Recreation

What sports can I do at the Institute?

There is a fitness room on the lower floor of the conference and library building with several exercise machines and pieces of sports equipment, table tennis and tabletop soccer (use at your own risk, please enter only with shoes resistant to abrasion). You can purchase table tennis balls at the guest services office in the guest house.

Furthermore, you may want to go hiking, running, or cycling on one of the various trails around Oberwolfach. The Institute offers bikes for rent. Please ask at the guest services office for them. Maps can be borrowed as well. A collection of possible running routes is provided on our website.

Thanks to an agreement with the local municipality our guests are allowed to play soccer on the sports ground in the village of Oberwolfach after an advance reservation. If you would like to play soccer with some colleagues please contact us beforehand.

Where can I go for hiking?

Usually on Wednesday afternoon there is an excursion in the Black Forest to a restaurant. We recommend sturdy shoes. For other excursions please consult the information desk in front of the guest services office in the guest house. In the office there are some maps to borrow.

I heard you have a Steinway grand piano at the Institute?

Yes. In the music room located in the lower floor of the conference and library building you can find the piano and other instruments (violin, viola, guitar, cello) to play. Sheet music and music stands are also available. New strings are available at the library office. Kindly note, that in order to protect the instruments it is not allowed to bring food or drinks into the music room.

What else can I do in my free time?

Below the stairs in the library, there is a billiard table free to use. On the second floor of the guest house you will also find a half-men-size chess game. A selection of fiction books is located on the first floor of the guest house. Board and card games as well as tourist information (museums, sightseeing in the area) can be found opposite the guest services office in the guest house. We recommend a visit to the “MiMa” Museum for Minerals and Mathematics that the Institute runs in Oberwolfach together with the municipality and the minerals association.

If you are travelling with children you may also be interested in our collection of children’s books provided on the first floor of the guest house. Toys for different ages can be borrowed as well. Please ask at the reception for them. We have also prepared a special collection with attractions for families. In order to reach them we recommend to rent a car, in particular if you stay over the weekend. Our staff can help you to arrange this.