Sand skiing in Bavaria

Skiing without snow, on sand? In Bavaria, it’s entirely possible: on Monte Kaolino, an artificial hill about 120 metres high, made from 35 million tonnes of quartz sand, you can ski even in bright sunshine, wearing nothing but a swimsuit or bikini. The run is 260 metres long and has a gradient of around 35 degrees.

Monte Kaolino: skiing and more

Monte Kaolino is located near Schnaitenach in the Amberg-Sulzach district of Bavaria. In 2007, the area around Monte Kaolino was completely redeveloped. Today, alongside the ski hill and its own cable lift, there are restaurants with outdoor terraces, a campsite with sanitary facilities, holiday homes, motorhome pitches, car parks, a high ropes course, a colour garden, and a ski and sandboard rental shop. The attractions around Monte Kaolino are to be expanded gradually over the coming years. Plans for Hirschau also include a sauna park and a so-called “Kaolineum” on Monte Kaolino—a kind of museum with catering facilities.