The Olympiaregion Seefeld: A Nordic Sports Expertise Centre all year round
Running and Nordic walking trails stretching over an astounding 266 kilometres, a unique location and lots of fresh mountain air – with these impressive features the Olympiaregion can now stand out in summer too as the number one destination for “Nordic” enthusiasts.
Nordic walking is THE up and coming sport – it is an effective endurance activity which is easy on the joints and the only equipment you need is suitable footwear and poles. It’s easy to learn and appeals to both sports beginners and high-powered athletes alike. The Olympiaregion Seefeld already has the advantage of having a lot of experience and expertise in the field of Nordic sports and so, together with experts in the field of competitive sport, a centre has been created for all Nordic walking and running enthusiasts.
A comprehensive and well-signposted network of Nordic walking and running trails connecting the entire region was opened in the summer of 2008. 30 different routes covering an overall length of 266 kilometres, enable visitors to recharge their batteries and, at the same time, to enjoy the unique natural surroundings of the high plateau. With three levels of difficulty and a wide variety of different types of routes (interval, agility, regeneration, fell running), there’s something for everyone, from absolute beginners to professional athletes. Alongside trails with evocative names such as the “Fisherman’s Run”, the “Root Climb” or the “Leutasch Stream Trail”, there is also a wood chip running trail in Seefeld which offers ideal conditions for co-ordination and endurance training.
Since autumn 2010 there is a new training possibility by using a new ski-roller run. It is laid out in the Casino Arena, the Möserer Valley and the Kirchwald areas, thus making possible a variety of degress of difficulty for custom tailored individual training sessions. It is 3,3 km long and 3 m wide. Because of its topographical course in Casino Arena, then directly past the shooting stands, combined skiing and shooting training for biathlon athletes is also possible and therefore a big attraction for team training during the whole summer.
You can collect extra “fitness points” just through the optimum altitude of 1,200 to 1,400 metres alone. The air at this elevation contains slightly less oxygen which, after a short period of acclimatisation, boosts the cardiovascular system and makes the respiratory system and metabolism more efficient and economic. Those who would like to find out exactly how to gain most benefit from he healthy activities on offer can place themselves in the capable hands of the local qualified fitness coaches and the fitness trainers employed by many of the hotels.
This year the region has two fantastic opportunities of demonstrating its expertise in the field of running and Nordic walking - firstly at the 8th Seefeld Mountain Run (23rd July) in which fell-running enthusiasts cover the 1,040 altitude metres between the village square in Seefeld and the Seefelder Spitze summit, and secondly at the Ganghofer Trail Running Day Leutasch (10th August) with runs for both adults and children. Spectators are guaranteed exciting competitions accompanied by an interesting and varied programme of activities.
Information about the Olympiaregion
Situated at an altitude of some 1,200 metres, the five villages that make up the Olympiaregion Seefeld - Leutasch, Mösern, Reith, Scharnitz and Seefeld - each have their own quite distinctive character. Surrounded by the peaks of the Hohe Munde, the Wetterstein range, the Alpenpark Karwendel nature reserve and the Wildmoos landscape conservation area, the south-facing high plateau has summer holiday offers to suit every taste: some 650 kilometres of walking and hiking trails, 200 kilometres of mountain bikes routes, a new well-signed network of over 266 kilometres of paths for running and Nordic walking, 2 golf courses and one outdoor and two indoor swimming pools are just some of the highlights for sports enthusiasts. Enjoy an evening of relaxing entertainment in the elegant Seefeld Casino in the centre of the village’s picturesque pedestrian area. Accommodation available in all categories, from luxurious 5-star hotels to family-run guest houses or two idyllically situated camp sites along with countless restaurants, mountain huts and lodges and the long tradition of hospitality which you can sense wherever you go, all go towards making the region such a popular holiday destination.
