January has arrived in Munich in all its glory. The temperatures are just as they should be in a winter month – if not already too cold. But especially in a city like Munich, we can fight off the cold and go to the sauna or special restaurants. Or we can really take advantage of the winter sports and use the weather for an excursion. Munich ‘s local mountain, Blomberg, is a great place for action, but the Hohe Kranzberg is also worth a visit. Here you can go on the perfect winter hike.
The Hoher Kranzberg: a box seat against a mighty backdrop
The Hohe Kranzberg near Mittenwald impresses with its sheer beauty and a pinch of nostalgia. Visitors to the Kranzberg enter a world that seems straight out of a Bavarian picture book: Humpback meadows, deep blue lakes and the vertical towering limestone walls of the Karwendel mountains.
The flagship of the Kranzberg is the barefoot hiking trail. It runs for around 1.6 kilometers over varying surfaces such as moss, bark, pebbles or through refreshing mountain streams. Here you can “grasp” nature directly. Of course, this is less enjoyable in winter, but as soon as it gets warmer, this excursion is particularly worthwhile.
Once at the top, the summit itself offers a panorama that you would hardly expect at this medium altitude (just under 1,400 m). As the Kranzberg is situated in front of the Wetterstein and Karwendel massif, you sit here as if in the front row of an amphitheater and look directly at the Westliche Karwendelspitze opposite and the Wetterstein mountains with the Zugspitze to the west.
The lake circuit for special nature
A descent from Kranzberg can be perfectly combined with a hike to Lautersee and on to Ferchensee. These two mountain lakes are among the cleanest and most idyllic bodies of water in Upper Bavaria. In winter, you can admire the frozen surface. In summer, the lake invites you to take a dip while the rugged rocks tower in the background.
A real insider tip: take a ride on the historic single chairlift! It travels so slowly that you can let your legs dangle over the meadows and listen to the cowbells below you in peace and quiet. Whether it’s winter or summer, here you can get very close to nature.