Do you want to go downhill skiing? Or maybe hiking? Or maybe you would enjoy a Central European spa more? There are many different activities in Germany. Below we introduce some of the best attractions the country has to offer.

Zugspitze

Zugspitze is the highest ski resort in Germany. The area also has the only glacier in the country. An experience of its own. The slopes rise up to almost  3 000 meters, and skiing and snowboarding can be done on natural snow. Even when the valley below is submerged in fog, atop the mountain the sun may shine bright. The best thing in Zugspitze is the matchless 360° panorama across 400 peaks in four countries. Germany´s highest sun deck is a great experience. The resort can be reached by a cogwheel train and the Eibsee cable car. The area tends to be snowy 6 months a year. The mountain is also a great place for freeriding, but although you can get help with the equipment, the sport is not suitable for beginners. For increased safety, the area is also equipped with an automatic avalanche beacon that detects and warns about threats. There are 20 kilometers of well kept runs of varying difficulty. It is also possible to experience the slopes in a toboggan. Four restaurants with panoramic views serve tasty food.

• More information: http://zugspitze.de/en/winter/skiarea/zugspitze
• The tickets can be ordered directly from there: http://zugspitze.skiticketshop.com/desktop/calculator/

The Garmisch-Classic

The traditional ski resort Garmisch Classic, consisting of various mountain landscapes, is a dream world for winter sports enthusiasts. There are well-groomed trails for beginners as well as historic and advanced slopes for experts. The area has a total of 40 kilometers of slopes. Slopes for professionals include the Kandahar and the Olympia, while a slope like the Kinderland, next to the Hausbergbahn cable car, is good for teaching the basics to children. The historic slopes are located in the Classic Area, and these are, for example, the Alpspitze, the Kreuzeck and the Hausberg. The skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen started in the Kreuzeck Mountain. As early as 1926 the first enthusiasts amazed the local residents by hopping from the Hexenkessel (the saucepan of the witch). The area between Hausberg and Kreuzeck is known for the classic FIS World Cup runs in Kandahar and Olympia.

Those who love sunshine will appreciate the well-groomed slopes, which can be reached by the Längenfelder lifts or the Osterfelderkopf. From Alpspitz you can rise up to 2,050 meters with the elevator, and most skiers start their day from there. The Kreuzeck area is at 1,651 meters, and there you can enjoy the view. The gondolas of the Kreuzeck cable car can take 15 people at a time, and the top can be reached within seven minutes.

Organized guided tours are given in the areas of the ski resorts in summer, and the mountain is also good for hiking and climbing.

• More information: http://zugspitze.de/en/winter/skiarea/garmisch-classic
• Information about prices: http://zugspitze.de/en/summer/preise/zugspitze

Nebelhorn / Oberstdorf

The Nebelhorn is different from other ski resorts in the Allgäu area in a positive way; the area is constantly covered in snow and it has a unique panoramic view. The cable car that goes the highest takes visitors to expansive, well-groomed slopes and Germany´s longest downhill run (7.5 km). The area offers something for everyone. Beginners and non-skiers can visit the NTC park at the Seealpe station. The gently sloping and varied terrain with magic carpets and slides offers various activities for visitors, such as snowtubing, skifox (downhill skiing with a kind of ski chair, watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQedGaIYKN4) and snowcycling. There are 128 km of slopes and more than 76 km of cross country ski trails. The number of cable cars is 10. In addition, there are 14 chair lifts and 23 T-bars. These slopes were used in the FIS World Championships in 2005. Young people and those young at heart can speed down the toboggan run. Tours under the guidance of qualified ski instructors are also offered. The skibob school at Söllereck teaches you how to go downhill without straining your joints. The frozen lakes and the ice stadium are great places for ice skating or curling.

• More information: https://www.oberstdorf.de/en/skiing/

Hiking excursions  

Hiking is a popular activity in Germany. Ski resorts are great for this in the summer, but there are several other alternatives as well. Here are four of them.

Enjoy hiking in Rodachtal (Genusswandern im Rodachtal)

After the reunification of Germany the formerly divided Rodachtal, in the area of Heldburg and Coburg, has grown increasingly unified by language, culture, architecture and economics. Walking in the area can be combined with sightseeing. The unique atmosphere of the area can be seen in its fascinating countryside, with its small towns and villages and its hospitable people. One can truly relax and enjoy the peace nature offers when walking along orchards and brooks, in the shade of the mixed forests. The beautiful environment with its many hills is perfect for biking, long walking excursions or hiking. The area features long hiking networks, that can just as well be used for cycling. Activities such as fishing, golfing, swimming, tennis and camping are possible in the area. There are even more exotic things to do here, like rides in horse carts or even in a hot air balloon. The area also has two spas, the Bad Colberg and the Bad Rodach, offering individual treatments, massages and therapy to refresh your body.

• More information (in German): http://www.wandermagazin.de/news/genusswandern-im-rodachtal/

Hiking paradise of Südheide (Wanderparadies Südheide) 

The Hiking paradise of Südheide, located between Hamburg and Hannover, offers 23 hiking tours. On them you can familiarize yourself with the varied nature of the Südheide Nature Park: moors, which are all different, river valleys with their bright brooks, swamps, the pinewoods that are typical for the area as well as deciduous and mixed forests. The long hiking route Heidschnuckenweg, between Fischbeck and Celle, with its tour and theme trails, is part of a hiking network, and also the starting point for other hiking trips. The hiking trails begin from parking lots that have information boards about the routes. There are beautiful resting places on the routes in the middle of nature.

• More information (in German): http://www.wandermagazin.de/news/wanderparadies-suedheide/

Hiking with Woid Woife (Wanderungen mit dem ”Woid Woife”)  

A popular German former bodybuilder Woid Woife, (real name: Wolfgang Schreil), introduces his home region in 10 excursions from June to October. The tours are peaceful excursions to the wonders of the forest. Elks, peregrine falcons, woodpeckers, vipers, squirrels, lizards and many other popular and unknown flora and fauna species are waiting for you there. There is always something new to find, but what will it be? You can never know before the excursion starts.

• More information (in German): http://www.wandermagazin.de/news/wanderungen-mit-dem-woid-woife/

The Tannheim valley

The Tannheim valley has often been called the most beautiful range in Europe, and there is a good reason for it. The area is full of steep peaks and picturesque meadows. This idyllic range, located at an altitude of 1 100 meters, has a lot to offer in its fabulous nature framework. There are several hiking trails between the valley and the peak, 22 comprehensive cycling routes and a lot of leisure time activities for the whole family. The valley is located in Austria, a few kilometers from the German border.

The slogan of the valley is ”Hiking in three levels” (Wandern auf drei Etagen). The lowest level is the right one for those who want to enjoy normal hiking: walking tours from village to village, coalstal walks close to Lake Haldensee and the wild romantic Lake Vilsalpsee. The second level offers fascinating high trails with excellent views. The third level, with its more demanding and exiting routes, is meant for people who are used to the alps and professional climbers. In different theme trails, it is possible to experience fascinating hiking thrills. These are, for example, Schmugglersteig (the smuggler’s trail) and 9erlebnisweg (the way of nine experiences) with 11 information points.

• More information (in German): http://www.outdooractive.com/en/tourism-area/austria/tannheimer-tal/1009769/

Spas 

There are a lot of relaxing spas in Germany, that offer entertainment for the whole family. Here are two of them:

Hotel Therme Bad Teinach

This spa, located at an altitude of 500 meters, is protected from the winds of the Teinach valley and surrounded by forests. It is the smallest in the Baden-Württemberg region. The establishment has everything you need for a real spa holiday: fresh Black Forest air, therapeutic mineral baths, comprehensive medical consultations and different cultural events.

The Bad-Hotel is connected to the small town´s idyllic spa gardens. In the spacious park there are both indoor and outdoor pools. The spa offers treatments from Europe, Asia, America and the Indian Pacific as well as massages, baths, manual therapy, osteopathy and manual lymphatic drainage. The establishment also offers different beauty treatments as well as advice on nutrition. In the evening, you can enjoy music played by the spa orchestra.

• More information: http://www.wellnesshotels-resorts.de/en/black-forest-wellness-spa-hotel-therme-bad-teinach-baden-wuerttemberg
• The tickets can be ordered directly from here: http://www.hotel-therme-teinach.de/

Lundenbergsand Hotel und Spa

This charming spa can be found on the North Sea Coast, surrounded by salty sea air. The hotel is a mixture of North German hospitality and modern ambiance. The establishment features a panoramic terrace, where you can enjoy the fantastic view, and a great pool. The relaxing treatments use products that are typical for Northern Germany such as North Sea mud, algae, sea salt and minerals. You can experience a mud bath in the Watt´n Spa. The bath smoothes, detoxifies and adds essential minerals to the body. The rejuvenating treatment Meeresfrische (the freshness of the sea) is a full body exfoliation with sea salt. After that, the body is covered with algae wraps.

The spa is located 8 kilometers from the city of Husun.

• More information: http://www.wellnesshotels-resorts.de/en/wellness-offer-wellness-and-spa-3-days–29
• The website of the spa (in German): http://www.hotel-lundenbergsand.de/

Kuvat: CC-lisenssillä / Svíčková, Octagon, Ernst Kiessling on-off., SB68Manm, Franzfoto,