Just walking

Just walking: That’s all some outdoor sportspeople want to do, even in winter. In Bavaria, the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest) is the ideal destination. Numerous trails are cleared and rolled and there are specially marked winter walking trails. There’s even the allure of a mountain peak …

The sun shines down out of the blue sky, the snow is crunchy underfoot and ice crystals sparkle like diamonds. Many avid walkers love being able to turn to their alpine, touring or cross country skis or snow shoes in these conditions. Others, in contrast, just want to stay true to their favourite pastime even in the winter months and strap on their hiking boots for the snow and ice. A paradise for winter walkers: the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest). The snowy region of the Low Mountains on the Bavarian-Czech border with its deep, silent forests and peaks rising up to 1456 metres – more than 60 of its mountains are over 1000 metres high – is transformed into a veritable winter wonderland. In the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest) National Park and the Nature Park Oberer Bayerischer Wald, for example, numerous trails are cleared and rolled. From a half-hour stroll to a longer circuit: There’s the right route for every taste. As well as the specially marked winter walking trails it is also possible to access all the “normal” walking trails when snow conditions allow. In more remote areas, this considerably extends the options for solitary tours. One example of this is the National Park district of Neuschönau at the foot of the Lusen (1373 m), which has 60 kilometres of cleared, partially rolled trails. Those who wish to climb up high can opt for the winter walking trail to the Lusen summit. Unlike many other mountains in the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest), this summit can even be accessed on foot in the snow. And with views out over the snow-covered nature all around, hot cocoa and mulled wine taste especially good in the Lusenhaus.

Animal lovers and families with children will have lots of fun in winter in the so-called wildlife area of the National Park: Here around ten kilometres of cleared trails await them. Unlike in summer, the foliage is no longer there to hide the bison, elk, red deer and other animals from view, so they are much easier to spot. When the day ends in a rustic inn with hearty dumplings and other specialities, you could almost wish that winter would never end.