25,000 hectares of wilderness, peaks steeped in devilish legends, and trails that start right on our doorstep. We’ll tell you where they’re leading you right now.
The Bavarian Forest National Park literally begins right on our doorstep, and it leaves no two guests with the same impression. One person returns with a photo of the summit, another with the remark: “I haven’t met a soul for hours.” Both are a good day here.
Founded in 1970, covering around 25,000 hectares and, together with the Czech Šumava, the largest contiguous forest reserve in Central Europe. Here, nothing is tidied up: fallen trees are left where they lie and become a nursery for what grows next; streams find their own way. It is precisely this wilderness that makes the forest so alive. And you can feel it more clearly on hardly any other hike in Germany.
In spring, the greenery literally bursts forth; in summer, the air shimmers over the clearings; in autumn, the beech trees glow; and in winter, a silence lies over everything that you can almost hear. The beauty of it is: no matter when you come – the forest always has a new side it wants to show you.
Our local mountain is Mt Großer Rachel (1,453m). At the top lies the Rachel Chapel, and a little way below it the tranquil Lake Rachel: a small glacial lake that lies there as if it didn’t want to be found. Mt Lusen (1,373m) is crowned at its summit by a vast sea of granite boulders. Legend has it that the devil piled up the stones to hide a treasure of gold. We don’t know if that’s true; but we do know that the view from the “Himmelsleiter” path is worth every drop of sweat. And Mt Großer Falkenstein (1,315m) is the mountain for those who enjoy life: once you reach the top, the rustic mountain hut beckons with a warm parlour and a very Bavarian atmosphere.
In the free wildlife enclosure, you’ll encounter lynx, wolves, and brown bears over a distance of around 7km. And if you want to see the forest from above, head for the tree-top walk: up to 25m high, culminating in the 44m high tree tower with views stretching as far as the Bohemian Forest.
