Germany's alternative sports world

July 11, 2012

Soccer may be - by far - Germany's number one sport but it's not the only game making headlines. Be it reinvented favorites, borrowed from other countries, or on a whole new playing field, Germans are diving in...

***Achtung: Nur zur mit Jefferson Chase (Vereinsmitglied) abgesprochenen Berichterstattung verwenden!*** Teilnehmer beim 6. Royal-Benzinger Golfturnier, Berlin 2011 *** Copyright Royal Benzinger e.V. (Erlaubnis zur Verwendung erteilt von Jefferson Chase, Vereinsmitglied) — Royal Benzinger Golfturnier 2011Image: Royal Benzinger e.V.

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Soccer may be Germany's number one sport but it isn't the only game making headlines. Whether they are reinvented favorites, borrowed from other countries, or on a whole new playing field, Germans are diving in.

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Reports & Analysis

The forgotten sport

Cricket had surprisingly early beginnings in Germany, but it remains almost totally unknown today.

An unexpected German pastime

England or Pakistan - but not Germany. Nevertheless, cricket has a longer history in Germany than you might think. Pulse meets up with the German national cricket team to find out why the sport struggles to get recognition in a country of football fans.

Golf in the capital

It may come as a surprise, but golf - often regarded as elitist in Germany - is popular in Berlin.

Golf Nation Germany

Germany has long been one of the top golfing nations in the world and the boom continues. Our report focuses on attempts to shake off golf’s slightly elitist image with what might be called grunge golf in Hamburg and Berlin.

River riders

Around 200 people are now officially registered to surf the Eisbach at Munich's English Garden.

Hitting the Spot - Table Tennis Balls

The Street Headis from Cologne abandon table tennis to conquer the streets with their take on a sport that involves heading the ball into a bucket.

Extreme Hiking

We're off to the Bavarian Alps for a sport which is something between hiking and climbing. It's known as "via ferrata" which literally translates as iron path. And these iron trails are cables and steel steps which have been fixed into sheer rock faces so you can climb safely up without being an experienced mountaineer.

Surfing on Munich's Eisbach River # 12.02.2011 # euromaxx highlights

Most southern German surfers seek warmer climes when they get the bug in the winter but there is an alternative. You can ride the unique wave on Munich's Eisbach river. Veteran river surfer Dieter Deventer has been doing this since 1973 and has just followed up his 2009 documentary film 'Keep Surfing' with a book of surfing photos.

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