Whether tobogganing from the nearby Hörnle into the valley, snowshoe hiking

through the idyllic winter landscape, with cross-country skis on the trail or on a romantic horse-drawn sleigh ride through the Murnauer Moos, the largest intact moorland in the Alps. Especially in winter, the unusual leisure activities provide recreation away from the hustle and bustle of the ski slopes and mass tourism.

Spectacular views of the mountains between Benediktenwand and the Ammergau Alps, for example, are offered by a charming hiking trail around Staffelsee. The ice-stiff reeds sparkle bizarrely in the sunlight, the great crested grebes walk on the ice, and tracks of game lead to the feeders - on a hike around Staffelsee, you are at one with nature, only the crunch of your own footsteps in the snow interrupting the silence.

If you prefer to trot through the white splendor wrapped in warm blankets, you can let yourself be pulled through the dreamy winter landscape on horse-drawn sleighs. In addition to impressive impressions of the bizarre-looking Murnauer Moos, passengers also take home plenty of knowledge about the moor, which was created by the Loisach glacier a good 10,000 years ago.

Or how about enjoying art for a change? Vacationers have long since been able to walk comfortably in the footsteps of the Blaue Reiter. Here, where the cradle of the expressionist group of artists stands, you can now visit the former home of Münter and Kandinsky, as well as the world's largest exhibition of Gabriele Munter's work in the Murnau Castle Museum. During an art walk through the alleys of the market with its listed houses, one can follow exactly where Kandinsky and Münter set up their easels and draw comparisons to today's views and vistas.

Already in November, behind closed doors, people are hammering, tinkering, sewing, painting and designing. Christmas tunes are practiced in the parlors and the smell of freshly baked cookies and stollen is spreading. People are getting ready for the Advent and Christmas season, for the Christmas markets, the evenings with Stubnmusi and church concerts in the Blue Country.