Sledging and Skiing in the South of Munich

What to do if you spend a weekend or more in the South of Munich? Actually many funny activities! I recently started to discover this region, and I come here more and more often feeling kind of familiar with those nice peaks covered with their pine trees. As the first snow started to fall, looking outside our window it was like living in a winter wonderland, a true fairy snow globe, with the dark green trees becoming white surrounded by sparkles when the sun kissed the snow. And as I’m an active girl, I love being outside, so I could not stay only inside admiring the landscape I wanted to go for a nice hike, some skiing, ice skating etc.

However the most surprising activity my boyfriend Martin suggested to do was, sledge. Really? I could not believe it! I mean I remember doing it when I was a kid, but at 37 years old? Apparently in the region it’s just normal, the night before it snowed but not sufficiently for going skiing so, there were the perfect conditions to have some fun with the old wood sledge. Finally we had a plan, direction Birkenstein ( part of Fischbachau ), first we needed to hike for about one hour on the Breitenstein, reaching 1275m and have a break at the Kasselalm Hut, for a break, coffee, beer or even some lunch and then coming all back down with the sledge. Finally around four in the afternoon go to Café Winklstüberl for the perfect piece of cake and a cup of tea.

Hiking in Bavaria, Fiscbachau

83730 Fischbachau, Germany

Kasselalm Hut

Birkenstein, 83730 Fischbachau, Germany

Perfect! I thought. Sledge in the car, skiing clothes on, I was ready, we arrived in Birkenstein (850m altitude) parked the car and start walking in one of the streets of the village going up in the mountain. “Is it here?” I asked Martin “ Yes” he answered smiling” " but we are walking in a village, are we coming back into it riding the sledge? ” I replied astonished; “ Yes, you’ll see, everyone does it, it’s fun”. Ok then, we continued walking toward to the top for at least one hour, we crossed other people, families, young, elderly people, kids, everyone with sledges, bobs ect. Once arrived we could enjoy a super view on the valley below and the mountains around with little bit of sun that for that day was hiding behinds some few clouds. The Hut was open, we got in, warmed up a bit, rested, and drank a delicious cup of warm coffee before our super ride down back to the village.

Out again, Martin sitting in the front and me in the back, still incredulous of what we were about to do, he said” Ready?” and just after my “yes” we run down the whole road, trying to turn in the gently curves, almost felt ones in some deep snow on the side of the mountain, until we got right into the village’s streets where we were coming from. It was the funniest thing I had made since I was a kid and I had almost forgot how fun it was!

So, if you can rent a sledge or if you have one, please come to Birkenstein and try it! However, if you are here and not really in to walk up to 1275 mt., but you’ll still love to sledge or skii, there is at 15 minutes distance by car a super nice skiing resort Spitzingsee-Tegernsee. It has 20km of slopes green, blue, red and two blacks, for day or night skiing, it’s not really expensive you’ll pay 35€ pass for the all day or you can even choose to take hourly pass. Also have a kid part, and a lot of nice huts here and there on the tracks where you can stop and have lunch, trying one of their multiple bavarian specialties and drink a alcohol-free beer (be ready the smallest glass here is 0,5l), or just have a break to rest a bit on the super cute sun chairs.

Skiing in Spitzingsee-Tegernsee

Spitzingstraße 12, 83727 Schliersee, Germany

Moreover, If you need some equipment you can rent it just close by to the skii resort at Alm Bayrishzell, which is really not far rental place , they are really well equipped and so friendly! But you know what’s the best news of all this? It’s that in both cases after skiing or sledging you can go to Cafe Winklstüberl and enjoy a piece of cake (for me the perfect match after you had made some sport). This this café is just amazing, they have the biggest and best cakes of the region and it’s really worth going and have a try.

Ski Rentals at SportAlm in Bavaria

Alpenstraße 70, 83735 Bayrischzell, Germany

Café Winklstüberl

Leitzachtalstraße 68, 83730 Fischbachau, Germany

So, if you have a couple of days to spend here, come doing some sledge or ski, have fun and please enjoy the cake!