wels Christmas World, which was named Austria’s most beautiful inner-city Christmas market by the gourmet magazine Falstaff, is to be continued this year from November 17th to December 24th.

20 meter long light tunnel

What’s new is that Pollheimer Park is once again playing the usual leading role in this year’s production. The gastronomy is also back, as is the children’s carousel and the chain flyer, which were on Minoritenplatz in 2022. The brilliant comeback is reinforced with six additional light path motifs – most notably a 20 meter long light tunnel. “We now have lighting of international caliber,” enthuses Mayor Andreas Rabl (FP). 100,000 euros were invested. According to market officer Martin Oberndorfer (VP), the feedback from the population has contributed to Pollheimer Park playing a key role again: “That was the wish of the people of Wels. Now the Corso is closed again.” With the return to Pollheimerpark, the organizers are correcting their change from the previous year. On the other hand, the 1.7 kilometer long light trail with 27 stations and 750,000 LED light points has long since proven itself. This year the Wels kindergartens are decorating around 150 Christmas trees along the route.

The Christmas world, supported by strong pillars (Winterzauber Pollheimerpark, Gösser Beer Garden Advent, Mountain Christmas with Almdorfbühne and Wolkenreich in the Ledererturm) has grown into a “marketing locomotive” from which the catering and retail sectors would increasingly benefit, says Wels marketing boss Peter Jungreithmair. An old town landlord has jumped on this bandwagon and is organizing bus trips to the Wels Christmas World this year. “The entrepreneurs see that something is being created here that they can market well themselves,” says Rabl.

Worldwide attention

Tourism chairman Helmut Platzer remembers the many events over the course of the five-week Christmas World. This includes 165 program items on the Almdorf stage as well as event highlights such as the Perchten and Krampus Run (December 8th), the appearance of the Rauris Gold Miners (December 16th), the visit of Santa Claus (December 6th) and the festive opening (December 17th). November).

Thanks in part to the Instagram generation, the popularity of the Wels Christmas world has now broken all boundaries. Pictures and portraits from the Light Trail receive worldwide attention.