Pentecost holidays in Bavaria, second half, Monday. It seems to be a rain-free day, one of the most beautiful of the week, the weather forecast predicts. Best opportunity to see what's going on at the campsites in the county - now that they're open again. So let's go! Our author Ralf Scharnitzky starts a round trip to Seeshaupt, Peißenberg and Rottenbuch: look at campers!
On the trip from Weilheim to the southern shore of Lake Starnberg, one pays attention to the most important thought in history: what will be different than usual; on a camping holiday in Corona times?
No vacationers in tents
You can judge it, because you have the classic way of a camping friend behind you: tent, camper, caravan. One thing is clear when you arrive: holidaymakers in tents or camping buses - still with a preference for VW bullys - will not be seen.
Because one of the clear rules for the operators of campsites in Bavaria states: Only vehicles, i.e. caravans and campers, with their own sanitary unit may be accepted; even if the sanitary blocks on the squares are of limited use.
Many factors that speak for camping
Incidentally, the ADAC sees camping in more than 3000 places in Germany with a total of more than 220,000 parking spaces as the ideal low-contact form of vacation: "If you are traveling with a camper or caravan, you do not have to jostle with other holidaymakers at a buffet no bottleneck in the hotel corridor and practically brings your own guest room with you, ”says the website.
In addition, the plots on many campsites are largely designed in such a way that visitors can keep enough distance, the journey is made individually anyway. "There are many factors that speak for a lower risk of becoming infected with Covid-19," says the automobile club, which is also heavily involved in the camping industry.
Seeshaupt: fully booked since the end of May
Behind the barrier of the "Camping Seeshaupt" one thing immediately stands out: namely that at first glance you don't notice anything. "We have been fully booked since May 30," says tenant Matthias Lederer. The almost 70 parking spaces - in fact, as the ADAC claims are parceled out and quite large - are almost all occupied. "Almost" because "bed change" is: Some people left at the weekend, the new guests for the parking spaces still come during the day.
After Bavaria's CSU Prime Minister Markus Söder announced at the beginning of May that the shutdown for the white and blue campsites was to be lifted for the last weekend of the month, "the lines were glowing with us," said Lederer. “More than 150 calls and up to 200 emails were initially received in the reception.
A lot has changed there: between the guest and the host, plastic walls, a mouthguard and a duty to keep clear; as on all places on the tour: also in the sanitary facilities, at the kiosk, in the shop and in the restaurants. In mid-2016, the young course operator took over the municipal complex as a tenant with his wife Julia, worked up a small seven-figure chunk of money together with the municipality of Seeshaupt and reduced the number of places for permanent campers.
Extra large seats for luxury class and luxury liners
His latest achievement: the tent lawn directly on the lawn on the lakeshore was dissolved and extra large spaces created for the luxury class and luxury liners - mobile homes between eight and twelve meters in length and generally with prices from 80,000 to 300,000 Euro. If you want, you can also spend around 1.5 million euros. But even on Lake Starnberg, such a vehicle should rarely be on the move.
The Vollrath family from Überlingen on Lake Constance meet in front of their Dethleffs mobile in one of these super courses; not a million dollar item, but also not affordable for everyone. Maik and Katja and their sons Johannes (10) and (7) are not only traveling across Germany on vacation: “We just love being in nature. Often stand in the beautiful area. "
You can do this with the camper, the family is self-sufficient: solar cells on the roof supply electricity, there is enough water on board and the waste water is collected. They went to Seeshaupt, even though they themselves live on a lake, on Lake Constance: "It has been really full since the Pentecost vacation in Baden-Württemberg," explains Maik Vollrath. Here it is quieter, more contemplative. They have no concerns about Corona: Lots of space, all regulations met - "everything is fine".
From Karlsruhe to Seeshaupt
Viktor and Anke Vöhringer are from the vicinity of Karlsruhe, especially when assembling their caravan. With their two little boys Jakob (4) and Lena (2) they actually wanted to go to Lake Garda, but most recently they had thought that a holiday over Pentecost would not work this year: “When we heard that the campsites in Bavaria would open beforehand , my wife made an immediate reservation. "
First they were at the Zugspitze in Grainau, now they are at Lake Starnberg. "We are pleased that we can now experience this area for once," says Viktor Vöhringer, who, like his wife, is a teacher. That is why they are also dependent on holidays.
Holidays or school time - for permanent campers, this plays a rather minor role. They too can go back to their rolling dwellings, but they are mostly deregistered from road traffic. Unlike allotment gardeners, they were locked out of their hostels; incomprehensible to many - because of equal treatment.
Peißenberg: Not for permanent camping on annual leave
Bernadette Schmidt from Gilching (Starnberg district), one of 150 permanent campers at the "Ammertal campsite" in Peißenberg, is happy that she can get back into her caravan. Afterwards it was still annoying for her: "I recently had three weeks of annual leave - and could not come here."
There are just a handful of caravans on the meadow with the tourist spots right by the small swimming lake below Ammerdamm. "We would be fully booked," says place owner Manfred Fischer. But he is careful and does not accept every request: "First of all, I want to try out how it works with the Corona regulations." If everything goes well, it will be full in about 50 parking spaces in the next few weeks.
After weeks of lockdown: "Just get out"
On one of the caravans, now with a lot of space around it, you talk to a family from Lindau who has relatives in Weilheim. Ivonne Burger, born in Bad Tölz, grew up in the district town. With husband Andreas and the children Samantha (6) and Atreju (9), they are now also using the stay to visit relatives: "We just wanted to get out of the four walls," says Andreas Burger. Understandable after the long weeks of lockdown.
The somewhat rainy weather, which has been announced for most days of the second week of the holiday, does not matter: "This is secondary this year." They have never been on the pitch, but are very impressed. “We want to come back at the end of July when the summer holidays begin,” Ivonne Burger looks ahead.
Rottenbuch: Passion play in Oberammergau canceled - severe losses associated with it
The weather is also secondary in Rottenbuch, but not the Passion Play in nearby Oberammergau or its cancellation. The corona-related relocation to 2022 brought the owners of the "Terrassen-Camping am Richterbichl", Iris and Christoph Echtler, a bitter loss: "We were booked out with visitors to the games from mid-May to the end of September," hears Platz-Chef Echler.
And the many regular guests from the Netherlands and Denmark, who are not advised to travel unnecessarily in their countries, are absent from the campsite on the southern edge of the monastery village. There are therefore only a few tourists on the four terrace levels, the top two reserved for permanent campers.
Martin and Cornelia Oeder from the Germersheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate are not only impressed by the tranquility, but above all by the area: “We are great friends of Bavaria. There is so much to see here, ”says the camper. And her husband adds: "We don't have the long journeys abroad." They wanted to go to Bavaria this spring anyway, as in so many years - now they have come a little later.
Season end in September - until then, time to make up for losses
"Coming later" is also a key word for "Richterbichl" owner Christoph Echtler, who draws attention to a major problem in his industry: "We only have a little time to mitigate our losses until the end of September. Then the season is over for us, unlike for gastronomy and the hotel industry. ”It was only a good thing that, as the owner, you didn't have to pay a rent for the site.
An advantage that the Peißenberg owner Fischer had previously pointed out. The municipality showed itself generously at Tenant Lederer in Seeshaupt - and deferred the lease for the two closed months of April and May. It will still be a lossful year for the industry. Because the popular camping practically never took place in April in the Free State.
Camping industry is booming: hope is for next year
According to the latest figures from the Bavarian State Office for Statistics in Fürth from the middle of this week, the minus was 99.8 percent. And in May, with just two days of opening at the end, it won't look much better.
There is only hope for next year - and it is justified. Because the camping industry is booming, the number of registrations for caravans and campers has been increasing for years. And thanks to Corona, the trend could even increase, because many are now discovering the tangible appeal of home.
By Ralf Scharnitzky
