[koyote]

I do not know about Germany but in Luxembourg you have to take a special course within 2 years of getting your licence.

This course is on a race track and you will learn how to deal with aquaplaning and controlled avoidance of obstacles amongst other things. They also force the car to lose control so that you can experience that (I believe you drive over a metal sheet that moves, causing the back to spin out).

Not quite snow/ice training but it gives you some experience in how to deal with situations where you lose control of your car.

[martin_a]

Courses like this are not mandatory in Germany, but car clubs like the "ADAC" offer those for their members. They're still expensive (like 200 Euro for a day) and I'm not sure if insurance agencies give you benefits for taking part in those courses.