FORE! Did you hear me Austria? Be careful when you’re in Ainring playing golf because you hit a ball too hard and some guy in Salzburg might get whacked in the eye. Sorry, I’m chuckling to myself as I write this. ;-)
Seriously, Ainring is an Upper Bavarian town where you can play a good 18-holes under the watchful eye of the Austrian and German Alps. Goodness gracious, I think this is how and why I fell in love with Germany.
Just one thing though, you’ll pay for the experience costing around 50-60 Euro for a tee time. Alternatively, take a “sunset” tee time and pay only half the cost. Even if you don’t play golf, you can stay and eat at the Golf Club’s restaurant and hotel.
Save a few Euro more and just spend a day at the outdoor pool. There’s plenty of space for everyone (and then some) since the pool itself is 25,000 sq. meters. Best of all, it’s only 3.50 Euro for an entire day poolside, playing beach volleyball.
Nordic Walking is quite big around here (duh, the Alps!). Every Wednesday a guided tour departs from the Ainring Tourist Office (which rents poles for only about 3 Euro). If it’s snowing, try snow shoe walking instead. I kind of like the Moorland walking experience that goes along the old Roman Salt Road. But, hey, to each his own.
I also like all the history around the former Ainring Airfield (a.k.a. Reichenhall-Berchtesgaden Airport) out of which the Mitterfelden district had developed, with exhibits on airplanes from World War II. Follow that with a trip along the Cross Way of Ainring that’s dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI. It starts at St. Laurentius Church and ends at the Church of St. Ulrich (with stops at the Antoniuskapelle in the middle).
I’d gather that the Romans that used to trek along through Ainring from Salzburg didn’t have a clue as to how awesome this town would turn out to be. Good thing, we’re not Romans — we would have missed out on so much. Including shopping at the monthly Flea Market that’s held on the 2nd Saturday of the month!
