Vinterberg , located among low mountains, is not only a very beautiful miniature town, but also a ski resort, which is often called the “Land of a Thousand Mountains”. Vacationers can enjoy excellent conditions for training here, and in the summer these places are famous for scenic walks among interesting natural sights. There is a pleasant atmosphere similar to alpine winter resorts.

By the way. Vinterberg is famous for the longest Olympic bobsleigh track in Europe. Its length is more than 1,600 meters, and the speed of the bob reaches 130 km/h.

Only 14,000 people live in Winterberg, as it is a tourist town and all the infrastructure here is appropriate. In addition to winter entertainment, there are many interesting museums and historical sights, so no one will be bored here. Both tourists and local residents like to relax here, as the resort is an alternative to the well-known and distant Alps.

Winterberg is a well-known center for winter sports. Everyone will find something to their liking here. Guests who come to Vinterberg for treatment are offered various therapeutic procedures, which widely use the special healing properties of the local air. In Winterberg, various climate treatment procedures are carried out: air and sun baths, as well as walks in the fresh air along special terrenkur routes. The purpose of climate therapy is therapy and general strengthening of the body with the help of controlled, individually dosed climate procedures in different weather conditions.

Climatic procedures are used not only for therapeutic purposes, but also for preventive purposes: they strengthen immunity and improve blood circulation. Winterberg is located in the Sauerland holiday region with many picturesque towns and a large program of activities. Here you can not only be treated, but also have a pleasant time.

How to get there

Nearest airports:

Dormund – 90 km

Frankfurt – 160 km

Cologne-Bonn – 186 km

You can get to the resort by train or bus from Dortmund. Travel time will take no more than an hour.

Ski slopes and lifts

Vinterberg cannot boast of high mountains, but thanks to the excellent infrastructure and various tracks, you can have a great winter vacation here. The height of the local slopes does not exceed 1000 meters, therefore, to ride at high altitudes, you will have to go south to the border with Austria.

Winter sports life is in full swing in Winterberg – here everyone will find entertainment to their taste. The resort has 27 slopes with a total length of 17 km. The slopes of the resort are suitable for almost all categories of skiers and snowboarders, despite the fact that there are not so many really difficult slopes for professionals. There are almost the same number of “red” and “blue” tracks, and there is also one “black” located next to the bobsleigh track. Even the least experienced skiers and snowboarders will be comfortable here: children and beginners, as well as more experienced vacationers, as there are many tracks and training grounds of varying difficulty.

The Winterberg Skiliftkarussell ski resort, which is located on the territory of Winterberg, is distinguished by its compact size, which does not diminish its merits in the least. The infrastructure of the resort is simply perfect, there are tracks of the most different levels of difficulty, as well as many wonderful places for recreation. Fans of winter entertainment begin to arrive at the resort in the first half of December, some tracks remain comfortable for skiing even in March.

It is important to note that the resort area is located at a relatively low altitude – 620 – 816 meters, so the height difference is less than 200 meters. Beginner athletes have a choice of 14 “blue” tracks, and those who have already mastered the basics of skating and want to improve their skills, there are 11 “red” tracks. Professional athletes and extreme lovers will be more attracted by two “black” tracks, which are about one kilometer long.

A significant part of the trails of the resort area passes through a picturesque forest, vacationers also have the opportunity to ride in the evening and at night, many popular trails are illuminated after dark. The resort area is served by 22 lifts, the total carrying capacity of which is more than 35,000 people per hour. The busiest are the Poppenberg III, Landalpark and Käppchenlift cable lifts, and comfortable chairlifts take vacationers to the highest point of the resort.

In addition to skiing, guests of the resort have a lot of interesting entertainment. There is a wonderful snow park, which is popular with freestyle enthusiasts, and the resort also has several high-class bobsleigh tracks and excellent ski jumps. Winterberg Skiliftkarussell is perfect for vacationing with children, there are many special training grounds for small guests, and children’s ski schools offer their services.

Economical travelers will be pleased with affordable ski pass prices, for adult guests a day pass will cost only 26 euros, and for children – 17 euros. It is best for economical tourists to buy a 6-day pass, in which case its cost will be only 90 euros for an adult and 60 euros for a child. In the immediate vicinity of the ski area there is a huge number of attractive restaurants and bars where you can try popular German cuisine and the best types of local beer.

Ski school, equipment rental

At the resort, there are four equipment rental points for the services of vacationers, which present the products of the world’s leading manufacturers.

There are also three ski and snowboard schools at the resort, which teach both children and adults. Experienced instructors will help you get on skis for the first time or improve your existing skills.

 

Hotels and cottages

The resort offers a variety of accommodation options, so finding affordable accommodation in Winterberg will not be a problem. Hotels and cottages are conveniently located near the lifts, and there are also hotels with personal training slopes.

Vinterberg boasts a large selection of original high-class hotels, accommodation in which will make your vacation more comfortable and interesting. The real attraction of the resort is the Forsthaus Hotel , which is located in an old forester’s house. In the reconstructed historical building, guests are equipped with simple and comfortable rooms with individual decor. One of the main distinctive features of the hotel is the atmosphere of home comfort. Another original hotel is the Pension Walddorf Hotel , stylized as an old hunting lodge. Its territory is surrounded by an incredibly beautiful forest.

Hotel Forsthaus 3 star hotel

This traditional family hotel is located in Winterberg, in a former forester’s house. It offers rooms with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV, as well as a free Finnish sauna and infrared cabin.

Newly renovated in 2018, the rooms of Hotel Forsthaus are located in the main building or in the neighboring guest house, 50 meters away. Some rooms have a balcony or terrace.

A fresh and varied breakfast buffet is served every morning. The Forsthaus’s restaurant with a terrace serves regional dishes. In summer, guests are offered snacks and drinks in the garden or cafe.

The country location of the hotel is ideal for outdoor activities. The Rothaarsteig hiking trail and the Rurtal cycling trail run in the immediate vicinity of the hotel.

The hotel is only 1 km from the ski lift and a 10-minute walk from the center of Winterberg. Free on-site parking is provided.

Pension Walddorf 4 star hotel

This hotel is located in Winterberg , in a quiet place near the forest. Nearby, in the Rothaargebirge mountains, there are hiking and motorcycle routes. The hotel provides free hot drinks to guests.

The Walddorf Hotel offers spacious and bright rooms with a modern bathroom. Some rooms have a balcony.

Other amenities at the Walddorf include a barbecue area and a lounge with table football.

A rich breakfast buffet is served daily at Hotel Walddorf. You can have a cup of tea or coffee in the dining hall at any time.

Only 26 km from the Walddorf Hotel is the amusement park “Fort Fan Abentoyerland”.

Hotel Oversum Winterberg Ski- und Vital Resort 4 star hotel

This hotel with its unique architecture features a large outdoor wellness area with a spa center. It offers modern rooms and suites with a beautiful view, as well as restaurants and cafes of fine cuisine, which serve regional and international dishes.

The exterior of the Hotel Oversum Vitalresort Winterberg is made in the shape of an egg. All stylish rooms have a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and large windows. Each room has its own bathroom with free toiletries.

Oversum Vitalresort Winterberg has 2 restaurants and the Veltins lounge bar. In sunny weather, food can be served on 2 terraces.

The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, a Finnish sauna, a steam bath with aromatherapy and a hydromassage shower. In addition, guests can order a massage and visit the fitness room.

Winterberg Train Station is 850 meters away. The countryside of North Rhine-Westphalia is suitable for skiing, cycling and hiking.

Villa Silbach

The spacious and elegant Villa Silbach is located in the village of Silbach. It offers modern rooms with wooden floors and views of the surrounding countryside.

The old building of Villa Silbach is elegantly decorated and decorated with wooden beams. Guests have at their disposal 4 large bedrooms with a cozy corner and a living room with a fireplace and a dining area. The stylish bathroom has 2 large showers. Towels and bed linen are included in the price of accommodation.

Villa Silbach’s kitchen is equipped with a microwave, oven and washing machine.

Villa Silbach has a garden with a terrace and a ski storage room. The distance to the nearest ski lift in the Winterberg region is only 4 km.

You can leave your car in the free parking lot. Dortmund Airport is 68 km away.

Silbach is a great choice if you are interested in mountain walks, scenery and nature walks.

For gourmets: restaurants and cafes of Winterberg. Authentic dishes and delicacies, where to go for dinner

Vinterberg is popular among tourists from all over Europe, so you should not be surprised by the large number of local restaurants. Here you can find dishes from any cuisine in the world, from Italian pizza to Japanese rolls. Do you want to immerse yourself in the culinary traditions of Germany? Then you should go to one of the small city restaurants, like Landfein-Genusswirtschaft or Benny’s Kartoffelkiste . The first can boast a large selection of good wine, the second, in addition to German, also offers Mediterranean cuisine, and you need to book a table in Benny’s Kartoffelkiste in advance. If you are a fan of vegetarian food, you should visit Blackwater Irish Pub in Irish style.

The local cuisine is very hearty. Very popular meat dishes are made from poultry, pork, beef or veal. Cabbage and potatoes are the most commonly used vegetables in Vinterberg . A little less often – carrots, onions, asparagus. Legumes are also popular. It is customary to add spices and seasonings to many dishes. It can be pepper, mustard, cumin, garlic or coriander. During every meal there will always be bread on the table. There are many types of bread in the city, from the usual white loaf to a gray loaf with nuts and bran.

Wurst is the dish with which you should start getting to know the cuisine of the city. This is the collective name for sausages that are eaten here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can find such a dish anywhere – at least in pubs, at a food vendor on the street, at least in an expensive restaurant. The most interesting types of sausages are Bratwurst made of minced pork, Weißwurs made of veal with lard, very spicy Currywurst, blood Blutwurst, mild beef Frankfurter Rindswurst. There is also Mettwurst, the most exotic of sausages. The fact is that they are not boiled or fried. It is customary to eat a product made of slightly smoked minced meat raw.

 

Bratwurst

mettwurst,

Eisbein is worth a try. This dish is a baked pork knuckle. The specific recipe differs from cook to cook, but it is definitely worth paying attention to the “beer roll” option. An interesting Maultaschen is a local analogue of dumplings filled with spinach and pork. Of the meat dishes, the boiled meatballs Klopse, Kotelett, which is not a cutlet at all, but a chop, Dampfnudeln, which is just a cutlet, only steamed, and roast beef Zwiebelrostbraten deserve attention. For a quick snack, Leberkäse is perfect – baked meat pate, which can be considered as an appetizer for beer, or eaten with bread for breakfast or lunch.

Eisbein

Leberkäse

An interesting local pizza option, which is especially good after a full day of active skiing. This is Flammkuchen. In “Fiery pie” the dough is rolled out in a thin layer and covered with bacon, onion and cream cheese (today the filling often includes ham or chicken) and baked without fail on an open fire. In the evening, you can also order Schweinshaxe – fried pork leg with traditional pea puree or stewed cabbage. The original Gefüllter Saumagen is a stuffed pork stomach, the filling consists of pork, potatoes and a lot of pepper. Another dish, which is usually eaten raw, can be found in city pubs. This is Hackepeter or Mett.

Flammkuchen

Matt

In the city, you can also taste fish dishes, most of which are prepared from fish brought from the northern part of the country. For example, Pannfisch, marinated herring Rollmops and a fried type of this fish called Gebratene Heringe are interesting. Vegetables are much more popular as a side dish for Winterberg residents than pasta or cereals. You should try the Leipziger Allerlei fried vegetable assortment, Hoppelpoppel fried potatoes with sausage and eggs, or Eier im Nest scrambled eggs with potatoes and greens. Potato and carrot pancakes with the prosaic name Kartoffel Möhren Pfanne are also good. And, of course, sauerkraut.

From the salads, you can try the potato Kartofelsalat, for example, with yogurt dressing, the local version of “herring under a fur coat” Rote Bete-Salat mit Hering, or sausage-cucumber Fleischsalat. As a first course, you can order a very hearty Eintopf made of meat and beans, Kartoffelsuppe soup with bacon or, for example, onion Zwiebelsuppe. The city has its own version of soup, and soups with meat dumplings, and vegetable soups. Pumpkin, cauliflower or tomato puree soup will be rather unusual.

Rote Bete-Salat mit Herring

For dessert, you can choose donuts with Berliner cream, buns with fruit and vanilla cream Rohrnudeln, twisted kalach Brezel or Streusel, grated cake with cheese and fruit filling. Rote grütze made of berry jelly topped with whipped cream and thin pancakes with Pfankuchen jam are interesting. The local cakes are also good, especially the Prinzregententorte. You can drink this variety with coffee, herbal tea or Bionade lemonade. Excellent local beer, the number of varieties of which in the city reaches a hundred. It is worth trying Icewine from grapes that froze directly on the vine, and ordinary wine.

Prinzregententorte

Main attractions

Kaler-Asten mountain has been the most famous and visited attraction of Winterberg for many years , the name of which can be literally translated from German as “bare branch”. A huge number of hiking routes pass along the slopes of the mountain, as well as in the immediate vicinity. A magnificent panoramic view opens from the peaks of Kaler-Asten, which will not leave anyone indifferent

Heimatstuben Museum, where you can get acquainted with the life and culture of the indigenous population. The exposition of the museum includes ancient artifacts that tell about the life and daily life of local residents.

Mount Kaler-Asten

The Church of St. James, built during the early Middle Ages, retains many original elements, such as ancient icons and frescoes. This place has been attracting pilgrims from all over the world for more than a hundred years

The West German Museum of Winter Sports, which tells about the history of the development of this region. Here you can see many valuable exhibits, such as samples of vintage ski equipment.

Church of St. Jacob

In the vicinity

Levenburg Castle

Shopping in Winterberg. For clothes and souvenirs – the best shops, outlets and boutiques

Winterberg, although a major German center for winter sports, is a small town in itself. So here it is easy to buy essential goods, a wide variety of souvenirs and clothes from local designers and from many well-known brands in small shops like Franz Rupprath or Bessmann Trachtenwelt. If you are determined to spend the maximum amount of time searching for “the right” sweater or skirt, then you should visit RockOn Outlet Winterberg. However, there are no large shopping centers in the city where you can spend a day or two shopping. So if you intend to buy clothes from the latest collections, it is best to spend your time on a trip to Dortmund.

RockOn Outlet Winterberg

The city has several dozen large stores with a good selection of equipment for winter sports. However, for a place that attracts athletes from all over the world, this is not surprising. True, if you expect to come to Winterberg in the height of the season and find a good jacket or pants at a low price, you will be disappointed. The selection here is really very, very good, you can find equipment of any kind and any size, but the prices are not at all lower, and even higher than the average in Germany. So, if you want to buy equipment at a good price, it is best to come to the city after the end of the season, in May-July, when old stocks are sold at a good discount, and things from new collections have not yet been brought.

But what you can easily find in Winterberg are traditional German souvenirs. Many of them are sold in the most ordinary supermarket, especially if you do not want to find a product in a necessarily beautiful souvenir package. For example, you should not pass by the traditional local sausages. The choice of them in the city is huge, you can find both somewhat familiar ones made of beef or pork, as well as stuffed ones, and even made from raw minced meat without the need to fry or cook. Keep in mind that you should buy such a product in vacuum packaging or in a hermetically sealed jar, otherwise you are unlikely to bring them home.

Mustard must be added to sausages. There are both Sußer Senf – sweet, and Scharf Senf – spicy. There are many manufacturers of it, but the best ones are made by Handlmaier’s and Thomy. Be sure to grab the beer, which is always popular among local residents. You can also buy classics such as Oettinger, Krombacher, Paulaner or Warsteiner, or look for something different to your taste in city stores. You can immediately buy a beer mug to accompany the beer. Ceramics, wood, tin or even crystal – the choice of material is yours. Maßkrug is a 1-liter mug, while Pilsner holds 0.33 to 0.5 liters of foam.

Don’t like beer? No problem, then just bring one or two bottles of Eiswein from the city, they make a drink from grapes frozen on the vine. Wine in general is popular in Winterberg , and you can buy quality crystal glasses in local shops. It is also worth trying the herbal liqueur Jägermeister with a strength of 35%, the full composition of which the manufacturers have not yet disclosed. In addition to alcohol, sausages and mustard, you can also buy a head or two of local cheese. The popular green sauce, once first prepared in Frankfurt, would be a good option.

Scharf Senf

Eiswein

Among the sweet gifts, bars of the world-famous Ritter Sport chocolate, which is sold in a much larger range than in stores outside the country, are popular. Delicious chocolates and Feodora and Leysieffe brands. They add unusual ingredients such as lavender flowers, ginger or red pepper to their products. Delicious marzipan from Niederegger and candies from Halloren Schokoladenfabrik. The latter not so long ago established the release of candies in the form of emojis. The selection of chewing candies from Haribo in Winterberg will delight those with a sweet tooth.

If you get to the city on Christmas Eve, you can buy a chocolate Santa Claus or beautifully made Christmas tree toys. Interesting Weihnachtspyramide carousel pyramids. The principle of operation is simple – warm air from the candles rotates the mill wheel or another version of the propeller. Musical boxes and huge painted Lebkuchen gingerbreads are also interesting. The best way to find delicacies is at the annual Christmas market. A dry stollen cake will carry you well on the way home, connoisseurs claim that this dish only gets tastier after lying down for a long time.

Ritter Sport

Lebkuchen

A knife made of good steel will also be a good gift. It is worth paying attention to the products of the companies WÜSTHOF, Friedr. Dick, Güde and Burgvogel, which are distinguished by excellent quality and will serve in the kitchen for many years. Before buying, you should check whether the knife you like will be considered a cold weapon in your homeland. A good gift would be a porcelain cup or service. Women should pay attention to cosmetic products, especially those that will help to cope with the effects of frost on the skin.