Winter fun off the slopes

Who says that winter holidays have to be spent on "boards"? There are so many other ways to actively enjoy the winter. Ski touring or snowshoeing is becoming increasingly popular with those who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the slopes. Snowbiking or skibobbing is also a rapidly and easily learnable alternative and is one of the current trend sports.

One of the oldest winter pleasures is sledding. Racing down snow-covered slopes on a sled is just fun, whether as a couple or in a group. Perhaps a short hike to a hut beforehand, where you can strengthen yourself with a hearty snack, and then down into the valley with momentum. In Tyrol and South Tyrol there are around 400 natural toboggan runs, so there is always one nearby. The longest toboggan run, at 10km, is located at Rosskopf near Sterzing. The Alpine Coasters, found in Imst, Fieberbrunn, Obereggen, and Klausberg, can also be used all year round and guarantee fun and action in winter.

If a sled is not enough, you can also try it on a car tire. Tubing is a fun sport where you zoom downhill on a tire-like tube filled with air over a hill or on a predetermined course. The fact that these tubes cannot really be steered does not detract from the fun, on the contrary.

Another "classic" among winter sports is ice skating. When the many idyllic lakes and ponds in the Tyrolean mountains freeze in winter, they offer ideal conditions for dancing on the glittering ice, but also in the well-kept ambience of modern artificial ice rinks or ice rinks, ice skating is wonderful. In a sociable round, curling is also a great fun - easy to learn and so popular in the Alpine countries that there is almost everywhere an opportunity for it.

For those who prefer to conquer the ice in the vertical, they can try ice climbing. Either in the bizarre formations of a frozen waterfall or - as in the Pitztal - on bare glacier walls or on a specially built ice tower like in Rabenstein in the Passeiertal.

Naturally, sports with animals are particularly attractive - not only for children. Riding is a year-round sport, and in the atmospheric winter landscape, it is a special pleasure. Trekking tours on horseback into the mountain valleys are also offered, as well as Llama trekking.

A ride on the Flying Fox offers thrills. Even in winter, you can zoom through the air on a steel cable, sometimes directly above the heads of skiers. Paragliding is also a fantastic experience in winter, tandem flights are offered by all flight schools. For those who want to go even higher, they should take a balloon ride over the Alps. Not only at the traditional balloon festival in Toblach at the beginning of January, there are opportunities for this, several providers offer rides throughout the year. The view over the snowy peaks on a beautiful winter day is guaranteed to be unforgettable.