Kella Berg

Kella Berg is a southeast-facing paragliding and hang gliding site built on a stretch of the former inner-German border in the hills near Kella, now inside a protected FFH nature area. The launch is thermally active, and pilots use it as a starting point for cross-country flights. It's a demanding gap-style launch cut through trees rather than an open slope — the site holder describes it as requiring real experience, and it is not used for training. Approach is on foot only; driving up is not permitted, both because of the terrain and because the area is protected. Visiting pilots need a guest-flying arrangement: anyone who isn't a member of the operating club must fly under the sponsorship of a club pilot, and there is no flying without one. Landing is on a large meadow north of the village, shared with grazing livestock, so new visitors should get a briefing from club members before their first flight here.

Launch & conditions

Narrow, tree-lined gap launch (Schneise) at roughly 510 m facing southeast to east; the site holder calls it technical and says it is unsuitable for training — fly it only with solid launch experience.

Getting there & local rules

Reach the launch on foot only; vehicle access to the top is not allowed. The hill sits within a protected FFH nature area on former border land.

Local rules & hazards

Guest pilots must fly under the sponsorship of a club pilot — there's no flying without one, though pilots from a short list of cooperating clubs are exempt from needing a sponsor themselves. No more than 15 wings are allowed in the ridge-lift band at once, and launches from this site pause whenever the nearby winch-tow field is running simultaneous operations.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Kella Berg, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Kella Berg with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.