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Winter is Upon Us

Alternative Winter Sports are becoming increasingly popular

December 05th, 2014
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The temperature is falling, the days are getting longer, winter is well and truly here. Following a drop in the weather, winter sports are gaining in popularity. But this year something new is in the air; ancient traditional sports are winning new ground and throughout Berlin you can take part in a array of alternative winter sports.

Ice-Skating

One of the traditional Winter-highlights is Ice-Skating, and in a number of locations around Berlin including Erika Hess Ice rink, Wedding and Horst-Dohm Ice Stadium, Charlottenburg you can rent a pair of skates for the afternoon and carve up the ice-rink. People of all disciplines take to the skates, both sports enthusiasts and amateurs looking for a fun day out weave in and out of each other, lapping up the winter atmosphere.

Sledging, Skiing and Ice Stock Sports/p>

Winter Sports don’t have to be expensive, sledging and skiing are completely free and there are a number of places throughout Berlin where this is possible, whether in the idyllic surrounding countryside or right in the heart of the city. Many Berliners take their skis and sledges out of town towards Teufelsberg, the highest hill in Berlin, closer to home is the Trümmerberg im Volkspark, a reclaimed landfill that is so popular it almost got its own Ski-lift and Der Insulaner which has one of the longest sledge runs in the city, 75 metres in length. There are a number of ski-clubs and associations both in and out of Berlin for cross-country skiing. Tempelhofer Freiheit offers the best opportunity in Berlin for this activity.

A centuries old tradition has seen a revival in recent years in Berlin. Ice stock sport, sometimes called “Bavarian curling” has gained popularity in the capital, with the possibility to try it out in the heart of the city. The central reservation of Unter den Linden provides a backdrop of the Brandenburg gate.

Want to try something new?

Berlin is a showcase for alternative sports, with the opportunity to try out husky-sledging, snow kiting and ice swimming. Probably the most unusual way to sightsee is the chance to take a Husky Tour through Berlin. Participants learn to drive the dogs themselves, getting familiar with the huskies before heading out for full- or half-day tours through Berlin and the surrounding areas. Tempelhof Airport is the perfect destination for snow kiting, a sport inspired by kite surfing, the summer version of the same sport. No other city provides such a perfect arena for this type of sport, with its extensive tarmac of the abandoned airport and only 10cm of snow is needed to enjoy this winter sport. Swimming in the middle of winter in sub-zero temperatures has been taken up as a sport with the idea of toughening you up and helping to overcome resistance. Ice-swimming is particularly popular in Berlin; a city with 51.7km² of water, it offers plenty of opportunities for a winter dip. Members of the “Seehunde” club swim every Sunday from autumn to spring in the Orankesee in Berlin’s Weißensee district, as well as the traditional New Year’s Swim, a celebratory swim which takes place in sub-zero temperatures.

What is clear is that Berlin is at the forefront of alternative winter sports, providing everything from skiing to snow kiting.

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References and Links

News from Berlin
Berlin Global