This heat is enough to fell the strongest ant. Not a cool spot to be found anywhere – and even in the shade, it’s 32 degrees! But there’s no shade to be found anywhere – or is there? When we parked our Infobus in front of the Schlossparkcenter in Senftenberg today, I couldn’t help dreaming about crawling into a cool anthill. “The heat!” I mumbled weakly.

Standing just behind me was a little lad who later introduced himself as Kevin. He took me by one of my four hands and said, “I think I’ve got a good idea.” I didn’t have the will to resist and let him lead me through the pretty county town on the banks of Senftenberg Lake to a huge building.

“What’s this?” I asked him, starting to get a little curious, after all. “You have to wrap up warm in here,” came the 14-year-old’s cocky answer. Wrap up warm? Here, in this heat? I let out a slightly manic giggle. “Oh, yes,” he said with conviction – and he was right.

I couldn’t believe my eyes at first, but then I realised where I was: inside Snowtropolis, the indoor ski centre, and bang slap in the middle of a ski run 130 metres long. Right at the heart of Brandenburg and in the middle of August! And the temperature – aaah, blissfully cool!

We had a fantastic time! Three guesses what we did after work the next few days. It’s just a pity that we’re only staying here in Senftenberg until 9 August. Oh yes, talking about staying, the only question now is: snowboard or skis?

For more information about Snowtropolis, visit: www.snowtropolis.de

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