Now that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver are history and the record books are sealed — for the time being at least — the center of the winter sports world will shift about 5,200 miles east to Germany’s Bavarian Alps. Over the next two years, Bavaria will see four winter sports world championship events, and the region is a strong contender for winning its bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2018.
Next year, the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen will host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships from Feb. 7-20, bringing the best downhill skiers in the world to this legendary Alpine retreat.
At nearly the same time, from Feb. 14-27, the nearby district of Berchtesgadener Land will host the FIBT World Championships for Bobsleigh and Skeleton.
Finally, from March 10-13, the town of Inzell will host the Essent ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships. This event will take place in a new, state-of-the-art facility that was built with an eye on hosting the Olympics one day.
The following year, in 2012, the Bavarian town of Ruhpolding will host the IBU World Championships in Biathlon.
All of these events are taking place in one of Germany’s most popular and historic regions. The natural beauty and unique culture of the Bavarian Alps, as well as its modern accommodations and sports facilities, are central to the region’s Olympic hopes. During the Vancouver games, Bavarian tourism officials, media and athletes celebrated the country’s Olympic successes and looked ahead to 2018.
Using Munich as a hub, the Bavarian Alps boasts one of the busiest international airports in all of Europe; a wide range of accommodations, including modern hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and even farmhouses and castles; world-class winter-sports resorts and facilities; and a modern, ready-to-use infrastructure.
In much the same way that nearby Whistler resort was a partner in the Vancouver games, the smaller towns and resorts of the Bavarian region would be utilized to host various events, giving each event its own unique character.
Finally, if Bavaria/Munich is awarded the games, it would be historic because Munich would be the only city to host both a summer and winter Olympic Games.
In the meantime, while officials wait to hear the fate of their Olympic dreams, Bavaria will continue to provide visitors the opportunity for a picturesque Alpine getaway.
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Scroll down for information on how you can
win a five-day holiday for two to the Bavarian Alps.
The Details
Bavaria Tourismwww.bavaria.byBerchtesgadener Land
www.bobwm.de
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
www.gap2011.com
Inzell
www.inzell.de
Ruhpolding
www.ruhpolding2012.com
Win a Five-Day Holiday for Two in the Bavarian Alps
By going to the website of the Bavarian Alps and answering a simple question, visitors are entered to win a five-day holiday for two to Bavaria.
The winner and a guest will fly on Ryanair from Stansted to Allgau Airport — the gateway to the Bavarian Alps. There they will be provided a rental car for their stay. Their first stop will be Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a charming, cosmopolitan town that sits at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain. Winners will spend two nights’ in a deluxe double room including breakfast and a five-course dinner at the Reind’s Partenkirchner Hof, a small but exclusive five-star family-run hotel.
The next stop will be at the five-star Sonnenalp Hotel & Resort in the Allgau region, where the winners will enjoy a two-night B&B stay and a six-course dinner.
www.bavaria.by
