Famed for its historic railroad viaduct, Willingen is a small village and ski resort in the rural German district of Waldeck-Frankenberg. It’s dotted with leafy parks and recreational facilities that include a ski jumping hill and a family-friendly aquatic centre.
If you’re visiting in the winter months, you can hit the slopes of the Willingen Ski Resort, a low-altitude facility that has been open to snow enthusiasts since 1971. In addition to groomed ski trails and a toboggan run, it features a floodlit cross-country ski arena and a school offering skiing and snowboarding lessons.
Throughout the year, you can rejuvenate at the Lagunen-Erlebnisbad, a Caribbean-inspired aquatic centre near the Willingen Viaduct. Grab a cocktail at the bar before relaxing in one of the pools or hop between the themed saunas. Massage treatments are also available.
Getting there
Willingen is just over an hour’s drive from Kassel and 1.5 hours from Dortmund. Düsseldorf International Airport is two hours away and has flights to destinations across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Regular trains connect to the Willingen railway station and the village is small enough to explore on foot.