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popular place for hot-air ballooning. Starting at 160 euros a day, Ballonhafen Berlin (www.Ballonhafen-Berlin.de/index.htm) will fly you over rolling hills, farmland, and Berlin suburbs for more than an hour. You start in the town of Lint he, 30 kilometers south of Berlin, which can be reached by train or car. For a list of ballooning races and events in Germany, Ballooning Organization's website 40). The Harz Mountains are really Berlin's nearest outdoor playground, with climbing, mountain biking, hiking, water sports and hang gliding the rest of the year. TTTITI..",c:.f T"D"" ON THE BALTIC SEA arly twenty ideal kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations, the German Ii::;~ islands of Rugen and Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea are the best place to go for the sport. They are also less crowded than Kiel and the North Frisian Islands. Three and a half hours north of Berlin by train (to Stralsund), in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rugen is the largest island in Germany and is encompassed by stunning 100-meter-high chalk cliffs. A large part of the island is either a national park or protected area. A short ferry ride from Rugen is Hiddensee, a 17-kilometer-long island with no vehicular traffic. Kitesurfing schools teach at both islands and rates start at about 145 euros. For more information on weather conditions, classes and rentals, visit the following kitesurfing school websites: www.windsurfing-ruegen.de/kitesurCindex.html; www.kitebase.de/schulung.htm; www.kitemekka.de/kitesurfing.htm. southwest of the capital in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, these mountains contain more than 10 ski and snowboarding resorts and boast some of the best cross-country skiing in Germany. Five hundred kilometers of cross-country skiing trails, and professional biathlon courses, wind their way through a national park, fairy tale forests and lynx habitat. For more information on events and activities in the Harz, visit http://www.en.harzinfo.de/default.html. For weather reports and snow conditions call the Harzer Verkehrsverband in Goslar (+49340 * SKI THE HARZ MOUNTAINS The Harz Mountains (Harzgebirge) of central Germany are the closest you 'll get to an alpine experience without driving a day from Berlin.Just three to four hours the southwestern corner of the Polish state of Lower Silesia. Their rugged features of the Karkonosze range make for aggressive rides and attract skilled bikers. A race up 1600-meter Mt Sniezka is held yearly. For bike rental information, call Karpacz tourist office (76197 16). Besides biking there is great caving, and scenic lakes, cliffs, meadows and slopes to hike, climb and ski. To make the region even more enticing, it is home to a large concentration of inexpensive spas. You can indulge in thermal baths, mineral and mud treatment and massage for around US$40 per day. For locations and reservations, contact the Union of Polish Spas Association (48 815014356. ext. 333) II II HIKE THROUGH SAXON SWITZERLAND Next to Bohemian Switzerland is Germany's Saxon Switzerland (Sachsische Schweiz). An extension of the sandstone features, valleys, and gorges carved by the Elbe River creates an interesting setting for longer hikes. More than 140 square miles are protected by national park status. Within the park are five fortresses and castles, including the Flossersteig, built in the 13th century 245 meters above the river and accessible only by drawbridge. You can find your way to a castle via the more than 1,000 kilometers of hiking trails, some quite strenuous, in the park. Southeast of Dresden, the park can be reached by train or bus in three hours. For more information, visit the park's website at www.oberelbe.de/tourist/maime.htm. NEW:-URBAN ACCESS ONLINE ~ B LU E CO M ~ • '_.III If you're notheadedto Berlin, checkoutotherurban adventures accessible from NYC, LA, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and more! You'll never have another " stuck-in-the-city" weekend. MOUNTAIN BIKE IN THE SUDETY MOUNTAINS, e\~., POLAND Known for their diversity of geological formations, the Sudety Mountains sit in