4 Seasons of Lake Riessersee! Hiking Trail for Families and Photographers
Beautiful Lake Riessersee, which hosted speed skating, ice hockey, and bobsleigh events in the previous century, till this day captures the attention of hikers and photographers during all seasons.
One easy tour around the picturesque Riessersee invites hikers and families to take a deep breath and smile, and Mountain Moments can prepare you for this joyful excursion. We give you the trail map, expert hiking advice, and professional photography tips and tricks.
What’s so special about this hiking route?
On location, the Zugspitze massif, rising vertically in the background, seems close enough to touch. This makes for a fantastic setting for a leisurely day in the mountains.
In summer, a rowing boat trip is also tempting – and certainly offers the opportunity for fun family snapshots. In winter, it’s the frozen lake that creates a clinking winter atmosphere. The old bobsleigh track will delight sports fans and history buffs alike. All in all a successful excursion for young and old and easy to reach on foot from Garmisch-Partenkirchen!
Directions! This is how your hiking trip looks like on the map
This tour starts at the Alpspitzbad car park/bus stop. First, walk in the direction of Hausberg/Kochelbergalm along the stream and over the railway line.
Hike past the Hotel Hausberg and follow the road slightly uphill to the Kochelberg Alm (837m). After the hut, we turn right in the direction of Hausberg and take the high-altitude trail a little further to Riessersee (ski slope: please cross carefully when skiing).
Choose one of the two shore paths at the Riessersee. At the end of the lake, follow the forest path to the right to the Auele Alm.
Here it is a short way to the Kreuzeckbahn valley station (return by local bus or Zugspitzbahn). At this point, you can also go right down into the valley to the Kreuzeckbahnstraße. Right again and along the train tracks back to the starting point.
Photo tips that will make your Instagram pop! Capturing lake in all four seasons
The Riessersee is particularly impressive because of its location – in its extension, the Zugspitze rises imposingly. An easy-to-reach, but still impressive mountain picture opens up here in front of our camera.
Mountain Moments Photo Workshops provide Photo Tours for everybody, Alpine Experience for beginners and intermediate-level photographers with 3 to 6-hour routes, as well as Summit Experience for more advanced photographers and hikers. We have private workshops and group classes.
The lake is worth a visit in all seasons. A portrait picture on one of the boats is a good idea in summer. In spring, the lush, bright green meadows with the snow-capped mountains in the background lure you in. The classic golden-colored trees on the lakeshore are the highlight of our photos in Autumn. If you are lucky, you can even walk on the ice in winter when the lake is frozen.
More information about this route – from arrival to the finish line
Getting there: From Munich A95 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In the village follow the signs to the Alpspitzbad.
Public transport: By train from Munich or Innsbruck to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Walk to the starting point.
Difficulty: easy
Duration: 3h
Distance: 9.5 km
Ascent/descent: 340hm/340hm
Highest/lowest point: 915m/705m
Refreshments : Hotel Hausberg, Kochelberg Alm, Seehaus Riessersee, Auele Alm
Start/finish: Garmisch-Partenkirchen Alpspitzbad car park/bus stop (coordinates: geogr. 47.483320 , 11.092904 )
Particular dangers: When skiing, be careful when crossing the ski slope.
Tips: In bad weather, you are right here at the Alpspitzbad: Goodbye rain – hello warm wave pool!
The most beautiful photo spots and hikes in the German Alps – experience this hiking tour and 29 other exceptional regions now.
Fancy more hikes in the mountains – and beautiful photos? Get out into nature! Experience the best hikes and locations with our new book: German Alps – Photo and Hiking Guide. The 90 best Photo Locations and 30 most panoramic Hikes.
Here we have compiled the most beautiful locations and photo opportunities. 30 hikes with 90 photo spots are selected and described in such a way that you can easily experience these wonderful landscapes in Bavaria for yourself – including GPS tracks and hiking map and all other information.
You can take a closer look at the ebook here– – why not share it with your hiking partner in crime?
Hi, i am Marius, i love exploring the mountains and nature. Friends say, i know the mountains better than most locals, but actually i get lost all the time while photographing ;). Read more about the Mountain Moments Team.
