Go green and get in shape with a holiday in Bavaria

If you want to be fed in exchange for being green, head for southern Bavaria and the Allgäu region. In the Kleinwalsertal you’ll not only be provided with free shuttle services if you leave your car behind but also get special rewards in the form of local mountain cheese or “Käsknöpfle” (cheese dumplings).

The so-called “0 km package” also includes bringing guests at no charge to each of the four villages in the Kleinwalsertal or at a reasonable price to neighbouring Oberstdorf, plus hotels offering mountain bikes and bicycles free of charge when visitors turn in their car keys. The initiative resulted in less exhaust fumes, less noise and stress as well as a healthier environment for the Kleinwalsertal region, an Austrian enclave in the “Walsertal” (Walser valley) which can only be accessed via Oberstdorf and is situated on an altitude of more than 1.100 metres in the Alps.

Together with Oberstdorf, the Kleinwalsertal provides an ideal ground for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, climbing and skiing and makes one of the top mountain bike destinations in the Alps. Adventurous mountain bikers, for instance, can try the ”Bikepark” in Hirschegg for daring jumps. The entrance is free of charge for guests with the “Allgäu Walser” guest card. Further activities and offers this year include a special children’s programme and brochure themed “Mountain – Adventure – Experience” and the annual Kleinwalsertal Hiking Festival (17 June to 24 June).

Oberstdorf, Germany’s most Southern tourism community and a climatic spa, is the place to be for sportive holiday-makers with 101 different kinds of sport to engage in. The town was awarded with the German Tourism Award 2006 for its unique tourism project of being the first partner region of the German national health campaign “Deutschland bewegt sich!” (Germany is moving).

Oberstdorf offers, for instance, free of charge trial Nordic Walking or climbing classes and organises a winter rambler’s day. Visitors can also book special packages from 19 May to 30 September 2007. Those “Summit Weeks” (Gipfelwochen) are individual all-inclusive tours focusing on different themes such as hiking, mountain biking or health. As the largest German-Austrian skiing region, Oberstdorf is furthermore an ideal destination in winter for families and beginners. Guests can also take the opportunity and visit prestigious Nordic ski events hosted by Oberstdorf such as the ski jumping “Vierschanzentournee” (Four Hills Tournament) or “Tour de Ski”.

For more information:

Oberstdorf - Oberstdorf.com
Kleinwalsertal - Kleinwalsertal.com
German Tourist Board - Germany-tourism.co.uk