Are you an adrenaline junkie looking for your next mountain biking adventure? Here, you need to explore Germany, the land of diverse landscapes and thrilling biking trails and also home to some of the best mountain bike parks in Europe.
Mountain bike parks Germany are home to offer a wide variety of trails for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced riders. Every park not only offers epic downhill runs but also features stunning landscapes and breathtaking views.
Some Interesting Insights,
According to a study, Germany is one of the top 5 countries with the highest number of active mountain bikers. Germany's mountain bike market hit USD 2,446.5 million in 2020. It's expected to surge to USD 4,688.3 million by 2027, with a robust 9.9% CAGR projected for the 2021-2027.
What Will You Learn:
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at some of the major mountain bike parks Germany. From beginner-friendly trails to challenging downhill courses, there is something for every level of rider. So let's get started.
What Is a Mountain Bike Park?
A mountain bike park, also known as a bike park, is specifically designed for mountain biking. It usually consists of a network of trails with various difficulty levels, ranging from easy to extreme.
In addition to natural terrain, many parks have man-made structures such as jumps, drops, and berms to add excitement.
These designated areas not only provide a safe environment for riders but also help preserve the surrounding natural landscape by minimizing damage caused by unsanctioned biking activities.
Now, let's dive into some of the best mountain bike parks Germany has to offer.
The 10 Major Mountain Bike Parks Germany
Many times, mountain bikers may have to choose from different mountain bike parks Germany with no prior knowledge of what each park offers. It leads to confusion and robs them of the chance to enjoy their stay fully.
Note to remember,
Typically, the mountain bike park season in Germany commences in May and concludes in October. Unlike the more snow-prone southern Alps, snow is less of a concern here.
Occasionally, these mountain bike parks Germany might open during winter months, provided there's no snow cover. However, during the initial opening weekends, they tend to be quite crowded, making a weekday visit a more recommended option.
To give ease to mountain bikers, BikeEvolution has crafted detailed and researched data on the best mountain bike parks Germany. So, let's take a look at the 15 major mountain bike parks Germany has to offer:
- Geisskopf MTB Zone:
- Trails: 15
- Distance: 15 km
- Descent: 1,622 m
- Vertical: 265 m
- Highest Trail: 1,101 m
The Geisskopf MTB Zone in Bischofsmais, Bavaria, Germany, is a fantastic mountain bike park. It's not too far from the popular Czech bike park Špičák.
This park offers a wide range of trails covering about 350 meters of vertical terrain. These trails are great for riders of all levels, from beginners to expert downhill riders like Nina Hoffman.
The park always evolves, with new sections and secret trails popping up. Each trail has its unique features. Unlike mountain bike parks Germany in the Alps, the trails here are not as steep, which makes skills like cornering and maintaining speed important.
It's tough to pick a favorite trail here because they have one of the best flow trails, a rugged natural freeride trail, many Northshore features, and a challenging downhill track with unforgiving rocks. This makes Geißkopf one of the best mountain bike parks in Germany.
Geisskopf MTB Zone also boasts a remarkable lift. It's a 6-seater lift with three bike carriers on each seat, providing a quick and convenient way to get back up the hill.
This lift is operational even during the winter months when there's no snow for skiing.
- Winterberg Bike Park
- Trails: 18
- Distance: 11 km
- Descent: 1,221 m
- Vertical: 207 m
- Highest Trail: 809 m
When we are talking about the best mountain bike parks Germany, how do we forget Winterberg Bike Par? It is in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the western part of Germany. It's up north, so the land isn't very hilly.
Even though Winterberg only has a height difference of 170 meters, it's a popular spot. They hold big mountain biking events like the IXS European Cup downhill race, bringing riders from all over Europe. That's pretty impressive for a hill this size.
Apart from the main race track, there are easier trails for beginners, like smooth single trails and paths with jumps for those learning. They've also recently added simpler routes, which is good for new riders and helps spread out the crowd, especially on busy summer days.
To complete the package, they have a special area for doing tricks and a practice course. Two different lifts take riders to the starting points of all the trails.
- Willingen MTB Zone
- Trails: 12
- Distance: 11 km
- Descent: 1,290 m
- Vertical: 324 m
- Highest Trail: 843 m
Willingen MTB Zone is situated in Hessen, which is nearly at the center of Germany. This park is a part of the MTB Zone brand, known for its high-quality downhill trails. It's also a regular stop for the European IXS DH cup.
One cool thing about this park is that the main downhill trail used to be a track for the World Cup. Besides, there are other paths like a freeride line and flow lines with jumps and nice curves. They've designed the park so you can mix and match these sections to suit your style.
They have an 8-seater chairlift that runs all year, but it's only for bikers outside of the skiing season. Usually, the biking season goes from April to October.
In some years, you can even ride from late March to early September. Willingen MTB Zone is a great spot for mountain bike enthusiasts in Germany.
- Green Hill Bike Park
- Trails: 17
- Distance: 12 km
- Descent Distance: 11 km
- Descent: 1,201 m
- Vertical: 187 m
- Highest Trail: 300 m
Green Hill Bike Park is one of the newest mountain bike parks Germany, opening its doors in 2022 near Schmallenberg. It's quite a special place because it offers 10 different tracks. What's cool is that these tracks crisscross down the hill, so you can mix and match them to create your perfect ride.
The trails here are generally pretty smooth, which is great news for beginners and riders who love catching some air on the freeride lines. They have two tow lifts that use something called the Easyloop system. This system can pull up any type of bike, whether an enduro or a downhill bike.
If you're riding an eBike, you have two options. You can either use the lift with a regular pass or get a discounted ticket just for the trails and pedal up yourself.
If you're planning to stay overnight, you can camp right at the bike park in the lower parking lot. It's just a small fee of 5€ per vehicle. They've also got toilets available. Just keep in mind that you can't make reservations.
- Samerberg Bike Arena
- Trails: 8
- Distance: 7 km
- Descent: 650 m
- Vertical: 593 m
- Highest Trail: 1,305 m
Samerberg Bike Arena is in Bavaria, in the southeastern part of Germany. It's close to Austria, right next to Salzburg, where you can find some of Europe's most popular mountain bike parks like Schladming, Leogang, and Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
This bike park is quite new, having been built in 2010. Since then, they've created a network of trails connecting Chiemsee and Rosenheim, and they even have a bike shop where you can rent equipment.
Getting tickets here is budget-friendly. You can buy separate tickets for trail access and lift rides, depending on how much biking you want to do.
Just a tip:
It is better not to get the points card, as it can be expensive.
If you're into longer mountain bike tours and enjoy pedaling uphill, there are 15 trails of different difficulty levels in this area. If you're not familiar with the area, you can rent a GPS navigation system at the bike station in the Hochriesbahn parking lot or have the GPS tracks sent to your device. This way, you won't get lost while exploring the trails!
- Osternohe Bike Park
- Trails: 3 m
- Distance: 2 km
- Descent: 322 m
- Descent distance: 2 km
- Total vertical: 135 m
It is located in Bavaria, towards the eastern part of Germany. Even though it's one of the popular parks in Bavaria, it has the smallest elevation gain, only 136 meters. But don't let that fool you.
If you think a bike park can't be exciting with just 136 meters of height, you're in for a surprise at Bikepark Osternohe. You'll be amazed at how many fun obstacles they've managed to fit on this slope.
Especially for free riders, this park in the Nuremberg region is like a special playground with cleverly designed challenges. The team that built it has been super creative and skillful.
The park's opening hours depend a lot on the weather. So, it's a good idea to always check their Facebook page or website for the most up-to-date information about when they're open. This way, you can plan your visit without any surprises.
Are you searching for a mountain bike? Tap here to find the one of your choice.
- Todtnau Bike Park
- Trails: 2
- Distance: 4 km
- Descent: 673 m
- Vertical: 351 m
- Highest Trail: 1,023 m
Next in our list of major mountain bike parks Germany is Todtnau Bike Park. It is in Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest part of Germany. It's pretty close to the borders of Switzerland and France, which makes it a great stop for a road trip.
This park has been around since 1996, making it the oldest bike park in Germany. They have two different routes, one for downhillers and another for free-riders. Both of them are sure to bring big smiles to riders' faces.
It's a popular place for Germany's top downhill riders to come practice and test their gear on the challenging 2.7km downhill track.
The second track, called "Wildride," is just a bit longer and a little easier to ride. The jumps and special elements are designed so that even less experienced riders can handle them. But so that you know, this track is still not suited for beginners. So, if you're up for a bit of a challenge, this is the place for you!
- Erbeskopf Trailpark
- Trails: 3 m
- Distance: 4 km
- Descent: 446 m
- Descent distance: 3 km
- Total vertical: 121 m
Erbeskopf Trailpark is found near Deuselbach in Rhineland-Palatinate, towards the eastern part of Germany.
This bike park is quite new. If you're not a fan of biking uphill, don't worry. They have a special lift that can take you up so you can enjoy riding down all day long.
And they have eight different trails for you to try out. There are three easy ones (marked in blue), two medium difficulty (marked in red), and three challenging ones (marked in black).
The standout features of this park are the two natural enduro trails. The "Wildcat" is a bit easier, marked in red. But for a bigger challenge, there's the "Schinderhannes" trail marked in black.
This trail takes you over tricky root-covered paths and rocky areas. It also throws in some built drops and other obstacles to test your skills. It's an exciting place for any biking enthusiast!
- Bad Hindelang Bike Park
- Trails: 10 m
- Distance: 19 km
- Descent: 3826 m
- Descent distance: 17 km
- Total vertical: 1091 m
The list of best mountain bike parks Germany wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Bad Hindelang Bike Park in Bavaria.
Bad Hindelang Bike Park is in Bavaria, located in the southeastern part of Germany. This bike park is a top pick for mountain bikers because it offers a significant 510-meter change in altitude, the largest in any bike park in Germany.
However, it has two full tracks with some variations to keep things interesting.
One of the big draws here is the Black Course, which is a favorite among downhill riders. But don't worry if you're new to off-road biking; there are beginner-friendly sections like the Yellow Banana, Green Frog, and Red Chili.
In addition to regular hours, they offer night rides on certain summer days. If the weather's good, you can keep on shredding until around 9:00 PM.
So, it's an excellent choice for mountain bikers because it has something for everyone, whether you're an experienced downhill rider or just starting on the trails.
- Beerfelden Bike Park
- Trails: 7 m
- Distance: 5 km
- Descent: 619 m
- Descent distance: 5 km
- Total vertical: 126 m
Beerfelden Bike Park can be found in the western part of Germany, in a place called Hesse. It's a great spot for people who love mountain biking since it has seven different tracks to try. Both folks who love speeding downhill and those who enjoy freeriding will find something to love here.
If you're a pro, you might be interested in the races they hold at this park. But if you're new to the sport, don't let that scare you away. The park's hills aren't too steep, rising only 120 meters, so it's a good place for beginners to practice.
What's cool about Beerfelden Bike Park is that they stay open even during winter, as long as the weather is okay.
But if you're planning a spur-of-the-moment visit, it's wise to check their website or Facebook first to confirm they're open. All in all, Beerfelden Bike Park is a top-notch spot for all mountain bikers, no matter your skill level.
Conclusion
Mountain bikers are in dire need of good trails and bike parks, and Germany has no shortage of them. Mountain bike parks Germany provide something for everyone, from beginner to advanced riders.
Whether you're into leisurely riding or extreme downhill races, there is a bike park in Germany that suits your needs and skills.
At BikeEvolution, we are not just about selling bikes and accessories. We are passionate about helping you find the best trails and bike parks to explore.
You can also check our selection designed for mountain biking to enhance your riding experience. So gear up, grab your bike, and hit the trails in Germany for an unforgettable mountain biking adventure Contact us for more details.
References:
[1]https://suspensiontraveler.com/best-bike-parks-in-germany/#erbeskopf-trailpark
[2]https://www.komoot.com/guide/209800/bike-parks-in-germany
[3]https://www.outdooractive.com/en/list/the-best-bike-parks-in-germany/273753547/
[4]https://www.trailforks.com/region/bikepark-beerfelden-18481/
