Through the winter forests on cross-country skis or snowshoes.
Winter sports fans can rejoice again as the snow season approaches. It doesn‘t have to be just downhill skiing though, as many German youth hostels offer alternative holidays using snow shoes or cross-country skis.
“Don’t put too much clothes on, you‘ll warm up quickly on cross-country skis.” That’s the advice that welcomes the guests when they arrive at the Oberammergau youth hostel in Bavaria.
The
youth hostel in Oberammergau is set in a stunningly beautiful location. Directly behind the newly renovated hostel rises the 1,342-metre high mountain Kofel. The cross-country trail begins just a few steps from the hostel and is ideal for beginners. The tracks are configured in a small circle so everyone has plenty of space and no one is out of sight. To begin with, gliding motion needs to be practiced, with one ski at first and then with two. Then we add the ski poles. Coordination, a sense of balance and a bit of courage are required. Rapidly, experiencing the first feeling of success, participants start to get a bit over-confident and end up in the snow. Then they start to learn how to brake.
The snow-covered winter landscape impresses the hostel’s guests very much. They would prefer to run through the unspoiled landscape that lies next to the trail and even that's possible! The best way to do it is not with cross-country skis but with snowshoes. The next day the guests buckle on the equipment which distributes the body weight over a larger area, so that the feet sink less into the snow. Snowshoes are becoming increasingly popular, because you can move around well and enjoy the scenery in peace. An interesting destination is the famous Ettal Abbey.
There are also popular cross-country skiing areas in eastern Germany, for example in Thuringia.
Youth Hostel Schnett lies on 780 metres high mountain Simmersberg. The slate shingle clad house is an ideal starting point for extended tours. The trail leads right by the youth hostel, which also has a prepared sledding hill.
The
Hoherodskopf hostel is in Hessen amidst the Hoher Vogelsberg natural park only about 100 kilometres from Frankfurt. The conditions here are perfect for cross-country skiers with 50 kilometres of tracks, one even has floodlights, so that even evening exercise is possible.
An area in North Rhine-Westphalia where snow can be guaranteed is the area around the city of Winterberg. Here again the youth hostel offers guided hikes with snowshoes. For many centuries people have used similar equipment to move around and to enable them to hunt. They were made of flexible wood and fur. Snowshoeing is not just a mode of transportation in the winter, but also readily connects sport and the countryside. One can discover the fascinating snowy landscape in a different way and access regions that would be out of reach without snowshoes.
A guided trekking tour with snowshoes is on offer at the
Johanngeorgenstadt hostel in Saxony. It is very varied; participants learn to read animal tracks in the snow and to build an igloo together. A hearty snowball fight should not be missed. After an active day, the participants meet in the evening around the campfire where a large pot of punch is steaming. Now that sounds like a lovely winter’s day.
