There are countless hiking trails around Munich. The beautiful nature of the Alps or Upper Bavaria offers the perfect opportunity for a day trip into the countryside. And even those looking for something a little more unusual will find just the right thing in the surrounding area. One of the most significant highlights of the hiking landscape is the Bavarian Forest Tree Top Walk. This breathtaking high-altitude trail is located in the Lusen National Park Center near Neuschönau and was the first of its kind in the world when it opened in 2009. To this day, it remains an architectural landmark. The trail is located in the middle of the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany’s oldest national park.
Hiking with a bird’s-eye view
The treetop path floats at a height of 8 to 25 meters above the forest floor. You will experience a completely different kind of hiking! Discover the primeval forest from a perspective that otherwise only birds or squirrels experience.
The footbridge takes you over 1.3 kilometers through the Bavarian Forest. Along the way, there are educational stations that explain the ecology of the forest, as well as adventure stations with grid floors or balancing beams for the brave. However, you can also simply bypass these. You can find out more about the trail itself on the website.
When fog hangs between the fir trees and you hike along the narrow wooden walkway through the dense greenery, all that’s missing is a small flying dragon to make you feel like you’re in the movie “Avatar.” The aesthetics of the treetop path in the Bavarian Forest are strongly reminiscent of the famous series.
The centerpiece: the “Bavarian Forest Egg”
The trademark of the treetop path is the 44-meter-high observation tower, which is usually referred to as “The Egg” due to its striking oval shape. The tower was built around three huge trees that are over 400 years old.
To get there, you walk up a 500-meter-long spiral ramp. Since the gradient is only 6 percent at most, the entire path is barrier-free and easy to climb. Once at the top, you have the perfect summit experience: you stand above the trees and, in good weather, have an unobstructed view of the entire Bavarian Forest.
If you also want to observe animals during your visit—even if they’re not fantastic dragons—visit the animal enclosure right at the foot of the trail. On a circular trail, you can see lynxes, wolves, bears, and otters in almost natural enclosures.
