Bavarian Prealps
Encyclopedia
The Bavarian Prealps are a mountain range within the Northern Limestone Alps
in south Germany
. They include the Bavarian Prealp region between the river Loisach
to the west and the river Inn
to the east; the range is about 80 km long and 20-30 km wide. The term is not defined politically, but alpine-geographically because small areas of the Bavarian Prealps lie in Tyrol
(e. g. the Hinteres Sonnwendjoch south of the Rotwand
).
The term is not to be confused with the Bavarian Alps or the Bavarian Alpine Foreland
. These terms include the whole of the alpine region (together with parts of the Wetterstein
, the Karwendel
etc.) and the whole Alpine Foreland on Bavarian state territory.
Except in the Ester Mountains in the extreme west, the summits of the Bavarian Prealps are all below 2000 metres in height and only a few have prominent limestone cliffs
.
by the German Alpine Club
the Bavarian Prealps are delineated as follows: Prealp region from Murnau
via Kochel am See, Bad Tölz
to Rosenheim
- Inn
to Kiefersfelden
- Kieferbach
- Glemmbach - Ellbach
- Kaiserhaus - Brandenberger Ache
- Erzherzog-Johann-Klause - Sattelbach - Ampelsbach - Achenbach - Walchen - Isar
to Krün
- Kranzbach - Kankerbach - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- Loisach
to Murnau.
(2,086 m), which is also the highest summit in the Prealps. To the northeast the range is enclosed by the Herzogstand
and Heimgarten
and the long ridge of the Benediktenwand
.
The eastern part of the Prealps between the rivers Isar and Inn is known as the Mangfall Mountains
, because its streams - the Rottach, Weißach, Schlierach and Leitzach - all flow into the Mangfall
river, which drains the whole area and forming an important ground water store for the city of Munich
. The highest peak in the eastern part of the Bavarian Prealps - in spite of the name on Austrian state territory - is the Hinteres Sonnwendjoch at 1,986 metres above sea level.
To the north the Bavarian Prealps border on the Alpine Foreland.
s. There are good and simple, even family-friendly, routes to most of the summits. Several also offer scenic, generally well-protected climbing routes across a wide range of climbing grades (UIAA II to X): the Roßstein and Buchstein, Plankenstein
(Direkter Ostgrat: IV+, Nadel Südwand: X), Ruchenköpfe
(Münchner Riß: III, Dülfer Riß: IV). A ski touring classic is the Rotwand-Reib'n
, which runs up to the Rotwand.
, a cross-border long-distance trail with five route sections runs over the entire Alps, including the Bavarian Prealps.
The Violette Way of the Via Alpina runs in 9 stages through the Bavarian Prealps as follows:
The Munich-Venice Dream Path (Traumpfad München-Venedig) also runs through the Bavarian Prealps. This is not however an official long-distance path. Publicised for the first time in 1977 it has nevertheless become well-known because so many walking clubs and states were involved in creating it.
The 3rd section of the Dream Path runs from Geretsried to the Brauneck Gipfelhaus via Bad Tölz and Lenggries. The larger section of this stage is located in the Alpine Foreland.
The 4th stage runs from the Brauneck-Gipfelhaus via the Benediktenwand in the Jachenau
.
The 5th stage runs from the Jachenau to Vorderriß, where the path enters the Karwendel. The end point is at Hinterriß.
In addition there is the Via Bavarica Tyrolensis, a 225 km long cycle path that runs from Munich to the Tyrol (see main article).
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...
in south Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They include the Bavarian Prealp region between the river Loisach
Loisach
The Loisach is a river that flows through Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its name is Celtic in origin, from Proto-Celtic *lawo and *iskā, both of which mean "water."...
to the west and the river Inn
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
to the east; the range is about 80 km long and 20-30 km wide. The term is not defined politically, but alpine-geographically because small areas of the Bavarian Prealps lie in Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
(e. g. the Hinteres Sonnwendjoch south of the Rotwand
Rotwand (Bavaria)
The Rotwand is a 1,884 m high peak in the Mangfall Mountains in Bavaria, the highest summit in the Spitzingsee region and one of the most popular of Munich's local mountains ....
).
The term is not to be confused with the Bavarian Alps or the Bavarian Alpine Foreland
Bavarian Alpine Foreland
The Bavarian Alpine Foreland refers to the region of plateau and rolling foothills south of the Danube and north of the Bavarian Alps. It has been shaped under the influence of the ice ages and has a rich variety of landscape forms...
. These terms include the whole of the alpine region (together with parts of the Wetterstein
Wetterstein
The Wetterstein, is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is a compact range between Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald, Seefeld in Tirol and Ehrwald; partially in Bavaria, Germany and partially in Tyrol, Austria...
, the Karwendel
Karwendel
The Karwendel is the largest range of the Northern Limestone Alps. Four chains stretch from west to east; in addition, there are a number of fringe ranges and an extensive promontory in the north....
etc.) and the whole Alpine Foreland on Bavarian state territory.
Except in the Ester Mountains in the extreme west, the summits of the Bavarian Prealps are all below 2000 metres in height and only a few have prominent limestone cliffs
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
.
Extent
According to the 1984 classification of the Eastern AlpsAlpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps
The Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps or AVE is a division of the Eastern Alps into 75 mountain groups and is commonly used in mountaineering...
by the German Alpine Club
German Alpine Club
The German Alpine Club or DAV is the largest climbing association in the world and the eighth largest sports union in Germany. It is organised into 354 legally independent branches with a total of around 815,000 members...
the Bavarian Prealps are delineated as follows: Prealp region from Murnau
Murnau am Staffelsee
Murnau am Staffelsee is a market town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany.Murnau is situated on the edge of the Bavarian alps, approx. 70 km south of Munich. Directly to its west is the Staffelsee lake.-History:Murnau was first documented in...
via Kochel am See, Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
to Rosenheim
Rosenheim
Rosenheim is a town in Bavaria at the confluence of the rivers Inn and Mangfall. It is seat of administration of the district of Rosenheim, but is not a part of it.-Geography:...
- Inn
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
to Kiefersfelden
Kiefersfelden
Kiefersfelden is a municipality with about 7000 inhabitants in the district of Rosenheim in Bavaria in Germany....
- Kieferbach
Kieferbach
Kieferbach is a river of Bavaria, Germany....
- Glemmbach - Ellbach
Ellbach
Ellbach is a river of Saarland, Germany. It drains into the Rhine and is 8 kilometers long....
- Kaiserhaus - Brandenberger Ache
Brandenberger Ache
The Brandenberger Ache River is a 22 km long left tributary of the Inn River in the district Kufstein and flows from North to South to the town of Rattenberg where it merges with the Inn River....
- Erzherzog-Johann-Klause - Sattelbach - Ampelsbach - Achenbach - Walchen - Isar
Isar
The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald, and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. At 295 km in length, it is the fourth largest river...
to Krün
Krün
Krün is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany....
- Kranzbach - Kankerbach - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
- Loisach
Loisach
The Loisach is a river that flows through Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its name is Celtic in origin, from Proto-Celtic *lawo and *iskā, both of which mean "water."...
to Murnau.
Sub-division
The westernmost part of the Bavarian Prealps is formed by the Ester Mountains and its highest peak, the KrottenkopfKrottenkopf
The Krottenkopf , , is a mountain within the Ester Mountains in the Bavarian district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.-See also:*List of mountains of the Alps*List of Alpine peaks by prominence...
(2,086 m), which is also the highest summit in the Prealps. To the northeast the range is enclosed by the Herzogstand
Herzogstand
The Herzogstand is a mountain in the Bavarian foothills of the Alps, 75 km south of the city of Munich. It has an elevation of 1731 metres and is situated northwest of Lake Walchen. Maximilian II of Bavaria had a hunting lodge built underneath today's so-called Herzogstand-house in 1857. His...
and Heimgarten
Heimgarten (mountain)
Heimgarten is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
and the long ridge of the Benediktenwand
Benediktenwand
The Benediktenwand is a mountain of the Bavarian Alps in Germany close to Austria, at 1801 meters above sea level – between the rivers Loisach and Isar as well as the Jachenau in the south and Benediktbeuern with its Benediktbeuern Abbey in the north....
.
The eastern part of the Prealps between the rivers Isar and Inn is known as the Mangfall Mountains
Mangfall Mountains
The Mangfall Mountains , or sometimes Mangfall Alps, are the easternmost part of the Bavarian Prealps that, in turn, belong to the Northern Limestone Alps...
, because its streams - the Rottach, Weißach, Schlierach and Leitzach - all flow into the Mangfall
Mangfall
The Mangfall is a left tributary of the River Inn in Upper Bavaria and 58 km long. The Mangfall is the tailstream of the Tegernsee lake and discharges near Rosenheim into the Inn....
river, which drains the whole area and forming an important ground water store for the city of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The highest peak in the eastern part of the Bavarian Prealps - in spite of the name on Austrian state territory - is the Hinteres Sonnwendjoch at 1,986 metres above sea level.
Neighbouring mountain ranges
Die Bavarian Prealps border on the following other mountain ranges in the Alps:- Chiemgau AlpsChiemgau AlpsThe Chiemgau Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and therefore belong to the Eastern Alps. Their major part is situated in Bavaria, Germany and only a small section crosses the Austrian border into the states of Salzburg and Tirol...
(to the east) - KaisergebirgeKaisergebirgeThe Kaisergebirge is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps and Eastern Alps. It consists of two main mountain ridges – the Zahmer Kaiser to the north and the Wilder Kaiser to the south. The entire range is situated in the Austrian state of Tyrol between the town of Kufstein and the...
(to the southeast) - Rofangebirge (to the south)
- KarwendelKarwendelThe Karwendel is the largest range of the Northern Limestone Alps. Four chains stretch from west to east; in addition, there are a number of fringe ranges and an extensive promontory in the north....
(to the south) - WettersteinWettersteinThe Wetterstein, is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is a compact range between Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald, Seefeld in Tirol and Ehrwald; partially in Bavaria, Germany and partially in Tyrol, Austria...
gebirge (to the southwest) - Ammergau AlpsAmmergau AlpsThe Ammergau Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Bavaria and Tyrol . They cover an area of about 30 x 30 km and begin at the outer edge of the Alps...
(to the west)
To the north the Bavarian Prealps border on the Alpine Foreland.
Mountain climbing
Many peaks in the Bavarian Prealps are part of Munich's Hausbergen ("home mountains") and may be climbed all year round on foot, by ski mountaineers or with snowshoeSnowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
s. There are good and simple, even family-friendly, routes to most of the summits. Several also offer scenic, generally well-protected climbing routes across a wide range of climbing grades (UIAA II to X): the Roßstein and Buchstein, Plankenstein
Plankenstein (mountain)
Plankenstein is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
(Direkter Ostgrat: IV+, Nadel Südwand: X), Ruchenköpfe
Ruchenköpfe
Ruchenköpfe is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany. And also a lavish vacation spot for celebrities such as world renowned music critic, Michael Stegmeier....
(Münchner Riß: III, Dülfer Riß: IV). A ski touring classic is the Rotwand-Reib'n
Rotwand (Bavaria)
The Rotwand is a 1,884 m high peak in the Mangfall Mountains in Bavaria, the highest summit in the Spitzingsee region and one of the most popular of Munich's local mountains ....
, which runs up to the Rotwand.
Long-distance hiking trails
The Via AlpinaVia Alpina
Via Alpina is a network of five long-distance hiking trails across the alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco....
, a cross-border long-distance trail with five route sections runs over the entire Alps, including the Bavarian Prealps.
The Violette Way of the Via Alpina runs in 9 stages through the Bavarian Prealps as follows:
- Stage A51 runs from Oberaudorf to the Brünnsteinhaus
- Stage A52 runs from the Brünnsteinhaus to the Rotwandhaus via the Ursprungtal
- Stage A53 runs from the Rotwandhaus to Sutten via the Spitzingsee
- Stage A54 runs from Sutten to Kreuth via the Risserkogel
- Stage A55 runs from Kreuth to Lenggries via the Hirschberghütte and the Lenggrieser Hütte
- Stage A56 runs from Lenggries to the Tutzinger Hütte via the Brauneck
- Stage A57 runs from der Tutzinger Hütte to the Herzogstand via the Kesselberghöhe
- Stage A58 runs from the Herzogstand to the Weilheimer Hütte via Eschenlohe
- Stage A59 runs from der Weilheimer Hütte to Garmisch-Partenkirchen via the Wank
The Munich-Venice Dream Path (Traumpfad München-Venedig) also runs through the Bavarian Prealps. This is not however an official long-distance path. Publicised for the first time in 1977 it has nevertheless become well-known because so many walking clubs and states were involved in creating it.
The 3rd section of the Dream Path runs from Geretsried to the Brauneck Gipfelhaus via Bad Tölz and Lenggries. The larger section of this stage is located in the Alpine Foreland.
The 4th stage runs from the Brauneck-Gipfelhaus via the Benediktenwand in the Jachenau
Jachenau
Jachenau is a municipality in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in Bavaria in Germany....
.
The 5th stage runs from the Jachenau to Vorderriß, where the path enters the Karwendel. The end point is at Hinterriß.
In addition there is the Via Bavarica Tyrolensis, a 225 km long cycle path that runs from Munich to the Tyrol (see main article).
Sources
- DAV: Alpsvereins-Jahrbuch "mountain '84": Die Einteilung der Ostalpen
- M. u. E. Zebhauser: Alpsvereinsführer Bayerische Voralpen Ost, Rother-Verlag, 1992, ISBN 3-7633-1120-3
- Bernd Ritschel / Malte Roeper: Bayerische Alpen zwischen Oberammergau und Bayrischzell mit Beiträgen von Hermann Magerer, Michael Pause, Hans Steinbichler u.a., 1. Auflage 2001, Rother-Verlag, ISBN 3-7633-7505-8
External links
- Tours and summits in the Bavarian Prealps at steinmandl.de
- Large selection of walks in the Munich Hausbergen
- Mountain tours & ski tours - many route descriptions from the Bavarian Prealps with photos
- Description of numerous climbing routes
- Description of numerous mountain tours