Interview with tourism manager Norbert Lopatta
Willingen tourism region
Willingen in the Sauerland offers great leisure activities for sports enthusiasts. Discover the different seasonal facets of the region around the Schutzhütte with Willingen’s tourism manager Norbert Lopatta.
What does the willingen region offer in the area of active & nature?
You might be asking yourself the same question. After all, if you are going to spend your vacation in the Schutzhütte, you want to know what the region has to offer. Willingen offers a wealth of opportunities, especially in areas such as hiking, mountain biking and skiing.
To get an even better insight, we interviewed the Willingen tourism manager Norbert Lopatta and asked him 10 questions about the “Active & Nature” area.
Schutzhütte: What is particularly outstanding in Willingen in the area of “Active & Nature”?
Norbert Lopatta: The very special thing about Willingen is that it has an extremely high density of leisure activities, including both outdoor and indoor activities. I am personally convinced that there is no other comparable place in the German-speaking world with this range of offers. Ice rink, lagoon pool, 3D golf, climbing hall, ski and bike lifts, summer toboggan run, …..
Schutzhütte: There are many different types of bike trails. For whom are the routes best suited?
Norbert Lopatta: Willingen also has an excellent reputation among cyclists. Whether it’s leisurely cycling to Diemelsee or downhill in the bike zone, there’s something for everyone. NEW: the Green Trails! New trails for everyone! The Green Trails Willingen were opened this year and offer a special kind of cycling experience for every biker.
Schutzhütte: What developments can our mountain bike guests look forward to in the coming years?
Norbert: Lopatta: The Green Trails are continuing to develop. Korbach, Diemelsee and Willingen are already finished, and more places are being added, so that new and exciting tours will always be possible. In total, around 200 km of new cycle paths are being built here, which will be connected to each other. In addition, the Diemel Cycle Path, one of only two cycle paths in Germany to be awarded 5 stars, starts in Usseln!
Schutzhütte: Willingen offers fantastic hiking trails. Which ones would you particularly recommend?
Norbert Lopatta: The Willingen/Diemelsee region is one of Germany’s first quality hiking regions. This award clearly shows that hiking is a central theme in the Sauerland and also enjoys a very high status in Willingen. I can particularly recommend the Uplandsteig and Diemelsteig trails. The Sauerland Trekking Park, which makes camping in the great outdoors possible, is located along these trails(www.trekkingpark.de). The themed trails are also highly recommended. The Milk Trail, which is all about milk, is particularly popular with families. For adults, I can recommend the contemplation trail, which leads through several districts of Willingen. The special thing about it is that the churches in the districts are integrated and thus contribute to relaxation from everyday life.
Schutzhütte: In winter, Willingen transforms into a winter sports area for skiers, snowboarders and cross-country skiers. What does Willingen do when there is less snow and the temperatures don’t drop as much?
Norbert Lopatta: Then Willingen will continue as it did in spring, summer and fall. Hiking, cycling and lots of indoor activities that leave no room for boredom. Of course, we are also able to prepare all the slopes for skiing within 2-3 days with the help of technical snowmaking with a total of around 150 snow cannons. The only prerequisite for this is persistently cold temperatures below -2 degrees.
Schutzhütte: What events are there specifically for sports enthusiasts and active vacationers visiting Willingen?
Norbert Lopatta: The sporting flagship is the World Cup ski jumping event on the Mühlenkopf ski jump, the largest large hill in the world. This event ensures that winter sports enthusiasts from all over the world know Willingen. In addition, the ski jumping event ensures that all available beds in Willingen are fully booked and that around 50-60,000 visitors experience top-class sport up close on a weekend.
The cycling season starts in May and the Bike Festival is one of the biggest outdoor events for mountain bikers. Here too, 25-30,000 visitors ensure a great atmosphere and excellent competitions. There is also an outdoor trade fair where well-known manufacturers can present their products.
Schutzhütte: How are the needs of individualists looking for peace and nature met in Willingen?
Norbert Lopatta: The wide range of leisure activities on offer in Willingen does not mean that the town is hectic and noisy. The advantage of Willingen is that you can be in the middle of nature in 3-5 minutes on foot from anywhere in the village. Forest, meadows, heath….
Schutzhütte: How does Willingen promote sustainable tourism?
Norbert Lopatta: Sustainability is becoming a key issue in people’s consumer decisions. Whether it’s a car, furniture or a vacation, the sustainability of products is becoming a key criterion when deciding where to go on my next vacation. In addition to the destinations themselves, accommodation providers and hosts in particular have a role to play here. As part of the state-wide campaign “Hessen as a sustainable travel destination”, Willingen, as part of the GrimmHeimat Nordhessen, is about to be certified by TourCert.
As a municipality ourselves, we are undertaking many projects to switch to renewable energies, including the construction of PV systems. The newly built lagoon pool is mainly heated by a combined heat and power plant that runs on biogas and the waste heat from the ice rink compressors. In addition, PV modules are also being installed here, which generate roughly the same amount of energy as around 65 four-person households.
Schutzhütte: How important are new shelters like the Schutzhütte for the region?
Norbert Lopatta: In my opinion, the Schutzhütte is a necessary project for Willingen. It is a new and fresh product concept in the hotel sector that Willingen does not yet know and will therefore attract mainly new guests to Willingen. In addition, the hotel’s location opens up a gap that makes the entire area (ice rink, lagoon pool, visitor center, cinema…) much more attractive and will therefore attract more guests.
Schutzhütte: What else would you like to pass on to our future guests?
Norbert Lopatta: Holidays in Willingen are entertaining, relaxing, decelerating, invigorating, active, calming, lively, …. As you can see, a vacation in Willingen is attractive for everyone. Everyone can find what they need. That is the essential difference that makes Willingen so special!
Personally, I can only tell your guests that they have made the right choice in every respect!
Discover the Sauerland
We would like to thank tourism manager Norbert Lopatta for this very detailed interview.
Would you like to find out more about the leisure activities in our region? Discover Willingen at Willingen.de
Discover the Sauerland
We would like to thank tourism manager Norbert Lopatta for this very detailed interview.
Would you like to find out more about the leisure activities in our region? Discover Willingen at Willingen.de
