Winteractivities in the Sauerland

Winter Activities in the
Sauerland
Winter Season 2013/2014
The Importance of Winter Tourism
for the Sauerland
 Tourists come throughout the year but winter
season is the main season.
 1700 jobs are related to winter tourism.
 50% of sales are dependent on winter tourism
 In the last 10 years the number of winter tourists has
increased up to 1 million people (season 2012/2013).
 In good years we have 120 possible ski days.
Some more interesting figures
 57 small skiing areas
 148 ski-lifts
 17 ski areas have snow canons
They can produce artificial snow (foto), but you need
cold temperatures.
 The Sauerland is one of the largest ski areas north of the
Alps.
 The region is visited mainly by tourists from the
Netherlands, Belgium and the Rhine –Ruhr area. These
people estimate the short distance (1-3 hours by car).
A typical Winter View
(foto: February 2013)
Skiing in the Sauerland (2013)
 skiing by day
 skiing by night
But this Winter…
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We had only a few days with natural snow.
Mostly it was too warm for snow canons.
There were green meadows…
instead of white pists.
Some results of the mild winter
 This winter was the fourth „bad“ winter after 1950.
 This winter season caused losses of 55 Million Euros
for retailing industry, hoteliers and catering. (figures
taken from the newspaper: Westfalenpost, 9th April)
 Only 300,000 people visited the ski area during this
winter season (usually it is twice as much).
 Only 17 days with natural snow!
Mild winter indicates Climate
change?
 Some people discuss on a possible climate change.
 Talking and writing to our partner countries showed
that even in Isanbul and in Adamuz (Spain)
temeperatures were different from former winters.
 Mr. Beckmann (head of the wintersport area
Sauerland) hopes for a better winter next year. He
plans to increase promotion, to introduce a common
ticket system for all smaller ski areas, and to make
more special offers, to attract more tourists.
Effects on Meschede
For Meschede itself winter tourism is not as important
as for Winterberg or Schmallenberg/Bödefeld. But in
good years with a lot of snow some tourists like to
host in Meschede and to go for short ski excursions to
Bödefeld and Winterberg because staying in Meschede
is cheaper. Some weekends with special events (like ski
jumping championships) hotels in Winterberg are fully
booked. Therefore Meschede is an interesting
alternative. This year these sort of tourists didn‘t come
to Meschede.
Skiing in Bödefeld (Hunau)
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Hunau is the nearest skiing area
18, 4 km away from our school in Meschede
(15 minutes to go)
a magnificent view from the top
longest floodlit slope (1,500 meters)
from 630 to 810 meters altitude
22 € for a day ticket
you can lend skis
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also visited by snowboarders
3000 persons can be lifted per hour
a good place for learning (ski school)
separate sledding hill
12 snow cannons and 9 snow lances
guarantees snow
 free parking (600 places)
 small restaurant at the base
station (300 seats, solid prices)
Skiing in Winterberg
 largest ski area in the Sauerland
 34 km from Meschede, 35 minutes to go by car
 In normal winters there is guaranteed snow from
December to March.
 27 lifts, 28 pists
 chairlifts
 7 parking places
 dayticket: 30 €
 several restaurants
 ski school; you can lend
skis, slides…
Ski Jumping in Willingen
 every year one World Cup meeting takes place in
Willingen (in February)
 The World Cup attracts a lot of enthusiastic fans of
ski jumping
 throughout the year Mühlenkopfschanze offers an
attractive leisure programme
 35 km from Meschede, 45 minutes to go by car
 You can enjoy the view from the tower (see picture)
which is 120 meters high. An elevator can lift you up!
Bob and Skeleton in Winterberg
Cross country skiing
in Winterberg
 about 50 km of ski slopes
 one single slope is about 10 km long
Sled dog race
 Winterberg is popular for the sled dog race.
 This year there was not enough snow.
Other Winter Activities
Ice-skating
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Where?
Willingen (Hesse) or Möhnesee
you can lend your skates (about 4 €)
entry (about 5 €)
sometimes there are parties
You can watch ice-hockey games.
Swimming Pools in the Sauerland
 Where?
 Arnsberg, Meschede, Schmallenberg,
Winterberg, Willingen(Hesse), Plettenberg,
Medebach
 The largest example: Aqua Magis Plettenberg
 day ticket: 20 €
 there are three big pools, one wave pools and
one salted pool
 9 slides (yellow one with
free fall on the first meters)
 sauna and steam sauna
 you can eat there
especially fast food
Christmas Markets
 Christmas markets are typical German.
You can find them in the whole region.
 Here you can see fotos from a small but nice market
market in Schmallenberg.
 On the place are small wooden houses.
 You can buy food, tea, sweets or
decoration from wood.
 You can drink red warm spicy wine
(mulled wine).
 A Santa Clause amuses the kids.
 Bands make Christmas music.
Bye, bye winter season
2013/2014…
hoping for more snow next
winter.
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Written by: HH-1A (Business School, bilingual and tourist classes) Vocational High
School - Berufskolleg Meschede especially: Johanna Steinhausen, Johanna Donner,
Jessica Wüllner, Luisa Harnacke, Hendrik Bünner, Ibrahim Halil Bozok, Yilmaz Azak,
Marie Peetz, Philipp Ganzer, Marcel Schmidt, Maik Scheredega, Kira Schneider,
Stevi Ball, Anna-Lena Jaworek,…
Supported by: Dagmar Große Lanwer (teacher for Politics and Mathematics)