15 Cross-Country Skiing Tips for Bavaria

Alpenwelt Karwendel – the sunny valley landscape with the villages of Mittenwald, Krün and Wallgau – offers 150 kilometres of trails for classic skiers and skaters. The routes lead across rolling meadows, past lakes and along the River Isar.

The easy three-kilometre Magdalena Neuner Trail in Wallgau is a real treat. Named after the famous biathlete and Olympic champion from Vancouver, who grew up in the village at 866 metres above sea level,  the trail is snow-sure thanks to snow-making facilities and takes around 40 minutes to complete.

Other highlights include the 15-kilometre Panorama Trail from Wallgau via Lake Barmsee (with superb views of the Karwendel mountains) to Lake Geroldsee, where you can also enjoy vistas of the Wetterstein mountains and the Zugspitze massif. The 14-kilometre Canada Trail runs from Wallgau along the River Isar through wild and romantic winter landscapes to Vorderriß, a small hamlet at the confluence of the Rißbach and the Isar. Classic skiers and skaters glide past snow-covered gravel banks of the Isar, with the snowy peaks of the Wetterstein mountains on the horizon.

More information at alpenwelt-karwendel.de (only in German)

Around Oberammergau stretches a dense network of trails in the Ammer Valley,  running between Ettal in the south and Bad Bayersoien in the north. The main starting point is at the base station of the Kolben chairlift. Altogether, the network totals over 100 kilometres,  with various circuits at Ober- and Unterammergau, Scherenau and Altenau as well as Bad Bayersoien.

The annual highlight is the King Ludwig Race, “Germany’s largest mass ski race”, held on the first weekend in February. Starting in Ettal and finishing at the Oberammergau sports centre,  it features routes of 50 and 21 kilometres – in classic style on Sunday and skating style on Saturday. For children aged 6 to 14 there is the so-called “Mini Kini” with 6- and 4-kilometre courses. The traditional long-distance route leads from the start in Ettal through the Graswang Valley, past Linderhof Palace and back again through the valley to the finish in Oberammergau.

More information at ammergauer-alpen.de

The famous winter sports resort in the Upper Allgäu has 71 kilometres of trails, 71 kilometres for classic style and 67 for skating. Most routes are interconnected, covering the entire municipality and branching into side valleys.

The trails are usually widened to up to 15 metres on ascents and descents. In addition to multi-lane trails in the valley, you will also find remote routes for exploratory tours. From the peaceful Otterrohr circuit you can enjoy views of the mountains around Oberstdorf, while the Rohrmoos trail leads through a remote side valley where you encounter untouched winter landscapes.

The Nordic Centre in Oberstdorf is one of the most modern winter-sports arenas in the world and hosts World Cups and World Championships. It offers more than 30 course variants, from sprint loops to a 6.25-kilometre circuit with a steep climb. Ten kilometres in the core section of the World Championship course can be covered with artificial snow. Local ski schools run cross-country courses for beginners and advanced skiers.

More information at oberstdorf.de (only in German)

The health resort and Kneipp spa town of Bad Hindelang lies in the Ostrach Valley in the Upper Allgäu. Here you’ll find 90 kilometres of double-track and freestyle cross-country trails, stretching as far as Oberjoch and Unterjoch, into Austria’s Tannheimer Valley to the east, and northwards to Jungholz, a Tyrolean enclave over 1,000 metres high that is almost entirely surrounded by Bavarian territory.

Beginners can try the meadow loop from Bad Hindelang to Bad Oberdorf (4.3 kilometres, flat), while more advanced skiers can take on the Schwanden loop between Oberjoch and Unterjoch (9 kilometres, 220 metres of elevation). After dark, a 1.5-kilometre illuminated trail at the Hornbahn in Bad Hindelang makes skiing possible well into the evening. It operates daily until 9:30 p.m. and the light switch is located at the Hornbahn Hindelang exit, just left of the ticket office.

More information at badhindelang.de (only in German)

In Oberstaufen in the Upper Allgäu, cross-country skiers will find a 75-kilometre trail network suitable for both beginners and advanced skiers. At times the route crosses rolling snowy landscapes, at others it glides through snowy forests or across flat terrain – often with views reaching up to the Nagelfluh mountain range. All ten trails in Oberstaufen are groomed for the classic style, seven of them also for skating.

The 2.2-kilometre Kalzhofer Trail, which can be covered with artificial snow, is ideal for beginners. It also offers a special experience when floodlights in the evening illuminate the winter landscape. Anyone who enjoys biathlon can even try a taster course with a laser rifle on this trail.

If the snow in the Oberstaufen area becomes scarce, the high-altitude trails in the Häderich area can be reached within half an hour’s drive south. They lie at more than 1,000 metres. Alternatively, the Häderich trails can also be reached on foot via the winter hiking path from the top station of the Imberg cable car.

More information at oberstaufen.de

The Fichtelgebirge mountains are home to the highest peaks in Franconia. Schneeberg, east of Bischofsgrün, rises to 1,051 metres, while the Ochsenkopf, to the southwest, reaches 1,024 metres. Wide views open up from Waldstein (877 metres), Epprechtstein (798 metres), Kornberg (827 metres) and the Kössaine (939 metres). This low mountain landscape in north-eastern Bavaria offers some 255 kilometres of cross-country trails for both classic and skating styles.

The routes are divided into four systems in the so-called Nordic Parc Fichtelgebirge: the Ochsenkopf area with twelve main trails (about 100 kilometres), Kornbach-Waldstein-Epprechtstein to the north with eight main trails (70 kilometres), Kornberg with four main trails (22 kilometres) and the Kössaine area to the south with ten main trails (64 kilometres).

The Lower Ring Trail at Ochsenkopf offers the greatest distance at 14.5 kilometres, while the Bergkopf Circuit in the Kornbach-Waldstein-Epprechtstein area, at 13.7 kilometres, is also among the longest trails in the Fichtelgebirge. For those new to the narrow skis, the Upper Ring Trail or the Brandweg Trail are good options, while experts can test themselves on the extreme Brandweg Trail or the Königsheide Trail (all in the Ochsenkopf area). The 2.5-kilometre competition trail at the Bleaml Alm winter sports and biathlon centre in Fichtelberg/Neubau is snowmaking-equipped and lit in the evenings.

More information at fichtelgebirge.bayern

The Franconian Switzerland region in Upper Franconia, situated between the Main, Regnitz and Pegnitz rivers, is not primarily known as a winter sports destination. Its highest mountain, the Kleiner Kulm near Körbeldorf in the east, reaches only 627 metres. Even so, many local communities in Franconian Switzerland prepare cross-country ski trails when snow conditions are good.

Fans of the classic style will find a 17-kilometre trail in Pegnitz. It passes the Kleiner Kulm, continues to Bodendorf and then loops back. On the golf course at Weidenloh, above Pottenstein, beginners and families will find a 4-kilometre easy circuit where even children can try their first steps on skis. Other trails can be found near Hetzendorf and Gräfenberg by Hiltpoltstein.

More information at fraenkische-schweiz.com