The Rhoen - Made for Cross-Country Skiing and other Rhön, Germany Sports Travel Tips

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Skiing in the Rhoen? But I thought that the ski areas are all in the Alps! Sure, the Alps are great downhill and snowboarding. However, for the budget-wise traveller, and cross-country skiing enthusiasts, the Rhoen is a secret tip. It's one of the best cross-country skiing places in Germany, because of its the long range of hills, where you can ski for days on end. Ski trails in Germany are known as Loipen. One of the longest ones is the former East-West German border - a forest clearing that is over 100 kilometers long.
The optimal season is from the beginning of January until the end of February. This year it's almost the end of March, and the Rhoen is still covered with as much snow as it was in January.

The following tip has a list of ski "resorts" in the Rhoen. Actually, they're small towns, and don't have the flair that St. Moritz has, but they aren't as expense as St. Moritz. It won't be hard to find accommodations and nice restaurants in these towns either, and some ski rental places will even truck your luggage from hotel to hotel, while you're skiing your way through the Rhoen.

Equipment: Cross country skiers dress lighter than downhill skiers, because it's an aerobic sport. You'll definitely need a pair of functional long underwear here (Lycra or Microfiber) - if you wear 100% cotton, you'll sweat, then you'll freeze. Cross country ski pants (preferably made of Goretex), and a wind and water-proof parka are also must-have clothing. Water-proof socks are a must to prevent getting blisters on your feet. Most skiers prefer head bands instead of wool caps, and Gortex gel gloves do wonders to keep you from getting blisters on your hands or cold fingers. A day backpack with a water bottle and energy snacks should complete your outfit.

Skis, boots and poles can all be rented from the ski shop, unless you want to bring your own. Ski equipment that is adequate even for advanced cross-country skiers is available for as little as 10 Euro per day. If you have a GPS device with you , the ski shop can even give you a GPS route to get you to your next destination.

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Website: http://www.rhoen-line.de

Theme: Skiing/Snowboarding

Here is a list of cross-country ski towns, where you can rent cross-country skis, boots and poles, a brief description of the Loipen (runs), and where you can get advice on planning a cross-country ski tour:

Gersfeld - 6 Loipen, the longest is 15 km
Bischofsheim - 2 Loipen 7 km
Hilders - Competition Loipe 10 km
Ehrenberg - High Moor Loipe 7 km
Poppenhausen - 3 different Loipen up to 8 km
Sennhuette - Long Bavarian Rhoen Loipe - 21 km
Feuerberg - Schwarzberg Loipe in Bavaria - 10-17 km
Wasserkupppe - most popular area, because it's the highest hill in the Rhoen with 5 Loipen from easy to difficult
Frankenheim - 10 km for advanced skiers.


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Theme: Extreme Sports

In a very remote corner in this country community in the middle of Germany, you can go off-roading - a sport that was relatively unknow and almost impossible in Germany.
Helmut Müller, the owner of Dietgeshof, a large cattle farm, has a hilly area and a few jeeps, tractors and land rovers where you can drive up and down to your heart's content.
Just ask in the town of Tann, where you have to go to see the "Ranger".
And to warm you up after your trek, they have a little bar with a fireplace. They specialize in home-made Apple Wine.

Apfelweinstube Dietgeshof
On the road towards Theobaldshof

Equipment: Jeeps, Land Rovers and Tractors are available for hire (10 €/h) on the farm.

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Phone: (0049-6682) 315
Address: Apfelweinstube, Dietgeshof
Directions: On the road from Tann (Rhön) towards Theobaldshof

Theme: Golfing

Want to play golf on an excellent course? Then the drive out to Hünfeld – it’s well worth the trip. “It’s a course that you will take an immediate liking to: Hofgut Praforst in Hessian Hünfeld. The 27 holes belong to one of the best courses Germany has to offer.” This was the test rating in Germany’s GOLF Magazine in the July issue in 1999. The only drawback on this course is that on the 100 hectare course there is still no clubhouse and no hotel. This is compensated by the good service and the excellent course.

The test author remarked the training as: “When you see how the trainer works with the kids, then you get the feeling that a future golfing champions are at work”. Service is the magic word here; if you like, you can even have your car washed while you play. The service matches the prices too.

The personnel keeps the course immaculate. It’s fun playing each hole, because although the course is a challenge, the course and the quality have been designed to offer satisfaction for every golfer’s ability level. Youth training and beginning classes are comparable to large golf schools with famous golf coaches. One of the reasons for this is the perfect training situation with the generous driving range and a decent 9 hole training area, which is better than many of the courses in Germany that call themselves “master courses”. This little course should be considered a competition course, and not just for amateurs.

Equipment: They have a driving range, can lend you a set of clubs and have trolleys as well as carts. They also have a 9-hole as well as 18-hole range, extra layout for men and women, and have special courses for kids.

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Phone: (0049-6652) 997-0
Directions: On the road between Hünfeld and the Autobahn A7 (Exit Hünfeld/Schlitz)
Website: http://www.praforst.de/
Other Contact: Green Fee: 36 €

Theme: Boating/Sailing

This free time activity has been winning on popularity for years. To paddle a canoe, you don't need a boating license, but you should be able to swim. Canoe trips are possible during all kinds of weather. To protect yourself against the rain, a bicycle pancho is suggested. Luggage or backpacks you might bring with you, should be put in plastic bags. You can rent clothes bags or barrels. Canoe trips are healthy, romantic and environment-friendly. If you make use of the service, canoe trips can be comfortable. Only official licensed boats are available for rent or hire. Canoe trips are traditional. Older people still talk about their trips with a geniune enthuiasm, when they used wooden boats and later with foldable boats. But now the younger people know about modern, light and more comfortable fiberglass or PE boats. The Werra River offers a charming landscape with wooded mountain hills and romantic castles. The flow speed is different, sometimes lively through curves and narrow ways, then again quiet and contemplative. When it becomes tiresome, the next lock dam is not very far, and then you can relax a little while the lock drains. The rental shop is in Eschwege at the Schwanenteich (swan pond) directly on the Werra River and at the Werra River valley bike path. Besides the canoe rental, the shop also offers a bicycle rental and a mini golf course.

Equipment: Boats, paddles & safety equipment are included. You need a minimum of 4 people to make a trip.

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Phone: (0049-6442) 92118 Fax: 92119
Address: Beethoven Str. 1, 35606 Solms (Burgsolms)
Directions: Autobahn A45 - Exit Wetzlar Ost or Autobahn A3 - Exit Limburg. Highway B49 - Exit Solms.
Website: http://www.krumos-kanus.de/docs/fs_werra.html
Other Contact: info@krumos-kanus.de

Theme: Biking

If there ever were such a thing as the perfect place for mountain biking for tourists in Europe, then it would have to be the Rhoen. The Rhoen offers a lot to offer for cycling enthusiasts, no matter if they're hard-core sport rough & ready mountain bikers or holiday tourists. No tour in this area could ever really get monotonous, because there is a continuous change between highways, asphalt paths, bike lanes, tractor roads and hiking trails, which are all open to cyclists, if they can take it.

Because the Germans are also cycling enthusiasts, they've done a good job marking trails, especially for mountain bikers. Whether you want nature pure, devilish downhills, rocky and difficult paths or places of interest to see along the way, the Rhoen has everything to offer for you.

Check out the tips that follow this one, because there is more information you should know before you go. I've checked a number of German language only sites to find out the basics you need to know about planning your mountain biking trip to the Rhoen.


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Theme: Biking

The German National Bicycle Club (ADFC) can help you plan your trip if you would like to go mountain biking in the Rhoen or the Thuringian Forest (nearby). In fact they can help you plan a cycling trip to any destination in Germany. They not only have a series of recommended routes; they also sell cycling maps, and even have pages with GPS coordinates for mountain bike trails. In addition to this, they have a program for staying in private homes that sympathize with budget-wise cyclists. Cyclists that join their program, and offer their guest rooms in their own homes can stay for free at registered homes; guest cyclists only have to pay a small fee.

If you would rather buy your map material once you get here, you can purchase cycling maps in better German bookstores.

Equipment: Before you bring your bike to the Rhoen, you should take it to the shop for safety inspection, or do an overhaul yourself. How do the brakes work? Do you need new brake shoes? Is the chain o.k.? Did you lube your bearings and the chain? Replace any worn parts.

Back in the 70's in Germany, you had to practically bring your own bike shop with you, because the Germans only had 3-speeds and simple beach cruisers. Mountain bike what was that? Nowadays, you can literally buy a high-tech top-of-the line mountain bike in almost any village in the Rhoen. So now, there is no reason why you should have to drag along extra spokes, pallings, gears, bearings, exotic tools or the like. You can reduce your spare part reserve to a minimum, or buy what you need in Germany. You should have a few spare parts with you (see packing list tip), because it's no fun pushing your bike through kilometers of wilderness just because your tire went flat.

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Website: http://www.adfc.de

Theme: Biking

Making reservations ahead of time for hotel accommodations is a good idea. Although you shouldn't have any problem booking a room anywhere in the Rhoen, it's nice to not have to run around at the end of an exhausting mountain biking day searching for a room. If you don't meet your schedule on some day, and you get to your destination too late to get to the tourist info office, it's no big deal - just go into the next pub and ask the barman where you can find a Feiernzimmer / Pension (B&B). The Rhoen is not like Upper Bavarian, which can be overbooked in summer. The biggest financial advantage about planning your trip to the Rhoen is that it is one of the most inexpensive vacation areas in Germany.

To make reservations, you can pick the town or village you want to stay in and enter "http://www.name of the town.de" (e.g. http://www.fulda.de). They all have some site tab for tourist information. Here you can find a service to help you book a room in advance.


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Theme: Biking

The pictograph in the picture is the symbol for mountain bike trails. The Rhoen is a UNESCO biological reservation, or in other words, a wildlife sanctuary. In order that it remains this way for the generations to come, you should stick to marked trails. Anywhere where you see a sign with an eagle on it, and the word "Naturschutzgebiet", means basically "DO NOT ENTER", because this is an area where endangered plants or animals live. Likewise, you cannot do random downhill runs through the trees and bushes, and bushwhacker rides. If other German bikers see you doing this, you will probably get yelled at.

The Rhoen is also shared by other sport enthusiasts, such as hikers, Nordic walkers, riders, and hunters. If you wonder why the hikers / walkers always give mountain bikers dirty looks, it's probably because of the number of times they've been nearly run over by reckless mountain bikers who got caught up in the thrill of their downhill runs. Please be on the alert of hikers and walkers. Many German hiking enthusiasts like to wear clothing that blends in with the scenery; in shades of green and brown, which makes them hard to spot. Hunters represent an entirely different danger for bikers, so it is also not recommended to cut through open fields. Not just because it's trespassing on private property - you might accidentally get shot by a hunter. The best advice simply is: stay on the trails, control your downhill speed, and keep your hand on the brakes when going downhill.


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Theme: Biking

Although you will find pick-nick tables and park benches in regular intervals, but you won't find drinking fountains anywhere. Bring enough drinking water with you (at least 1 liter - 2 is better). To keep you body salt household level in order, you should buy a tube of dissolvable isotonic tablets, which are available in any German market or drug store. The come as magnesium, calcium or multi-vitamin forms, and dissolve on contact with water. A tube of tablets is cheaper than a single isotonic drink. This is very important in the summer months, because Germany can have up to 96% relative humidity, which could cause a heat stroke, if your body salt household gets out of balance. If you have to refill your bottles along the way, you can fill them with tap water at any restaurant/bar bathroom. The tap water is perfectly safe to drink. Do not re-fill your bottles in town square fountains.

Germany is so green, because it rains a lot, especially in the summer. The rule of thumb is 3 days of nice weather followed by 4-10 days of rainy weather. This makes rain gear vital. The Rhoen has a somewhat cooler climate, which means it's apt to thundershowers in the spring and late summer. Thunderstorms pose a danger to bikers they might not realize if they live in urban areas, namely lightening strikes. If you get caught in a thunderstorm, you should seek immediate cover. Remember that trees DO NOT protect you. In fact they attract lightening strikes. Open fields are just as bad. If you study your map material, you will find that there often are huts or shelters along the way for thunderstorm protection. Make a footnote in the back of your mind, where the nearest shelters are along the way, if it looks like rain. Even bus stop shelters are adequate protection against thunderstorms. Once you safely reach a shelter, stay here, until the thunderstorm has passed.


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