CONTENTS
Overview map
Map key
Preface
Introduction
History
Culture
Plants and wildlife
Getting there
Getting around
Accommodation
Mountain huts
Climate
Clothing and equipment
Safety in the mountains
Food and drink
Language
Expenses
Using this guide
Maps
Part I The Allgäu Alps
Walk 1 The Nagelfluhkette: a ridge walk between the Mittagberg and Stuiben
Walk 2 Over the Großer Ochsenkopf to Riedberger Horn
Walk 3 A ridge walk between Sonnenkopf and Falken Alpe
Walk 4 The Rubihorn
Walk 5 Edmund-Probst-Haus to the Oytal
Walk 6 Prinz-Luitpold-Haus to Landsberger Hut/Tannheim
Walk 7 Gerstruben
Walk 8 From the Gerstrubental to the Oytal
Valley walks from Oberstdorf
Walk 9 Kanzelwandbahn to Fellhorn and Söllereck
Walk 10 Fiderepass Hut
Walk 11 Gottesacker Plateau
Walk 12 Around the Großer Widderstein
Walk 13 Tannheim to Vilsalpsee
Walk 14 Tannheimer Höhenweg: Füssener Jöchl to Bad Kissinger Hut
Part II The Ammergau Alps
Walk 15 Kalvarienberg
Walk 16 A walk above Hohenschwangau
Walk 17 Bad Kohlgrub to Oberammergau
Walk 18 Over the Laberjoch to Ettal
Walk 19 The Kofel
Walk 20 Along the Sonnenberggrat to August-Schuster-Haus and Linderhof
Walk 21 The Notkarspitze
Part III The Wetterstein, Ester and Walchensee Mountains
Walk 22 Wank, Esterberg Alm and Gams Hut
Walk 23 Partenkirchen to the Krottenkopf
Walk 24 Wamberg, Berggasthof Eckbauer and the Partnachklamm
Walk 25 Schachen Haus and the Königs Haus
Walk 26 Schachenhaus/Meiler Hut to Leutasch
Walk 27 The Zugspitze
Walk 28 Kreuzeck, Knappenhäuser and the Höllentalklamm
Valley walk from Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Walk 29 Soiern Haus, Schöttelkarspitze and Seinskopf
Walk 30 Hochland Hut and Wörnersattel
Walk 31 Kranzberg, Grünkopf and Ederkanzel
Walk 32 The Brunnsteinspitze
Valley walks from Mittenwald
Walk 33 Herzogstand and Heimgarten
Walk 34 The Jochberg
Part IV The Tegernsee and Schliersee Mountains
Walk 35 Brauneck, Achselköpfe and Benediktenwand
Walk 36 The Seekarkreuz
Valley walk from Lenggries
Walk 37 Above Tegernsee
Walk 38 Wallberg and Risserkogel
Walk 39 Wildbad Kreuth to the Schildenstein
Walk 40 The Blauberge
Walk 41 The Roßstein
Walk 42 The Wendelstein
Walk 43 The Breitenstein
Walk 44 Taubensteinbahn to Soinsee and Taubenstein Haus
Walk 45 Jägerkamp, Taubenstein and Taubenstein Haus
Walk 46 Tatzlwurm to Brünnstein and Tatzlwurm
Valley walks from Bayrischzell
Part V The Chiemgau Alps
Walk 47 From the Kampenwand to the Geigelstein
Walk 48 Marquartstein to the Hochgern
Valley walk from Marquartstein
Walk 49 To Hindenburg Hut, Straubinger Haus and the Fellhorn
Walk 50 Winklmoos Alm and Dürrnbachhorn
Walk 51 Winklmoos Alm to the Kammerköhr (Steinplatte)
Walk 52 The Hochfelln
Walk 53 The Rauschberg
Walk 54 From Inzell-Adlgaß to the Zwiesel
Walk 55 Around the Inzeller Kienberg
Valley walks from Ruhpolding and Inzell
Part VI The Berchtesgaden Alps
Walk 56 The Lattengebirge (Predigtstuhl)
Valley walk from Bad Reichenhall
Walk 57 To the alm meadows above Ramsau
Walk 58 The Reiteralpe massif: Hintersee to Neue Traunsteiner Hut
Walk 59 The Hochkalter massif: Ramsau to Blaueis Hut
Walk 60 Wimbachklamm, Wimbachtal and Wimbachgries Hut
Walk 61 Kühroint Alm and Watzmann Haus
Valley walks from Ramsau
Walk 62 The Untersberg massif
Walk 63 Schellenberg Ice Cave
Walk 64 The Almbachklamm
Walk 65 Kehlstein: the Eagle’s Nest
Walk 66 Jenner
Walk 67 The Hagengebirge above Königssee
Walk 68 A three-day hike through Berchtesgaden National Park
Part VII Multi-Day Tours: The Via Alpina
Walk 69 Via Alpina: the Bavarian section of the Purple Trail
Walk 70 Via Alpina: the Bavarian section of the Red Trail
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Further reading
Appendix C Alpine hut accommodation
Appendix D Useful addresses
Appendix E Glossary
Maps
The route maps are only intended to serve as an initial means of orientation. They should not be used in place of a proper walking map.
Beautiful baroque churches are a typical feature of the landscape
The relevant maps are listed at the start of each route description to enable walkers to quickly locate the map they need. The maps listed are all to the scale 1:50,000. In researching this guidebook the Kompass maps were used as a basis for describing routes, although 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 (UK online map shop) www.mapsworldwide.com
Omni Resources 1004 South Mebane Street, PO Box 2096, Burlington, NC 27216–2096, USA; 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.
Kompass-Wanderkarten 1:50,000 (for certain areas also 1:30,000 or 1:25,000). 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.
Kompass has also brought out some digital maps that are relevant to the area covered. Particularly useful is Über die Alpen, which covers the entire region described in this guide. The digital maps can be used in conjunction with a GPS device, and with suitable software the maps can be transferred to a smartphone (Android/iOS) or tablet.
Umgebungskarten (UK) Bayern (Area Maps Bavaria) 1:50,000. The Bavarian State Survey Office (Landesamt für Vermessung) puts out excellent maps. The topographical detail exceeds that of the Kompass maps, but there are not as many tracks shown with numbering. Maps published together with the German Alpine Club (Alpenvereinskarte Bayerische Alpen) are available at 1:25,000. For an overview of the areas covered, visit www.ldbv.bayern.de.
In the Hölltobel (Walk 7)
Fast facts
Currency Germany belongs to the Euro (€) zone, as does most of Central Europe including Austria. €1 = 100 cents.
Formalities Members of EU countries with either a valid passport or national identity card do not require a visa to enter Germany. Citizens of the USA, Canada, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia do not require a visa for stays of up to three months. South African nationals do require a visa.
Language German or dialects of German are spoken in Bavaria and Austria. English is widely spoken.
Health No special health precautions are necessary for travel in Germany. UK residents are covered by reciprocal health schemes while in the country – although Brexit might cause changes. In order to receive coverage a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is required, available via your local post office. For more information visit www.nhs.uk. Not all expenses are covered by these schemes and so it is wise to take out extra insurance in case of accidents.
International dialling code The international dialling code for calls to Germany from abroad is 0049 and to Austria 0043. When dialling the UK from Germany the code is 0044, then drop the first zero of the following area code. Most public phones in Germany are card-operated. Telephone cards (Telefonkarten) can be bought at post offices, newspaper kiosks and some bookshops.
Location The Bavarian Alps are located in Germany along the border with Austria. More specifically they are situated in Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria), the southernmost region of the state of Bavaria. The Allgäu, at the western extreme of the region, is treated as a separate entity. From the Bavarian capital, Munich, all destinations are quickly reached.