Riegsee: Circular Routes, Birdlife and Panoramic Views
Accommodation in Riegsee
Riegsee can be explored from several perspectives: around the lake, the focus is on circular walks and observing nature, while further trails and viewpoints can be found nearby. The village church of St. Stephan is right by Riegsee in the Blue Land. This raises a practical question for planning your vacation: Should a longer hike shape your day, would you like to observe the birdlife, or do you want to include different destinations in the surrounding area?
View over the Riegsee from the eastern shore towards Hofheim
Photo: Kritzolina via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Circular Routes and Viewpoints
The Riegsee circular hiking trail is 12 km long. This gives you a specific distance to consider if you want to include a longer route in your day’s plans. A shorter option nearby is the 2 km Froschsee circular trail, which leads to the small St. Leonhard church. Comparing the two distances makes it easy to gauge the planned length of your route and helps you vary the focus of your excursion days.
Marked hiking and cycling trails, as well as country and forest roads, lead around Riegsee to the surrounding villages and viewpoints. The Alpenaussichtsweg runs via Guglhör and Perlach to Hagen. From Aidlinger Höhe, panoramic views extend across the mountains and Loisach Valley to the Zugspitze. This lets you choose between a route that passes named places along the way and a viewpoint with far-reaching panoramas.
The Lake, Nature Watching and the Seasons
The birdlife can be observed with the naked eye from the trails around Riegsee. Access to the protected northern bay is restricted in summer; keep this restriction in mind when planning.
Nearby Riegsee is 2.4 km long and 1 km wide. In winter, it often freezes over completely for weeks, creating good conditions for ice skaters, ice-stock sport players and ice sailors. The adventure playground at Riegsee is also open for play.
Experiences in the Wider Garmisch-Partenkirchen Destination
In the wider Garmisch-Partenkirchen destination, visitors can walk through the Partnach Gorge and experience its massive rock walls and the water rushing below. The Richard Strauss Institute is housed in the historic Villa Christina in Partenkirchen’s spa gardens and contains a permanent exhibition about Strauss’s life and work. The 1,780-meter-high Wank, Partenkirchen’s local mountain, offers another hiking option in the wider Garmisch-Partenkirchen destination: it is suited to leisurely mountain hikes with far-reaching views. The Partnach Gorge was declared a natural monument in 1912 and opened up to visitors.
Find the Right Holiday Apartment for Your Vacation
When looking for a holiday apartment in Riegsee, let the pace you want for your vacation guide your choice: a longer loop, shorter trail options, birdwatching or winter ice activities each offer a different focus. Consider which of these experiences you would like to include in your stay and which holiday destination would suit them.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Wallgau, Krün, Ohlstadt, Ettal, Farchant, Saulgrub, Unterammergau, Oberammergau
Back to the main travel guide: Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
