Bavarian Forest: Wonderful Wild "Woid"

The numbers are as hard to grasp as the numerous legends and myths that surround one of Germany's largest contiguous forest areas: 1,000 kilometers of cross-country ski trails wind through the densely forested area, including circular, long-distance and supraregional trails. In addition, there are two of the best cross-country skiing centers, namely the DSV nordic aktiv centers Oberer Bayerischer Wald / Böhmischer Wald and Sankt Englmar-Hirschenstein. In Sankt Englmar-Hirschenstein alone, 11 cross-country trails with a total of 106 km of varying degrees of difficulty await you - from the idyllic Hochwald trail to the technically demanding Schopf competition trail on the Grandsberg, which is reserved for well-trained skaters. The DSV nordic aktiv center Upper Bavarian Forest / Bohemian Forest, on the other hand, offers a cross-border trail network consisting of 62 km of trails of all levels of difficulty - a German-Czech success story.

The snow crowned king
Above all this towers the "King of the Bavarian Forest", the Great Arber. At 1,445 m, it is the highest mountain in the Bavarian Forest and Bohemian Forest (which stretches along the Czech-Austrian-German border) as well as in Lower Bavaria - and also the highest mountain in Bavaria outside the Alps. On average 150 days of the year its summit is covered with snow and since 1949 it has been a popular winter sports destination for skiers and snowboarders. The alpine offer ranges from the family to the Ski World Cup circuit and offers a handful of beautiful hiking routes in the summer.

Bretterschachten - it almost doesn't get any better than this
And the Bretterschachten Active Center also scores with superlatives - after all, the region at Bretterschachten is considered the most snow-sure cross-country skiing destination in all of Central Europe. We're talking natural snow here, from December to the end of March. The DSV has already designated Bretterschachten as a DSV nordic active ski area for its excellent cross-country trail preparation.

Cross-country skiing center: 106 km of classic and 102 km of skating trails can be explored here at 1,120 - 1,300 m above sea level. The direct bus connection from the village and the spacious activity center with everything you need - from changing rooms and waxing room to kiosk and "Loipenstüberl" - round off the offer of long routes and fantastic views over the Bavarian Forest. You have to admit: it almost doesn't get much more perfect than this. Our absolute favorite for a varied and quite challenging day tour: the 30-kilometer-long high-altitude trail from Bretterschachten to Eck.

Be your own trail manager
Despite the close connection to its customs and its old treasure trove of legends, the region has long since arrived in the digital age and is even setting new standards here: with the new cross-country ski trail manager, cross-country skiers can find out about the current condition of all the trails in real time. Which cross-country trails from the wild Woid are currently open? What condition is my favorite trail in this morning? When was the high-altitude trail last freshly groomed? From the warmth of your bed or the comfort of your breakfast table, every trail manager receives a live report in real time directly from the trail equipment's driver's cabin. Standing in front of a closed trail is now a thing of the past!

Top Cross Country & Wellness Hotels
Nordic fans will also find double cross-country expertise here and thus the best advice: The Wellness and Vital Hotel Böhmhof is already impressive for its wonderful location at the foot of the Silberberg and the two well-groomed cross-country ski trails that run directly in front of the front door. The hotel's own ski bus takes you to the cross-country skiing center in no time - and back to the spacious wellness area in no time after the day's tour.

The active and wellness hotel Hammerhof is located alone and away from all the hustle and bustle on the outskirts of Bodenmais in the middle of nature. The entrance to a machine-maintained cross-country ski trail is located directly at the house, which is otherwise surrounded only by forest and meadows. Here you can enjoy the Lower Bavarian hospitality all around and let your soul dangle - whether in the wellness area, in the heated outdoor pool or the pampering half board.

At both Cross Country Ski Holidays member companies, the heart beats in the right place - in other words, for cross-country skiing: Top Nordic service and advice are a top priority here.

Something for the whole family
Conclusion for families: It is difficult to entice an eight-year-old with cross-country ski trails, but he is quite happy with scary stories about the devil, the Totenbachmann or the Pfahlhexe. The heated outdoor pools of the cross-country hotels are also to his taste, and he finds the digital trail manager "just cool. The wild Woid, with Germany's oldest national park, the country's only primeval forest, and enormous amounts of snow, definitely captivates him as much as it does us adults. And apart from the 1,000 kilometers of cross-country ski trails that make our hearts beat faster, there is still so much to discover in the wild heart of Bavaria. A tobogganing or sledding trip and a snowshoe tour through fairytale winter landscapes are at the top of the to-do list.