Reit im Winkl: Winter Sports, Nature and Culture
Accommodation in Reit Im Winkl
Reit im Winkl offers several clearly distinct starting points for planning your vacation: Winklmoos-Alm is a ski and hiking area as well as a district, while Nordic Park is a play, training and practice area for cross-country skiing enthusiasts. There are also trails, natural attractions and cultural activities. When looking for accommodation for a ski vacation, it helps to first decide which of these activities you would like to focus on: the offerings have different focuses.
Winklmoos-Alm and Nordic Park: different focuses
Winklmoos-Alm brings together the designations of ski and hiking area. If you want to plan your stay around either of these activities, you can consider it a starting point in its own right. Nordic Park, by contrast, is specifically intended for play, training and practice in cross-country skiing. This means there are two different winter sports options: the Winklmoos-Alm ski and hiking area, and the cross-country skiing grounds at Nordic Park.
At Nordic Park, the Bärenloipe is the children's trail. This specific name can help guide your planning when traveling with children; at the same time, cross-country skiing remains the designated focus of the area. So if you are weighing up different activities for your travel group, it is worth considering the children's trail and the purpose of Nordic Park separately from the offerings at Winklmoos-Alm.
For guests of the Winklmoos-Alm/Steinplatte gondola, a free shuttle bus runs from the Tourist Information office and other stops in Reit im Winkl directly to the gondola's valley station in Seegatterl. The ride is available to guests of this gondola. Factor this condition into your plans and check the current service before you travel.
Nature, trails and activities
Winklmoos-Alm is also certified as an International Dark Sky Park. This means that, alongside its status as a ski and hiking area, a special designation for the place is also a focus. In town, Hausbachfall is a small landmark of Reit im Winkl. The barefoot park at GrĂĽnbĂĽhel is located between the town center and the waterfall; its features include a water lily pond, a Kneipp pool and numerous original stations.
A leisurely walk follows the Maria-Hellwig-Weg. It is dedicated to Maria Hellwig, a singer and folk theater performer from Reit im Winkl. Those interested in a via ferrata route will find another, different option at Hausbachfall: the via ferrata runs along the right side of the gorge, is rated C/D and leads over ladders, step beams and a rope bridge. Conditions may change depending on the water level.
The region's lakes can also be distinguished geographically: Weitsee, Mittersee and Lödensee make up the Three Lakes area, which stretches between Reit im Winkl and Ruhpolding. Swimming is permitted at designated bathing areas on Weitsee; seasonal conditions should be taken into account. If swimming is part of your plans, pay attention to the designated areas and the relevant season.
Museums, church and local heritage evenings
The local history museum “Hausenhäusl” offers insights into the life of a day laborer in Reit im Winkl over 100 years ago. The ski museum shows the importance of the town and Winklmoos-Alm to skiing. For both museums, visits are currently possible only as part of the guided museum hike and by prior registration. Plan a museum visit with this requirement in mind.
The Roman Catholic subsidiary church of St. Johann im Gebirg stands on Winklmoos-Alm. Prof. Josef Wiedemann built the modern church building between 1963 and 1966. At local heritage evenings in the festival hall, you can experience music, singing, dancing and traditional dress; check local dates for your stay. Trails, nature and culture thus complement the winter sports options without confusing the different offerings with one another.
Discover more travel destinations: Siegsdorf, Grassau, Ruhpolding, Inzell, Unterwössen, Bergen, Marquartstein, Grabenstätt.
To the overarching travel overview: Traunstein.
