Wendelstein
1,838 m
Germany
Also known as ВенделщайнAlso known as
Венделщайн
- Elevation
- 1,838 m
- Prominence
- 740 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Oct
- Routes
- 1
WorksReported 17 Aug 2026 · until 31 Oct 2026
The B307 through Neuhaus (Schliersee) has been fully closed since 17 August 2026, expected until the end of October 2026; reach the Wendelstein cable car via Fischbachau.
wendelsteinbahn.de
Routes
1The classic walk up the Wendelstein: from Bayrischzell (800 m) through forest and pasture past Hochkreuth to the Wendelsteiner Almen (1,420 m), up to the Zeller Scharte (1,611 m) and past the top stations and the Wendelsteinhaus to the summit chapel and observatory. About 1,040 m of ascent and 2.5–3 hours up; trains and a cable car offer an easy way down.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,163 m
- −129 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,838 m
- Time Up
- 5h 04m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 41m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Bayrischzell railway station or the Königslinde, a lime tree planted to mark King Maximilian II's visit in 1858 (about 800 m). Signed paths lead north through mountain forest and pastures past Hochkreuth to the Wendelsteiner Almen at about 1,420 m, below the base of the Lacherlift. Above the Almen the path climbs in bends past the mountain-rescue hut to the Zeller Scharte (1,611 m), the col east of the summit, and across meadows and rockier ground to the top stations of the rack railway and cable car (1,723 m) and the Wendelsteinhaus (1,725 m). An alternative line climbs more steeply via the Bocksteinscharte. From the Wendelsteinhaus the built summit path, with railings on the exposed Kapellensteig, passes the Wendelsteinkircherl to the summit with its observatory, weather station and transmitter masts (about 15–20 minutes). Bergsteiger.de grades the route easy and gives 2½ hours and 1,040 m up; the Wendelsteinbahn gives about 3 hours and 1,038 m for the König-Maximilian-Weg between the top station and Bayrischzell. Descend the same way, by a loop via the Bocksteinscharte, or take the cable car down to Osterhofen or the rack railway to Brannenburg. On fine days the summit area is busy with lift visitors.
Start
Bayrischzell804 m
- Wendelstein cable car from Osterhofen near Bayrischzell, or the Wendelstein rack railway (1912) from Brannenburg, both to about 1,723 m
- Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB) trains from Munich to Bayrischzell; the Wendelstein bus Ringlinie links Bayrischzell, the cable car at Osterhofen and the rack railway at Brannenburg.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayrischzell → Wendelstein | 7.5 | 1,163 | 129 | 5h 04m |
Waypoints
- Station: Bayrischzell804 m
Railway station; the Königslinde is a few minutes away in the village
- Feature: Hochkreuth989 m
- Feature: Wendelsteiner Almen1,728 m
- Col: Zeller Scharte1,612 m
- Hut: Wendelsteinhaus1,728 m
Inn by the top stations of the rack railway and cable car
- Summit: Wendelstein1,838 m
Key Passages
- Wendelsteiner Almen
- Zeller Scharte
- Railed Kapellensteig on the summit path
Equipment
0/3 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A 1,838 m limestone peak above Bayrischzell and the Inn valley, crowned by Germany's highest church, an observatory and transmitter masts. A rack railway and a cable car run almost to the top, but the 1,040 m walk from Bayrischzell over the Zeller Scharte is an easy, rewarding half day.
The Wendelstein stands at the northern edge of the Bavarian Prealps between the Leitzach valley at Bayrischzell and the Inn valley at Brannenburg, and its rocky summit, ringed with buildings and masts, is recognisable from much of the Munich plain. Because it stands so far forward, the panorama is wide: the Alps from the Berchtesgaden peaks to the Zugspitze, and the lakes and lowlands to the north.
This is a developed mountain. The Wendelstein rack railway, opened in 1912 and now a listed monument, climbs from Brannenburg, and a cable car rises from Osterhofen near Bayrischzell; both reach top stations at about 1,723 m by the Wendelsteinhaus, an inn first built as a shelter in 1883. From there a built path with railings leads past the Wendelsteinkircherl, Germany's highest church (foundation stone 1889), a small chapel of 1718 and a show cave to the summit with its weather station and astronomical observatory.
For walkers the appeal is an easy, well-signed ascent with the option of riding down. Expect crowds on fine weekends, and treat the summit as a destination rather than a wilderness.
Climbing Notes
No technical skills are needed; the route is a T2 mountain walk with about 1,040 m of ascent from Bayrischzell, 2.5–3 hours up. The steepest section is above the Bocksteinscharte if you take that variant, and the summit path has railings at its exposed points. Bring a warm layer: the summit is often windy and much colder than the valley. Many walkers go up on foot and down by cable car or rack railway; check the day's timetable, which the Wendelsteinbahn updates each morning, and the last descent time (16:00 in autumn 2026). The long ascent from Brannenburg via the Mitteralm (about 1,330 m, 4 hours) is the alternative for a bigger day. In winter the Wendelstein is a ski area and the paths may be snowbound or closed.
History
King Maximilian II of Bavaria visited in 1858, commemorated by the Königslinde in Bayrischzell and the König-Maximilian-Weg. The Wendelsteinhaus was built as a shelter in 1883 and the foundation stone of the Wendelsteinkircherl was laid in 1889. The rack railway from Brannenburg opened in 1912.
Season
Best Jun–Oct- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski area; summit reachable by lift; walking routes snowbound
- Feb
- Winter conditions; check lift and path status
- Mar
- Snow and avalanche risk on the upper paths
- Apr
- Lingering snow above the Almen
- May
- Lower paths clear; snow patches near the Zeller Scharte possible
- Jul
- Busy; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Busy
- Oct
- Often clear; last lift descent around 16:00
- Nov
- First snow; lifts may close for maintenance
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Cable car and rack railway: fares charged
- Cable-car car park at Osterhofen: fee refunded with a lift ticket; rack-railway car park at Brannenburg: free (2026)
- Wendelstein show cave: small entry fee (EUR 2 coin in 2026)
- Getting There
Bayrischzell
Munich Airport (MUC)
- Train: Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB) to Bayrischzell
- Bus: the Wendelstein Ringlinie links Bayrischzell, the cable car at Osterhofen and the rack railway at Brannenburg
- Rack railway from Brannenburg in the Inn valley; cable car from Osterhofen near Bayrischzell
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,725 m
WendelsteinhausHutStaffed