Toytown Germany

For up-to-date weather see: Munich, Garmisch, Kitzbühel, and Innsbruck.

For snow conditions at all tirolean resorts see: bergfex.at/tirol. Selected Bavarian resorts: Lengries / Brauneck, Bayerischzell / Sudelfeld, Spitzingsee, Tegernsee, Reit im Winkl, Garmisch / Zugspitze (webcam). Selected Tirolean resorts: Skiwelt (includes Brixen, Ellmau, Scheffau, and Söll), Kitzbühel, Fieberbrunn, and Hochfügen.

The Munich International Ski Club organises a ski bus most weekends as does Sport Scheck under the title PowerTagesfahrten.

[img]http://www.toytowngermany.com/munich/skiing.jpg[/img]

When there is snow on the ground in Munich it is possible to do Langlaufen (cross-country skiing) along the 4km between the Aumeister and Hirschau in 20 to 30 minutes. There are also machined trails at Nymphenburg, Westpark, Ostpark, Isarauen, and Pasing. Click the links for up-to-date condition reports. As far as we know there is nowhere to hire x-country skis in Munich. But you can buy a very decent set new, including brushes and wax, for under €480. The season for cross-country within the city is typically very short, so enjoy while the weather lasts!

See the Munich webcams for an idea of how much snow is currently on the ground.

See also: Curling / Eisstockschießen in Munich

For info: the word "griffig" in German snow reports means that there's no deep powder snow, but no ice either - just normal snow for skiing. In German it says that your skis can "grip" the snow.

It's white outside this morning, and still snowing!

XCountry like in the picture in the Isarauen (where there really is a loipe / machine-groomed trail from the Wittelsbacherbrücke down to Thalkirchen) or in the English Garden where you make your own trail or go on side paths that haven't been gritted yet. Go quick, the snow might still be ok tomorrow...

Spitzing See is good at the moment. Was there yesterday (30.Dec.04). 65cm of snow, -11'C, 50 mins drive from Munich.

Get there early though. A friend of mine tried to join us at 11am and all car parks were full already.

was at Axamer-Lizum yesterday, weather was great but they don't have too much snow yet despite using snow cannons all day.

for weather forecasts check
www.wetter.at

Perhaps its stating the obvious, but langlaufing in the English Gardens right now is great. There are no machined trails as far as I've seen, but there are plenty of trails set by other skiers who have gone before.

Skiing the length of the English Gardens with a break for Weißbier at the Milchhausl, that's why I moved to Munich! Fantastic.

Great story. Good way to get excited about a snow-covered weekend. This is why I love Toytown!

Update: The trails in the English Gardens are now machined!

Just came back from the English Gardens and can confirm the trails between the Hirschau and Aumeister beer gardens are indeed machined. I.e., between Münchner Freiheit and Studentenstadt.

Didn't find any trails south of the Hirschau though. ;-(

I haven't tried Langlaufen yet, but would like to. Is there anywhere locally that offers lessons/rentals so that I could just try it out a bit in the English Gardens?

You don't really need lessons. If you can walk, you can langlauf.

As for rentals, nope, I don't know of anywhere in Munich - but that's not to say it's impossible. Try taking the train down to Bayerischzell and hiring them there for a day instead (€10 per day: boots, skiis, and poles).

To buy the full kit new it will cost just under €500 from any of the main sports shops in the city center (SportScheck, Schuster, etc...):

€180 skiis
€80 bindings
€100 boots
€60 poles
€50 wax & brushes

Langlaufer leben länger.

If you're a member of the Deutsche Alpenverein you can use their online equipment reservation service to rent a "Tourenskiset" for 12 euros per day.

(Not sure if Tourenskis are the same as Langlaufskis though).

Langläufers live longer? Could be right actually. Two downhillers were killed at Königsleiten in Austria this weekend. They went off-piste and got hit by an avalanche. See the news report:

br-online.de/bayern1/thema/polizeireport/2005/00590/

Tourenski are not the same as XCountry. Tourenski are the kind you climb up the mountain with (with "furs" strapped onto the bottom!) and then telemark down. It is the Alpenverein after all.

Wikipedia Tourenski

I'm planning on giving Langlaufen a try this Sunday at Bayerischzell. Anyone up for splitting a BOB ticket?

This continues to be one of the best Munich winters for Langlaufing that we've had in many years.

Just a couple of hours ago they finished re-doing the Loipen through the English gardens. I know, I was skiing right behind the machine!

Conditions are Traumhaft! Make the most while you can!