Hiking through and around the gorge 

The Partnach Gorge is the starting point for numerous hikes in the Reintal, Hausberg and Kreuzeck regions.

Before the entry to the Partnach Gorge, a steep roadway branches off to the left, by which you reach on foot the 130 m higher situated Vordergraseck in 20 minutes. A more comfortable way is to take the cableway of the hotel DAS GRASECK.

Left of the little entry house, a route leads in 20 minutes to the “Iron Bridge”. From here, it is an easy 10-minute walk (left) to Vordergraseck or in approximately 15 minutes and after a climb of 100 m (right) to the Partnachalm. In Vordergraseck, various places of refreshment are available: Das Graseck, Gasthof Hanneslabauer and the Kaiserschmarrn-Alm. From Vordergraseck routes also lead to Hintergraseck and up to the Eckbauer continuing to Wamberg, or also down to the rear entry of the Partnach Gorge, through which you can then wander down into the valley.

A well-known guide through the Partnach Gorge was the Partenkirchen mountain guide Josef Bergkofer (“Pitzner”), who owned a little hut at the entry to the Gorge and led anxious hikers safely through the roaring Gorge. The Pitzner hut is today a popular rest point for hikers.

To anybody who then walks through the Gorge, a wide variety of different hiking opportunities open up.

Also, the hiking and climbing regions Oberreintal, to the Meilerhütte and Dreitorspitze, in the direction of the Hausberg and Kreuzeck regions become accessible from here.

Along the Partnach leads the classical route to the top of the Zugspitze, taken by its first ascender Josef Naus in 1820. Here you walk via the Bockhütte, the Reintalangerhütte and Knorrhütte up to the Zugspitzplatt and then to the summit.

Especially beautiful but also somewhat challenging is the mountain hike to the Castle Schachen. After walking through the Partnach Gorge, you follow the signpost “Kälbersteig”. Nearly at the top, you come to the so-called Königsweg (royal route), by which King Ludwig II reached his castle. From here, you walk almost on an even level up to the Schachen Alp, the Schachen Castle and the Schachen House, an accommodation which is run in summer.

The Jagdschloss am Schachen (hunting castle), built in the year 1871 by the Bavarian King Ludwig II, is worth a visit. On the outside, the castle looks like a Swiss house, in the inside it contains on the first floor a lavishly equipped, colourful state room in the oriental style. Visits are possible in summer between 11:00 and 14:00 hours. Directly behind the castle is the Alpengarten with rare alpine plants.

At the junction of Kälbersteig and Königsweg, the route leads at the left downhill to the Wettersteinalm. This alpine pasture lies in a kettle below the Wetterstein walls. In summer, you are invited to stop here for a bite to eat. Very simple and rustic – a genuine alpine farm.

At the Tourist Information relevant information is available: the KOMPASS hiking map or a panorama map. Further below in the GaPa tour planner you find a survey of the numerous tours. For hikes in the alpine regions you should inform yourself thoroughly in advance with the help of hiking maps or a mountain guide. And please always remember: good, sturdy footwear as well as adequate clothing are important and are an absolute necessity when hiking in the mountains.