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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.
Activities in the Karwendel region
trail runs
ski tours
via ferratas
bikepacking routes
snowshoe walks
winter hikes
runs
motorcycle routes
Crags
pilgrim walks
gravel bike routes
alpine routes
scenic routes
alpine climbing routes
cross-country ski trails
nature trails
sledding runs
caravan trips
kayak trips
Ski resorts
backcountry skiing routes
Attractions in the Karwendel region
Highlights
Maps and trails
Long Distance Hiking
· Tux Alps
Inntal High Trail
recommended route
Difficulty
T4
difficult
Multi-day route
Distance
74.4 km
Duration
29:45 h
Ascent
4,754 m
Descent
5,222 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
Hiking Trail
· Silberregion Karwendel
From Stans through the Wolfsklamm
recommended route
Difficulty
T3
moderate
Distance
8.5 km
Duration
3:00 h
Ascent
359 m
Descent
359 m
Adventure hike from Stans through the narrow Wolfsklamm gorge to the rock monastery St. Georgenberg.
from Herbert Weissteiner,
alpenvereinaktiv.com
Mountain Bike
· Ranggen
From Innsbruck via Ranggen to Rangger Köpfl
recommended route
Difficulty
S0
difficult
Distance
64.5 km
Duration
7:15 h
Ascent
1,475 m
Descent
1,475 m
A lovely mountain bike route leads from Innsbruck westwards to the 1939 m high Rangger Köpfl. The ride along meadows through various villages up ...
from Josef Essl,
alpenvereinaktiv.com
Mountain Hike
· Karwendel
Eastern Karwendelspitze 2537m traverse
recommended route
Difficulty
T4I
difficult
Distance
30.2 km
Duration
9:00 h
Ascent
1,800 m
Descent
1,800 m
A panoramic and not too difficult but nevertheless not to be underestimated summit near the Karwendelhaus.
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
Sonnjoch (2459m) East-West crossing
recommended route
Difficulty
T4
difficult
Distance
11.3 km
Duration
6:00 h
Ascent
1,339 m
Descent
1,340 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 Hike
· Karwendel
Approach from the Hafelekar mountain station to the Pfeishütte
recommended route
Difficulty
easy
Distance
5.1 km
Duration
2:15 h
Ascent
220 m
Descent
530 m
The approach from the Hafelekar mountain station to the Pfeishütte is the shortest and with the least amount of altitude to overcome.
from Michael Kirchmayer,
alpenvereinaktiv.com
Mountain Hike
· Karwendel
from Kranebitten over the Hechenberg East Summit to the New Magdeburger Hut
recommended route
Difficulty
T4
difficult
Distance
4.7 km
Duration
4:30 h
Ascent
1,100 m
Descent
256 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
· Naturschutzgebiet Karwendel
Schreckenspitze via Sonntagsspitze or Zunterspitze
recommended route
Difficulty
T4
difficult
Distance
16.8 km
Duration
7:00 h
Ascent
1,200 m
Descent
1,200 m
Easy hike to the Gröbner Hals, then quite demanding to the Sonntagsspitze with short scrambling sections and a long ridge walk to the ...
from Wolfgang Lauschensky,
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
Maps and trails
Discover the region
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
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
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.
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.
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.
