“I would love to go sledding again” – no problem on the 10 best toboggan runs in Germany

Let's be honest, winter isn't exactly the best time of year. It's freezing cold, constantly dark and if it's still slippery outside, then good night, Johanna! But winter has one advantage: there is a chance that it will snow - even if it is during theand the associated global warming is becoming increasingly rare in our latitudes. Nevertheless, snow means you can also go sledding in the right environment - and we'll show you which onesToboggan runs in Germanyis the best way to do that.

So if you have the opportunity this year or next, you should take advantage of it. Because who knows how often this will still be possible in this country.

The Berchtesgaden Alps are a wonderful area per se, and when they're covered in snow in winter they naturally have a very special magic - you especially notice this when you take the double chairlift up the mountain in Ramsau and can look at the Watzmann. But the best part is yet to come: the sporty and somewhat demanding Hirscheckblitz toboggan run, which was co-designed by toboggan legend Schorsch Hackl and where you can really pick up the pace. The track is 2.3 kilometers long, the gradient varies between 14 and 22 percent, and you can reach top speeds of up to 47 km/h - so not for the faint-hearted. But don't worry: the track naturally has an extensive safety concept so that nothing should go wrong while tobogganing.

Reit im Winkel is an absolute winter wonderland when it has snowed - hardly anywhere could it be more beautiful. No wonder, as the sun often shines there even at very low temperatures, as the town has a fantastic ski area at the Winklmoosalm and if you prefer something a little more tranquil, the quiet Hemmersuppenalm is in great hands. You can hike, ski or snowboard and – tadaa – you can also go tobogganing very well. Because the great toboggan run from the Hindenburghütte via the Gschwendalm to Blindau is an absolute highlight of the area. In the past, championships even took place on the track, but today it is less competitive. The route is four kilometers long and is almost entirely straight ahead, only at the steep start and at the Gschwendalm are there sharp curves that take away a bit of speed. But either way: really rock it!

The 1,634 meter high Brünnstein is a well-known photo motif in the Bavarian Prealps and attracts mountain lovers all year round. You can hike to the Brünnsteinhaus all year round, but the road from Mühlau up to the Alpine Club hut is transformed into a toboggan run in winter. However, it is quite steep and is therefore one of the more demanding routes. You don't have to be a professional to do this, but if you've never sat on a sled before, you should think twice about whether you really want to take on the 3.5 kilometers - especially since pedestrians are always coming your way. The climb takes about two hours, and if you don't want to do this route with your own sledge, you can rent one at the Brünnsteinhaus for five euros. A not-so-secret insider tip is Wednesday as a tobogganing day: a tobogganing evening with Kaiserschmarrn is held there between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. But you should make reservations in good time and don't forget a flashlight for the way back.

It is the longest natural toboggan run in Germany: the run on Wallberg in Rottach-Egern, which is 6.5 kilometers long. Due to this fact, the former ski mountain has been transformed into Bavaria's most popular toboggan mountain. And on a route like this you can of course expect variety: sometimes there are tight curves, sometimes you can speed straight ahead, sometimes it gets narrow - so you definitely have to have a bit of foresight when sledding. But when you slide gently to your destination on the Wallbergstrasse with a fantastic view of the Bavarian Alps, you always have a big smile on your face.

The winter toboggan run on the Hörnle in Bad Kohlgrub is an impressive 4.5 kilometers long. The health resort is not only excellent all year round, but has now also become an insider tip for sledding enthusiasts. The town's local mountain is the Hörnle on the edge of the Ammergau Alps. The chairlift alone is spectacular, as it is an absolute rarity. The employees elegantly fold the chairs to the side while you simply remain standing. If you don't want to hike, you can drive up to the small Hörnlehütte, and from there you can go directly to the toboggan run, which leads down into the valley in a serpentine-like route through the wooded slopes of the Hörnle.

If you want to take a fasting holiday, you can go to Oberstaufen for the Schroth cure - the only Schroth spa in Germany. This is what the place is famous for. The area is also a great place for winter sports fans. Not only is there wonderful skiing, cross-country skiing and hiking in the area, but you can also go tobogganing - on a comparatively comfortable toboggan run on Imberg. From the Imberghaus, which you can either hike to or take a gondola ride to, and from where you can enjoy a great panoramic view, the natural toboggan run runs parallel to the Nordlift piste. Every now and then you have to bridge a small flat section on the toboggan run, it doesn't go all the way downhill, but it's still fun - especially at the end of the run. However, the final slope is also used by skiers, so you have to be particularly careful when driving there.

Hahnenklee is a health resort with tradition and is located on the Kranichsee, which sometimes freezes over in winter so you can go ice skating on it. A gondola lift leads from the center of the town to the highest peak in the area, the Bocksberg. It is “only” 726 meters high, but that is high enough for a beautiful toboggan run - at 1.5 kilometers long, it is the second longest natural toboggan run in the Harz. The nice thing is that it's not in Bavaria, like most toboggan runs, so you can get there from Hanover in just over an hour. And: On Saturdays you can even go tobogganing there until 9:30 p.m., when the track is illuminated for a long time.

Oberwiesenthal is just a stone's throw from the Czech Republic and is surrounded by rolling hills, which create a beautiful panorama in winter when there is snow and ice. The Fichtelberg Schwebebahn, which opened in 1924, has been there for a hundred years now and takes excursionists and skiers up to the 1,214 meter high Oberwiesenthal local mountain (although you can also go up with a modern four-seater chairlift). Incidentally, tobogganing has a tradition in Oberwiesenthal: as early as the beginning of the 20th century, building and fuel materials, and later also guests, were transported down to the valley on special horn sledges. Today, however, tobogganing is purely a fun affair, and yes: the descent on the well-secured toboggan run is really a lot of fun - and is also suitable for families, although it also contains a decent steep section with a gradient of thirty percent.

The Geißkopf near Bischofsmais is only 1,097 meters high, but is nevertheless an excellent excursion destination - both in summer and winter. One reason for this: the family-friendly toboggan run, which runs through the snow-covered mountain forest and to the beginning of which you can comfortably go up in a modern six-seater chairlift. The route is rather easy, therefore also suitable for families and beginners. Nevertheless, thrills are still guaranteed due to some curves and steep parts.

The Wurmberg in Braunlage is even a little smaller than the Geißkopf: it is just 971 meters high, but is still the highest peak in Lower Saxony. And you can also use a 1.7 kilometer long winter toboggan run, which has some steep passages and therefore provides a lot of speed. However, it doesn't go downhill from the top, but rather from the middle station, where you can also rent the sledges if you don't feel like bringing your own.