Cross country skiing in the Bavarian Forest

By Verena Wolff Jan 24, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Bodenmais/Lohberg, Germany - Franz Weinberger has two vehicles for his work that many would envy him for. One is an old Skidoo which rattles and roars and sometimes needs some urgent coaxing. The other is a horsepower monster - red, gigantic and loud.

Weinberger is in charge of preparing the Bretterschachten cross-country skiing trail in the Bavarian Forest in southern Germany. On the old Skidoo snowmobile, he cuts the parallel tracks for the classic cross-country skiers, while atop his modern Pistenbully he paves the snow flat for the skiers who prefer the freestyle skating technique.

'We have more than 80 kilometres of trails up here,' Weinberger explains. 'In an average year you can go cross- country skiing 150 to 160 days.' The season starts in November at the latest and often lasts into the following April. 'And we manage this even though we are only at 1,120 metres.'

The 'Aktivzentrum' Nordic skiing centre located a few kilometres outside Bodenmais is a paradise for cross-country skiers. The trails run through forests, but now and then there are clearings that offer magnificent views.

'In clear weather you can see the Dachstein peaks and the Zugspitze,' Weinberger says, referring to the high Alps more than 150 kilometres to the south. Often, there will be a thermal inversion, in which there is sunshine up on the mountain tops while the valleys below are shrouded in clouds.

For the man in charge of the ski trails there is a lot of work involved in the daily routine. 'It starts at 4 am at the latest,' Weinberger says. The ski region is a broad area and the first cross-country skiers are already arriving at the Aktivzentrum parking lot at 7 am.

The centre in Bodenmais is only one of several spots in the Bavarian Forest region where fans of Nordic skiing can search for fun. There are more than 2,000 kilometres of prepared skiing trails in the six rural districts over which the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany's oldest national park, stretches.

One of the most scenic and longest trails is the Bavarian Forest trail - 150 kilometres, starting in Lohberg and winding up in Neureichenau. The trail runs straight through the National Park. And not only are the views magnificent in many spots, but there are also many things to see along the way.

The history of the region comes to life in many places, for example the glass museum in Frauenau, the oldest glass factory still in operation in Germany.

In Bayerisch Eisenstein, the railway station itself is a historical site. Located right on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic, the station was sealed off by walls and fences for four decades during the Cold War. It was reopened in 1991, with the German-Czech border running right through the middle of the reception building.

This is not the only place where the Bavarian Forest ski trail runs so close to the border. Those who find the 150-kilometre trail too short cam at some places cross over to the Bohemian Forest on the Czech side of the border.

A further attraction is the so-called Baumei (tree egg) - an elevated wooden trail near Neuschoenau circling through the treetops to allow visitors to view the forests from a bird's-eye perspective.

The ski trails in the Bavarian Forest can also be mastered by beginners. The length of the routes is between 7 and 30 kilometres. How far you go on your daily tour depends on your own physical condition.