Barmsee mit Karwendel und Wettersteingebirge im Hintergrund Photo: ©Alpenwelt Karwendel/ Maximilian Ziegler

Karwendel

The Karwendel region in Tyrol and Bavaria captivates with its flowering mountain meadows and rugged peaks, rushing mountain streams and fresh mountain air. In the past, Romans, merchants and pilgrims came to the region, but today it is mainly hikers, cyclists and families who enjoy the beautiful landscape. From its source in the Karwendel Mountains, the turquoise Isar River meanders through a sunny high valley to Bavaria. Numerous lakes offer an ideal excursion destination in hot temperatures.

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Activities in the Karwendel region

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Attractions in the Karwendel region

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Bike Riding · Tegernsee-Schliersee

Von Bergsteigerdorf zu Bergsteigerdorf

recommended route Difficulty moderate

Distance 85.3 km

Duration 6:30 h

Ascent 1,361 m

Descent 1,364 m

Große E-Mountainbike Tour vom Bergsteigerdorf Kreuth zum Bergsteigerdorf Steinberg am Rofan. Eine abwechslungsreiche Runde ohne große Gipfel, ...

from Andreas Kimpfbeck, Alpenregion Tegernsee Schliersee

Hiking route · Schwaz District

Stanser Joch (2102m) from Jenbach

recommended route Difficulty difficult

Distance 13.7 km

Duration 8:00 h

Ascent 1,500 m

Descent 1,500 m

Demanding and lonely hike from Jenbach to the Stanser Joch with a ridge section in the upper part offering great views.

from Michael Gasteiger, alpenvereinaktiv.com

Hiking route · Region Innsbruck

Seelenplatzerl Rauschbrunnen

recommended route Difficulty easy

Distance 8.4 km

Duration 2:50 h

Ascent 430 m

Descent 430 m

Der Weg führt oberhalb von Innsbruck durch Buchenmischwald vom Gasthaus Planötzenhof über das Höttinger Bild und den Alpengasthof Rauschbrunnen zur ...

from Seelenplatzerl Katholische Jugend Diözese Innsbruck, Community

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

From the Walder Alm to the Vomper Loch

recommended route Difficulty difficult closed

Distance 10.2 km

Duration 6:30 h

Ascent 1,098 m

Descent 1,131 m

From the Walder Alm via the Knappensteig trail down to the Vomper stream and on footpaths via the Vomper hole back to the Walder Alm

from Ulrich Koppold, alpenvereinaktiv.com

Hiking route · Karwendel

Karwendel tour via Rehberg-Alm and Jägersteig

recommended route Difficulty moderate

Distance 12.8 km

Duration 5:30 h

Ascent 863 m

Descent 863 m

A varied and shady tour, mostly through wooded areas, past unmanaged mountain pastures

from Ulrich Koppold, alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Achensee

Aufstieg zur Hochplatte (1813m) | Ein sanfter Aussichtsberg im Karwendel

recommended route Difficulty moderate

Distance 10.5 km

Duration 3:30 h

Ascent 870 m

Descent 870 m

Der Aufstieg erweist sich als einfache Bergwanderung ohne technische Ansprüche. Über Forstwege und schmale Wald- und Wiesenpfade führt der Weg ...

from Mountour Guide, Community

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Bachofenspitze from Scharnitz as a bike & hike tour

recommended route Difficulty difficult

Distance 46.3 km

Duration 8:30 h

Ascent 1,900 m

Descent 1,900 m

The long bike & hike tour to the Bachofenspitze leads from Scharnitz into the beautiful Gleirschtal valley and on to the summit of the ...

from Michael Reimer, alpenvereinaktiv.com

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Location and extent of the Karwendel

Most of the Karwendel is located on Austrian territory in Tyrol, but part of the mountain range also extends into the German state of Bavaria. Divided into four large mountain ranges leading from west to east, numerous side chains and a vast promontory in the north, the Karwendel is a mountain group of the Northern Limestone Alps. Over 45 km long and 30 km wide, the mountain range has 125 peaks of two thousand meters, of which the Birkkarspitze is the highest at 2749 m. The Karwendel is surrounded by the villages of Seefeld in Tyrol and Mittenwald in the west, Pertisau in the east and Innsbruck in the south, while Hinterriß is the only permanent settlement within the mountains.

The Gamsjoch group from the Sonnjoch west flank, on the left the Laliderer Wand with Kaltwasserkarspitze and Birkkarspitze, on the right the Falken Group
Photo: Tirolerbergwelten, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons

Karwendel Nature Park

The Karwendel Nature Park is the largest nature park in Austria and consists of three nature reserves, two rest areas and six landscape protection areas. Directly adjacent to it, the protection of the Karwendelgebirge nature is continued by the German Karwendel nature reserve and Karwendel foothills. As one of the last large areas in the Alps not yet completely covered by lifts, there is still a lot of wild nature to be found here. In the mountain center, there is little civilization, so the forest and the Isar river still develop naturally here. A special feature of the Karwendel is the large population of golden eagles. When visiting the nature reserves, you should pay attention to the prohibitions in force.

The Vorkarwendel from the Seebergspitze
Photo: Tirolerbergwelten, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons

Hiking in the Karwendel

Hikers and mountaineers love to come to the Karwendel. While there are no gondolas and lifts in the interior of the mountains, there are some on the edges, which are uphill from the villages. There are 25 serviced huts in the Karwendel, as well as self-catering huts and bivouac boxes. Those who take a longer tour, such as the Red Route of the Via Alpina or the Munich-Venice Dream Trail, can stay overnight in these when crossing the mountains. Popular shorter routes lead to the Mittenwalder Hütte, over the Sulzeklamm suspension bridge to the Brunnsteinhütte or to the top station of the Karwendel cable car.

Hiking route · Karwendel
Access to Brunnsteinhütte from Mittenwald/ hut car park
Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Access to Brunnsteinhütte from the Karwendelbahn mountain station

Challenging hikes in the Karwendel mountains

Mountain climbers venture farther into the mountains. While only a few peaks of the two mighty central mountain ranges are accessible by good pathways, most other peaks can be reached from the south without major climbing difficulties. However, the climbs through craggy, mountain pine or scree fields are sometimes pathless and the rock is often fragile. The Karwendel Altitude Trail is ideal for those looking for adventure.

Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Sonntagskarspitze (2525 m) from the Pfeishütte
Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Ascent from the Hafelekar mountain station to the Pfeishütte
Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Hohe Fürleg (2570 m) from the Hinterhornalm
Mountain Hike · Silberregion Karwendel
Access to Lamsenjochhütte from the Eng
Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Sonnjoch (2459m) east-west crossing

Nature excursion destinations in the Karwendel

Beautiful excursion destinations include the Gleirschklamm Gorge (with an untamed wild river), the Hafelekar (the window into the Karwendel) and the Halltal Valley as a valley with history and wildly romantic nature. Routes to the Hochplatte, a gentle peak with flowering meadow slopes above Lake Achensee, to the source of the Isar or to the Mondscheinspitze, the residential area of the ibex, are also worthwhile. Through the Wolfsklamm Gorge and dense forest, you reach a pilgrimage church enthroned on rocks and the Lalidererwände are probably the most famous northern walls of the Limestone Alps, whose colossal grey rock faces tower above the green alpine meadows.