Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Alpine theme trail on climate, biodiversity, waste prevention
Understanding nature and being eco-conscious while on the move - the new "Nature Trail Osterfelder" in Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of the Alpspitze achieves these goals. The project, implemented by the Felix-Neureuther-Foundation in collaboration with the Environment Ministry and the Bavarian Zugspitzbahn, explains the mountain world on information boards, promotes nature conservation, and shows unusual exercises for movement.
Nature and Movement
This is important in times when people are becoming "more and more couch potatoes," said Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber (Free Voters) at the opening of the 200,000 Euro themed trail, which the ministry funded with around 140,000 Euro. "Here, nature and movement come together. Individual movement elements and natural content should make the mountain world particularly accessible to families in a new way."
Ex-ski racer Felix Neureuther also spoke about the importance of training the eyes - especially in the context of digitalization, through which many children and adolescents spend too much time on their smartphones or PCs and no longer move not only their bodies but also their eyes. We need to create offers that are fun and effective - "otherwise, it's just the easiest thing for kids to stay at home and watch this castle." Exercises, for example, encourage looking as far to the right and left as possible without moving the head.
A soda can rots only after 500 years
Nature is the most beautiful playground in the world, says Felix Neureuther, who came with his father Christian. That's why it's important not to leave any litter behind. One of the 30 stations of the themed trail explains how long waste takes to decompose: A chewing gum lasts five years, an apple core two months, a banana peel two years, a soda can 500 years, and a plastic bottle depending on the material several hundred to thousands of years until it is completely decomposed.
The new themed trail replaces the previous experience trail and sets a knowledge-oriented focus. It should keep hikers on the trail and prevent them from taking shortcuts through the sensitive nature, says Verena Tanzer, spokeswoman for the Zugspitzbahn. The former trail was designed as a fairy tale about a treasure hunt. However, that only made sense in the direction from top to bottom, says Tanzer. If karst holes - dolines - were explained as footprints of giants back then, there is now a nature-conservation explanation: It deals with subterranean landslides that may collapse at some point.
The themed trail runs between the mountain stations of the Alpspitze and Kreuzeckbahn, passes the Hochalmbahn, and is located on the ground of the Bavarian State Forests. Construction is still ongoing, and it should be completed by the summer holidays.
- Thorsten Glauber, a minister from Bavaria's Free Voters party, emphasized the importance of promoting nature and movement at the opening of the "Nature Trail Osterfelder" in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a project funded partially by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
- Felix Neureuther, a former ski racer and supporter of the initiative, emphasized the importance of waste avoidance during his speech, stating that a soda can takes 500 years to decompose in nature.
- The Nature Trail Osterfelder in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, located at the foot of the Alpspitze, aims to educate visitors about the environment and promote sustainable tourism in Bavaria, a region known for its Alpine beauty and rich biodiversity.
- The new themed trail replaces an older experience trail and focuses on providing visitors with knowledge about the local ecosystem, helping to reduce the impact of tourism on the fragile Alpine environment.
- The BMU has played a role in funding the project, demonstrating a commitment to promoting environmental awareness and protecting biodiversity in Germany, a country with a strong tradition of eco-consciousness and sustainability.
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a popular tourist destination in Bavaria, has been able to attract visitors who value nature and movement, providing an opportunity for businesses in the area to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable tourism practices and reduce their waste.
