The Institute for Outdoor Sports and Environmental Research develops and studies the "DSV nordic aktiv" centers on behalf of the German Ski Association (DSV) and the Foundation for Safety in Skiing (SIS). Here, trails are developed for Nordic activities such as Nordic walking, Nordic blading, Nordic skiing, trail running, and Nordic snowshoeing.
The concept enables year-round activities on a high-quality network of trails. Modern offerings and products are designed with sports science, ecological, economic, and tourism considerations in mind.
Since 2006, 1,659 trails in Germany have been developed in collaboration with the DSV and the SIS. This has resulted in a total of more than 4,000 certified cross-country ski trails and over 7,000 certified Nordic walking kilometers. In recent years, 290 DSV centers have been established across 15 state ski associations—spanning 11,733 kilometers of surveyed trails.
The trail concept encompasses the design, surveying, classification, homologation, certification, signage, and marketing of these trails as a multisport product for both winter and summer.