Walking in the Bavarian Alps

The Bavarian Alps, lying along the German–Austrian border, contain some of the most spectacular walking and beautiful scenery that Germany has to offer. Reasonable prices and an excellent tourist infrastructure make the area perfect for an easy-to-organise and affordable walking holiday.

The sketch maps are only intended to serve as an initial means of orientation. They should not be used in place of a proper walking map.

The relevant maps are listed at the start of each route description to enable walkers to quickly locate the map they need. Note The maps listed are all to the scale 1:50,000. Where possible a choice of maps has been given. In researching this guidebook the Kompass maps were used as a basis for describing routes, though it should be possible to follow them using maps from other publishers. All the maps mentioned are readily available at bookshops in Germany or from:

•    Edward Stanford Ltd 12–14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LP www.stanfords.co.uk
•    The Map Shop 15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs WR8 OHJ www.themapshop.co.uk
•    Mapsworldwide www.mapsworldwide.com (British online map shop)
•    Omni Resources 1004 South Mebane Street, PO Box 2096, Burlington, NC 27216-2096, USA e-mail: inquiries@omnimap.com, www.omnimap.com

Apart from the two main series listed below there are also maps produced by smaller, locally based publishers, often in conjunction with local tourist offices. These maps are usually of a high standard and are often available at a scale of 1:25,000.

1 Kompass-Wanderkarten 1:50,000 (for certain areas also 1:30,000 or 1:35,000)
A useful feature of the Kompass series is the fact that the map legend is in both German and English. All the trails are very clearly marked, and the maps frequently updated. The most recent ones are GPS compatible.

Kompass has also brought out some digital maps that are relevant to the area covered. Currently available are Allgäuer Alpen Kleinwalsertal, Füssen-Ausserfern, Zugspitze-Mieminger Kette and the Karwendelgebirge. The digital maps can be used in conjunction with a GPS device, and with suitable software the maps can be transferred to a Palm or Pocket PC.

2 Umgebungskarten (UK) mit Wanderwegen (Area Maps with Walking Trails)
Usually 1:50,000. The Bavarian State Survey Office (Landesamt für Vermessung und Geoinformation) puts out excellent maps. The topographical detail exceeds that of the Kompass maps, but they are not as readily available in local bookshops. Though topographical maps are also available at 1:25,000 these usually show the trails less clearly. For an overview of the areas covered visit www.geodaten.bayern.de.�