Snow covered vehicles are parked in the streets after heavy snowfall hit Bavaria and its capital Munich, Germany, on December 2, 2023. The German Bundesliga soccer match FC Bayern Munich v 1. FC Union Berlin had to be canceled, trains halted, and the airport closed because of the weather conditions. REUTERS/Louisa Off
MUNICH 鈥� Heavy snowfall in Bavaria prompted an all-day cancellation of flights and long-distance trains out of Munich, with Christmas markets closed, some ski lifts unable to run, and a football match called off as the city battled with the icy conditions.
Flights were not scheduled to depart or arrive at Munich airport until at least 6 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Sunday, according to a statement on its website.
鈥淓verything is closed. Online doesn鈥檛 work. Well, you have to be patient鈥� there鈥檚 nothing you can do,鈥� Magda Shokosa, a stranded passenger at Munich Airport, said.
鈥淲e had to dig our way into the car park with shovels and then take a taxi because the buses weren鈥檛 running,鈥� said another passenger, Brigitte Schloessel.
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Trains could not arrive at Munich鈥檚 central train station, Deutsche Bahn said on its website. The halt was expected to last all day, it added, with considerable delays expected until Monday.
Local media reported numerous transport accidents and traffic jams on icy roads, with the German Weather Service estimating 30-40 cm of snow would fall by Saturday evening.
A Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin was also postponed due to the heavy snowfall.
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Still, some Munich residents were cheerier about the wintry atmosphere created by the snowfall, with parents pulling their children along on sleds.
鈥淔inally snow again. I think it鈥檚 great because it鈥檚 a bit quieter. It鈥檚 a nicer atmosphere overall,鈥� said Friedrich Zeller as he walked through the snowy streets.