If you’re in the mood for a trip to the countryside again but are put off by the sometimes long drives, then you should take a closer look at the area around Munich. There are also numerous worthwhile destinations here that you can reach in no time at all, such as the Georgenstein or the Maisinger Schlucht. If you enjoyed the latter, you should definitely take a detour to the Gleißental. Here, you’ll hike under shady trees past several exciting landmarks and be rewarded at the end with a beautiful moorland lake where you can cool off.
Of Robbers and Vikings
The Gleißental valley was formed at the end of the Würm Glacial Period as a drainage channel for meltwater from the Idar-Loisach Glacier. Over time, it dried up and thus developed into a dry valley. The outflow from the Deininger Weiher at the southern end seeps into the gorge after a few hundred meters. The Gleißental valley contains a rich deposit of Nagelfluh, which is why the local quarry was used to extract Nagelfluh for the construction of the Frauenkirche, among other things.
This quarry was transformed into a bandit camp for the 1958 film “Das Wirtshaus im Speesart.” A scene for “Wickie auf große Fahrt” was also filmed here, a movie that is also set at Walchensee. The quarry is now open to the public, so you can explore it at your leisure. There are other quarries around the Gleißental valley, but most of them are overgrown.
Through the Gleißental Valley to the Moorsee
If you’d like to hike through the Gleißental, it’s best to start in Deisenhofen from the north . You’ll pass under the railroad embankment through a tunnel and emerge directly into the former drainage channel. Soon after, you’ll reach the Roman road Via Julia, which crosses the valley and is now a popular long-distance bike path. On the 8-kilometer hike from north to south, you’ll also pass several Celtic fortifications , which can be recognized by their square outlines on the ground.
At the end of the Gleißental valley, you’ll finally reach the Deiniger Weiher. You can walk around it and keep an eye out for turtles if you want to stretch your legs a bit more. On hot days, you can cool off here, with the trees in the Gleißental valley providing good protection from the sun. If you haven’t brought your own snack, stop by the ever-popular Waldhaus and enjoy Alpine cuisine, either indoors or outside in the beer garden.
