Postcards from Germany: The Great Outdoors
Postcards from Germany: The Great Outdoors
By Ashley Moore
For Guymon Daily Herald
August 30-31, 2008
In a country boasting the Bavarian Alps, turquoise clear alpine lakes, both the Rhine and Danube Rivers, the Black Forest of Brothers Grimm fairy tale fame and countless other forests, lakes, mountains and rivers, it's no surprise that enthusiasm for the "great outdoors" runs high in Germany. Upon meeting new students at the language institute where I work part-time to help finance my master's studies at the University of Bayreuth, I always hear that major hobbies are some kind of sports. Almost without exception, my adult students list something that they love doing outdoors. Cycling, skiing and jogging seem to top the list, but you wouldn't have to talk to anyone to figure this out. Whether it's June or December, you'll see them in their workout gear sweating it out on the sidewalks.
It probably helps that summers here are generally temperate and often provide the perfect conditions for outdoor sports. With Germany's average summer temperatures ranging from 72 to 80 degrees, regional and national parks see hundreds of hikers, cyclists, climbers and canoeists. It's not all sunshine, though, if you'll forgive the incredibly bad but irresistible pun. Ridiculously cold rain will interrupt the nearly perfect weather and send everyone scrambling through closets for sweaters and wool socks so that when the sun does come back out, the parks are packed with bikini-clad sunbathers and the streets are once again crammed with tables of lively café goers. When the sun is shining, it seems that no one would dare to stay inside, especially when the weather is perfect for visiting traditional Bavarian beer gardens, which to my great surprise are sometimes complete with accordion and clarinet-playing entertainers.
Love of the outdoors isn't confined to the summer months however. With some of the best skiing in the world in the Bavarian and Swiss Alps, winter sports are also extremely popular. You don't even have to be in the mountains to "enjoy" the crisper months. November sees the opening of outdoor restaurants and bars that are incredibly popular even when temperatures dip below zero. No matter the season, there seems to be something for even the most diehard couch potato to enjoy outdoors here.
For those of you celebrating your Labor Day weekend at the lake, I hope that the 100 degree plus temperatures have subsided at least a bit. Have a great long weekend! Questions, comments or suggestions: guymongirl1@gmail.com.
A traditional house nestled in the Frankische Schweiz mountains near Pottenstein, Germany, a popular destination for climbers, mountain bikers and hikers
Hiking in the Frankische Schweiz mountains
Camping with a classic
Beer garden entertainment in Pottentstein, Germany
