Action and adrenalin: tours for adventurers

Kitesurfing is just one of many options for experiencing adventure and taking on sporting challenges in Destination Germany: rafting on wild rivers, canyoning or ziplining through the mountains, climbing routes and high ropes courses open up a wealth of possibilities. You don't need to be a professional for most of these experiences, or in peak physical condition – all you need is a sense of adventure and a love of thrills.

Light as a feather while kitesurfing

Sassnitz: Kiteboarding on the Baltic Sea coast off Mukran ©TMV (Timo Roth)

A mixture of snowboarding, surfing and windsurfing – that's how insiders describe their love of kitesurfing, one of the hottest water sports at the moment: all along the coasts of Schleswig-Holstein, on the Bodden and off the beaches of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , you can experience the kitesurfers' wild jumps and acrobatics. Surf schools teach theory and practice, where the programme starts with dry runs with the kite.

From your very first rides you'll feel as light as a feather, and as you gain experience in dealing with the natural forces of water and wind, you'll soon be able to perform more and more daring tricks. With surf spots to suit every taste and level, you'll want for nothing – from the north of the island of Rügen, with its 450-metre wide shallow water area, to the windswept island of Hiddensee and on to Fehmarn and Sylt.

Adrenalin rush in free fall

Hamburg/Elbe: port ©DZT (Hans Peter Merten)

A bungee cord, a helmet and a harness – that's all you need for one of the most adrenaline-fuelled experiences: bungee jumping from bridges, towers or cliffs. The jump height in Germany is capped at 50 metres, but this doesn't diminish the excitement of diving over the Olympic Regatta Course in Munich, for example – including a short dip into the water if desired.

In Hamburg , you can combine a visit to the harbour with a jump from a crane: first the ascent to this impressive industrial monument, then a wide view over ships and the port, followed by a free fall. If you'd rather start on a smaller scale, book into House Running, where you walk like Spiderman across the front of a building – also secured by a rope.

Slipping through canyons

Sonthofen: Canyoning in the Starzlachklamm gorge ©Adobe Stock (Bruno Mader)

If a gorge is more your scene, however, canyoning is the perfect activity for you. As a group, you'll cross a wild rocky gorge, traversing torrents, waterfalls and caves.

Equipped with a wetsuit, helmet and safety harness, you move forward by abseiling, climbing, jumping, sliding or diving. Southern Germany has several gorges that are approved for this, including those near Kiefersfelden, Bad Reichenhall or Berchtesgaden, as well as in the Allgäu, for example the Starzlachklamm gorge, which has a spectacular slide at the end that is sure to send your heart beating out of your chest.