At 2,340 m, Daniel is the southwesternmost and highest peak of the Ammergau Alps, forming one of the highlights of the region known as Zwischentoren, located between Reutte, Fernpass, and Grainau. After an early ascent from the Ehrwald railway viaduct via the Tuftlalm, I chose the route over the Grüner Upps and Uppsspitze. Read more
After ‘conquering’ the summit of Hoher Kranzberg, the circular route via the romantic Wildensee back to the car park at Luttensee or Mittenwald is ideal for a family outing or bike tour. As the path winds through rolling meadows and light mountain forest, we soon reach the small lake with the magnificent mountain panorama of the Northern Karwendel Range behind it. A small raft lies on the shore, which guests of the nearby Berggasthof Wildensee can use to punt out onto the lake for a swim. The surrounding meadows offer plenty of space for playing and resting. In the late afternoon, the light conditions are perfect for beautiful photos; it also becomes increasingly peaceful for a relaxed day in the mountains. Exactly where this picture was taken, there’s a small bench. Once you sit down, you won’t want to leave in a hurry…
On a glorious summer’s day – not too hot, with a blue and white, high-contrast sky and intense light – we chose Hoher Kranzberg near Mittenwald as the perfect family excursion destination for Sunday. The path doesn’t climb too many metres in altitude and would also be well-suited for smaller children; the ‘Buckelwiesen’ (hummock meadows) offer plenty of space to run around and rest areas, there are many refreshment stops along the way, and for those who don’t usually get much contact with nature, a barefoot path has also been set up. Read more
The rustic and cosy Friends of Nature Lodge Tscherwald is located at an altitude of 1361 m on Amden’s sun terrace, high above the northern shore of Lake Walen. To the south, the panorama opens up to the peaks of the Glarus region, with the striking Mürtschenstock towering into the sky, and to the east, you can see as far as the well-known Flumserberg ski resort. The lodge can be reached via Weesen on Lake Walen and Amden; it’s situated right at the very end of the paved road, nestled in a small wooded area and surrounded by meadows. Beyond it, the trails immediately begin for hiking, mountain biking, or, in winter, ski or snowshoe tours up to Gulmen, the Churfirsten, or across to Toggenburg. In winter, Amden’s two smaller, family-friendly ski resorts are also easily accessible.
Not far from the world-famous royal castles of Ludwig II – Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau – lies Wieskirche, an equally popular pilgrimage church. The drive through the very rural Bavarian Alpine foothills and its communities gives little indication that such a magnificent Rococo building from the mid-18th century is to be found here. After the heavy snow showers of the morning, there are only a few visitors on the snowy roads, allowing us to almost alone soak in the peace and fascination of the place. The low-lying sun, the blue sky, and the tattered clouds create an additional dramatic atmosphere.
Suddenly the valley opens up and I drive into the wide basin of Lermoos and Ehrwald, framed by the breathtaking ensemble of the Ammergau Alps, the Wetterstein mountains, the Mieming Range and the Lechtal Alps. However, the Zugspitze massif clearly dominates the scenery above the so-called Lermoos ‘Moos’. The area is a paradise for mountain bikers, hikers, climbers and mountaineers, not to mention skiers in winter – the region is accordingly well-developed for tourism. Besides arriving by car from Garmisch or Reutte, I recommend taking a trip on the Ausserfern Railway, which runs between the two towns – by the way, the Bayern Ticket is also valid on this route.
During the steep ascent over the Pers Glacier and the icefalls, I could really feel the altitude in my legs and the thinner air here above 3500 m. After a short rest on the saddle (in the bottom left of the image), the final part of the ascent followed, along the narrow ridge to the South Summit of Piz Palü. The first section was steep and icy, before it gently levels out towards the summit. Incidentally, the border between Switzerland and Italy also runs along the ridge. At the summit, we finally reached the highlight of our Piz Palü tour, although the storm clouds forced us into a rapid descent back to the Diavolezza Hut.
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