Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [678]
Mountaineering
‘Climb every mountain…’ the Mother Superior belts out in the Sound of Music, and the Bavarian Alps – the centre of mountaineering in Germany – will give you plenty of opportunity to do just that. You can venture out on day treks or plan multiday clambers from hut to hut as long as you keep in mind that hiking in the Alps is no walk in the park. You need to be in reasonable condition and come equipped with the right shoes, gear, and topographic maps or GPS. Trails can be narrow, steep and have icy patches, even in summer.
Before heading out, seek local advice on trails, equipment and weather and take all precautions concerning clothing and provisions. Always let someone know where you’re going. If you’re inexperienced, ask at the tourist offices about local outfitters offering instruction, equipment rental and guided tours. These are usually run by energetic, English-speaking folks with an infectious love for, and deep knowledge of, the mountains. For potential problems and how to deal with hypothermia, Click here.
The Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV; German Alpine Club; 089-140 030; www.alpenverein.de, in German) is a goldmine of information on hiking and mountaineering and has local chapters in practically every German town. It also maintains hundreds of Alpine mountain huts, many of them open to the public, where you can spend the night and get a meal. Local DAV chapters also organise various courses (climbing, mountaineering etc), as well as guided treks, with which you can link up. Staff at local tourist offices should be able to hook you up with local DAV branches. If you’re planning multiday treks, becoming a member of the organisation can yield a 30% to 50% discount on Alpine huts and other benefits, including insurance.
Rock Climbing
Clambering around steep rock faces chiselled and carved by time and the elements is a popular pursuit in various parts of the country. Rock hounds, from beginner to expert, test their mettle on the Jurassic limestone cliffs in the Naturpark Altmühltal and in Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz; ) in Saxony. Wherever you go, there are local outfitters that can set you up with equipment and advice.
Snow Sports
Modern lifts, primed ski slopes from ‘Sesame Street’ to ‘Death Wish’, solitary cross-country trails through untouched nature, cosy mountain huts, steaming mulled wine, hearty dinners by a crackling fire – all 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 resort town here is, of course, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which hosted the 1936 Olympic Games and is popular with the international set. Other major resorts are Oberstdorf in the Allgäu Alps and Berchtesgaden.
There’s also plenty of skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing to be done elsewhere in the country, where the mountains may not soar as high as in the Alps, but assets include cheaper prices, smaller crowds and a less frenetic atmosphere. Among Germany’s lower mountain ranges, the Bavarian Forest has the most reliable snow levels, with plenty of good downhill action on the Grosser Arber mountain. Cross-country skiing is especially wonderful in the Bavarian Forest National Park. In snowy winters, the Black Forest, the Harz, the Thuringian Forest and the Sauerland also attract scores of snow fans.
At higher elevations, the season generally runs from late November/early December to March, but, thanks to global warming, snow levels are becoming less reliable, especially in the lower-lying resorts. Most try to trick Mother Nature by installing snowmaking equipment, which works up to a point but gobbles up tons