Blick aufs Karwendelgebirge Photo: Wolfilser, Adobe Stock

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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mountain hikes

mountain biking trails

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long-distance hikes

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Attractions in the Karwendel region

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Long-Distance Hiking · Tux Alps

Inntal High Trail

recommended route Difficulty T4 difficult Multi-day route

Distance 74.3 km

Duration 29:45 h

Ascent 4,758 m

Descent 5,228 m

The "Inntal High Trail" runs six days along the 2000m altitude line eastwards above the Tyrolean Inn Valley from Innsbruck-Igls through the Tux ...

from Stefanos Rauchegger,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Biking · Ranggen

From Innsbruck via Ranggen to the Rangger Köpfl

recommended route Difficulty S0 difficult

Distance 64.5 km

Duration 7:15 h

Ascent 1,475 m

Descent 1,475 m

A beautiful mountain bike tour leads from Innsbruck to the west up to the Rangger Köpfl at 1939 m. The ride along meadows through various villages ...

from Josef Essl,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Östliche Karwendelspitze 2537m Überschreitung

recommended route Difficulty T4I difficult

Distance 30.2 km

Duration 9:00 h

Ascent 1,800 m

Descent 1,800 m

Aussichtsreicher und nicht allzu schwerer aber dennoch nicht zu unterschätzender Gipfel im Nahbereich des Karwendelhauses.

from Wolfgang Lauschensky,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Hohe Fürleg - crossing

recommended route Difficulty difficult

Distance 9.3 km

Duration 7:30 h

Ascent 1,171 m

Descent 1,878 m

Long, in the second part lonely crossing of the easternmost Karwendel peaks of the Gleiersch-Halltal chain: Hundskopf - Tratenspitze - ...

from Michael Larcher,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

from Kranebitten over the Hechenberg East Summit to the New Magdeburger Hut

recommended route Difficulty T4 difficult closed

Distance 4.7 km

Duration 4:30 h

Ascent 1,100 m

Descent 344 m

The most challenging and difficult ascent to the New Magdeburger Hut should only be used for ascending.

from Beda Weidemann,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Kleiner Lafatscher from the Hallerangerhaus

recommended route Difficulty T4II- difficult

Distance 6.6 km

Duration 4:00 h

Ascent 900 m

Descent 900 m

The scarcely frequented summit is climbed almost pathlessly from the Lafatscherjoch over the brittle-rocky southeast ridge in easy climbing up to ...

from Wolfgang Lauschensky,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Seefelder Spitze and Reither Spitze

recommended route Difficulty T4 moderate

Distance 16.1 km

Duration 8:00 h

Ascent 1,500 m

Descent 1,500 m

Well frequented and well-developed summit paths on two viewpoints at Seefeld.

from Wolfgang Lauschensky,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Round tour from Mittenwald via Rehbergalm and Wörnerkopf to the Hochlandhütte

recommended route Difficulty difficult

Distance 13.3 km

Duration 7:30 h

Ascent 1,111 m

Descent 1,111 m

Varied, shady and easy circular tour with little traffic in the first part. Then more challenging from Wörnerkopf onwards. Always great views in ...

from Ulrich Koppold,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Hike · Karwendel

Sonnjoch (2459m) East-West crossing

recommended route Difficulty moderate

Distance 10.2 km

Duration 6:00 h

Ascent 1,360 m

Descent 1,360 m

Great demanding crossing of the Sonnjoch. Changing views of the Karwendel and the Achensee, as well as an interesting route, guarantee a great ...

from Rafael Reder,

alpenvereinaktiv.com

Mountain Biking · Karwendel

Vomper Loch - Ganalm - Walder Alm - Hinterhornalm

recommended route Difficulty moderate

Distance 23.2 km

Duration 4:00 h

Ascent 847 m

Descent 847 m

Extensive circular route with breathtaking deep views and a rapid descent.

from Cathleen Peer,

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.

closed

Long-Distance Hiking · München-Ingolstadt
Traumpfad München Venedig (komplett)
Hiking Trail · Karwendel
Access to Brunnstein Hut from Mittenwald/ hut parking
Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Approach to the Brunnstein Hut 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
Approach from the Hafelekar mountain station to the Pfeishütte
Long-Distance Hiking · Karwendel
Karwendel Höhenweg
Mountain Hike · Karwendel
Hohe Fürleg (2570 m) from the Hinterhornalm
Mountain Hike · Silberregion Karwendel
Approach to Lamsenjoch Hut 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.