Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
»
Wandern ohne Gepäck
(
www.wandern-ohne-gepaeck-deutschland.de
,
in German)
Touch base with the 'hiking without luggage' specialists.
Winter Sports
Modern lifts, primed ski runs from easy-peasy blues to death-wish blacks, solitary cross-
country trails, log huts, steaming mulled wine, hearty dinners by a crackling fire - these
are the hallmarks of a German skiing holiday.
The Bavarian Alps, only an hour's drive south of Munich, offer the best downhill
slopes and most reliable snow conditions. The most famous and ritzy resort is
Garmisch-
Partenkirchen
( 4931, 74260;
www.skischule-gap.de
; Am Hausberg 8; 1-day group
lessons €35, ski gear €25)
, which hosted the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championship
2011 and is but a snowball's throw from Germany's highest peak, 2962m Zugspitze. The
resort has 60km of slopes to pound, mostly geared towards intermediates, and a one-day
ski pass costs €36.
Picture-book pretty Oberstdorf (
Click here
)
in the Allgäu Alps forms the heart of the
Oberstdorf-Kleinwalsertal ski region, where 125km of slopes are covered by a one-day ski
pass costing €41.50. It's a good pick for boarders, with snow parks and a half-pipe to play
on, and cross-country skiers who come to glide along 75km of classic and 55km of skat-
ing tracks. For low-key skiing and stunning scenery, there is
Jenner
( 958 10;
www.jennerbahn.de
;
daily pass adult/child €29.20/15.50)
near Berchtesgaden, with ver-
tical drops up to 600m and truly royal vistas of the emerald Königssee, and family-magnet
Kranzberg in Mittenwald (
Click here
)
.
Elsewhere in the country, the mountains may not soar as high as in the Alps, but assets
include cheaper prices (with day passes hovering between €25 and €30), smaller crowds,
and resorts with a low-key atmosphere suited to families. The Bavarian Forest (
Click here
) and the Black Forest (
Click here
)
have the most reliable snow levels, with moderate
downhill action on the Grosser Arber and Feldberg mountains respectively.
At higher elevations, the season generally runs from late November/early December to
March. Resorts have equipment-hire facilities. Skis, boots and poles cost around €20 or 12
for downhill or cross-country gear. Group lessons cost €30 to €45 per day.
