A winter wonderland: When Germany is covered in snow

Bavaria is the state that usually gets the most snow, so climate change is less likely to upset winter plans. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a traditional winter sports resort town which lies at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak. The Zugspitze Glacier enjoys perfect ski conditions, and its slopes are more than 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) above sea level.

Baden-Württemberg is another top destination for winter sports fanatics. Reaching 1,493 meters (4,898 feet), the Feldberg in the Black Forest is Baden-Württemberg's highest peak. It always has snow in winter, and offers 63 kilometers (39 miles) of pistes and downhill runs in all degrees of difficulty. It's also especially popular for snowkiting.

The Grosser Feldberg in the Taunus mountains of Hessen isn't quite as high as its Black Forest counterpart, but at 880 meters (2,887 feet), it's enough for a beautiful winter adventure. It's ideal for tobogganing and cross-country skiing, and there's also a small ski area with two lifts.

While it may look like a toy train as it glides through a snowy forest, this narrow-gauge railway is indeed the real thing. It runs through the Harz National Park to the summit of the Brocken mountain, 1,142 meters (3,746 feet) above sea level. When heavy snow falls on the fir trees they bend under the burden and form bizarre shapes, causing them to be known locally as the "Brocken witches."

Spanning 168 kilometers (104 miles), the Rennsteig is one of Germany's best-known long-distance hiking trails. If only summer hikers knew how lovely this ridgeway is in winter. Hikers often find themselves alone with only the sound of snow under their boots. Cross-country skiers also love it, as there are many well-maintained cross-country trails through the park's scenery.

When powdered with snow, the rock formations of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains almost look like eerie trolls. Winter is the best time to visit this park if you want to escape the crowds that flock here in fairer weather. Hikers can also make use of the winter hiking guide, which details 29 routes and explains which winter weather conditions are best for each trail.

If adventurous winter hikes aren't for you, a stroll on the banks of the Rhine River in Mainz is a leisurely way to spend winter hours. Although the banks are rarely covered in snow, when they are, it's a magical experience. The river rarely freezes over, although it did in 1963 and explosives had to be used to break up the ice.

For the vineyards along the Moselle, the well-earned winter rest is short. Things start up again as early as January and February, when the vines are pruned as the new vintage is still maturing in the wine cellars. It can be tasted in places like Berg Castle, a Renaissance-era castle near Nennig. Foodies are in for a treat, as chef Christian Bau, who has three Michelin stars, cooks here.

Coal mining in the Ruhr region came to an end in 2018. What remains includes slag heaps, many of which are crowned with artworks, like the Tetrahedron, near Bottrop. At night, this walkable steel sculpture is transformed into a light installation. During the day it's a tourist attraction and offers a view of one of the largest extended urban areas in Europe.

With the sea to the right and farmland to the left, the path to Pilsum's lighthouse, one of the best-known landmarks in the historic region of East Frisia, runs along the North Sea dyke. You may get chilly, so be sure to stop off in one of the cozy tearooms to warm up with a piping hot beverage. Try taking your tea in the local style: With cream and Kluntje — rock sugar candy.

Sylt is the largest of Germany's North Sea islands. Always booked out in the summer, it calms down in the winter. The Rotes Kliff, a line of sea cliffs, is an inviting place for a long winter walk. Here on the island's west coast, the wind can be brisk. For centuries, the distinctive Rotes Kliff served as a navigational aid for seafarers and is unique in the North Sea region.

Compared to the North Sea, the Baltic Sea is gentle. On the Fischland-Darss peninsula, dunes, woods and salt marshes alternate with kilometers of beaches. They're broad, sandy, and endlessly long. And they're known for the amber that can be found on them, especially in winter. Shortly after a storm from the north-east, the chances of finding some of this "Baltic gold" are especially good.

The Spreewald is a good hour's drive south of Berlin. This marshy area is crisscrossed by hundreds of small waterways, and the traditional means of transportation here is the punt. Even mail is delivered on these flat-bottomed boats. In both summer and winter, tourists can enjoy this watery landscape via boat. Mulled wine is, of course, available on board.

When snow blankets Berlin, the noise of the city is muffled and everything seems to move slower. The metropolis takes on a magical quality when urban parks suddenly become sled runs. If the snow stays long enough, some Berliners even unpack their cross-country gear and ski to work or do a few laps around Tempelhof Field, a public park that used to be the grounds of historic Tempelhof Airport.

Hamburg, the chic metropolis on the Alster lake, is beautiful in the winter twilight. For a perfect winter, a hard frost lasts long enough for the Outer Alster lake in the middle of Hamburg to freeze over. When this happens, the Alstereisvergnügen takes place: A folk festival with stalls selling handicrafts and mulled wine. People skate or sail over the ice.

The Schnoorviertel in the city's Medieval center is especially cozy in winter. In Bremen's oldest district, narrow houses from the 15th and 16th centuries snuggle close to one another. It's the ideal place to while away the time as you drink hot chocolate or mulled wine, and perhaps make plans for the coming spring.