The Ester Mountains or Krottenkopf Mountains belongs to the northern chain of the Limestone Alps and is located in Werdenfelser Land in Upper Bavaria.
Regions
places
in the Mountain range there are no towns or settlements themselves.
in the west side adjacent valley of the Loisach:
- Eschenlohe (640 m) with the former castle of the Counts of Eschenlohe.
- Farchant (672 m), holiday village;
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen: 700-800 m; Health resort and international tourism and winter sports center.
in the east side adjacent valley of the Isar:
- Krün (875 m), agriculture and tourism, with the district of Klais;
- Mittenwald: (913 m), climatic health resort and tourist center at the foot of the western Karwendelspitze.
- Oberau (659 m) tourist community.
- Wallgau (866 m) vacation spot.
background
The Estergebirge is a small and rather inconspicuous mountain range in the Bavarian Prealps. The mountains are better known to motorists on the way from Munich to Garmisch as the first "real" mountains on the left hand side at the end of the motorway near Eschenlohe.
Geographically, the Estergebirge on its south side is from Wetterstein, on the east side from the Isar to the Karwendel and on the west side of the Loisachtal to the Ammergau Alps delimited towards. On the north side, depending on the definition, the valley of the Eschenlaine from Eschenlohe to the Walchensee as a border, but sometimes the mountains adjoining to the north are also used Home garden and Ducal estate (Walchensee Mountains) are included.
Characteristic for the mountains is a strong karstification with a multitude of cave systems, which even today have only been partially explored.
For mountain hikers, due to the low-lying valley floors, there are quite decent ascent heights up to the peaks.
language
getting there
In the street
- from the north (Munich): on the A95 (Munich - Garmisch motorway) to the end of the motorway at Eschenlohe, continue on the B2 federal road.
- Or: Approach via the federal road B12, past Kochel and Walchensee.
- from the south (Austria): From the A12 (Inntalautobahn), exit Zirl / West (west of Innsbruck), over the Zirlerberg towards Garmisch;
By train
The Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald train stations are IC stations (route Munich - Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Innsbruck). Nationwide direct connection of trains IC 329 "Alpenland" (daily), ICE 2517 "Karwendel" on Saturdays (to Munich daily), ICE 583 "Werdenfelser Land" on Saturdays (to Munich daily) and CNL 319 POLLUX in the winter season on Saturdays (to Munich daily).
mobility
Mountain railways
- Wankbahn from Garmisch on the Wank, 740 m - 1,750 m (1,010 m difference in altitude, 3,000 m length, 20 min travel time);
- Operating hours: May - November, daily 8.45 a.m. - 5 p.m.;
- Prices: One way: 12.- €; Ascent and descent 17.- €; (As of summer 2007); info;
Tourist Attractions
summit
- Krottenkopf (2,086 m);
- bishop (2,033 m);
- Tall boxes (1,922 m);
- High fricken (1,940 m);
- Simetsberg (1,836 m);
- Wank (1,780 m), the most south-westerly peak of the mountain range, is a first-class viewpoint and can be reached on foot as a hike and in summer by cable car Partenkirchen easy to reach. For the Wankhaus see section accommodation.
Other things worth seeing in nature
- Frickenhöhle
activities
Hiking and mountaineering
Mountain biking
Winter sports
Ski touring
Alpine skiing
List of ski areas:
Nordic skiing
kitchen
Managed alpine pastures
The sunlit south side of the Wanks northeast and above Partenkirchen with a magnificent view of the Wetterstein and Zugspitze is a popular hiking area in late autumn and early spring and is easily accessible by car from the B2 east of Partenkirchen. The hike to the Wank, which is not yet so overcrowded, before the cable car opens in April, is possible from here, depending on snow conditions. The alpine region is one of the districts of Höfle and Schlattan Partenkirchen, there are also managed mountain huts for rest.
- 1 Gamshütte (940 m, privately managed mountain hut without accommodation), 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Tel.: 49(0)8821 3457. Ascent from Garmisch in about one to two hours.Open: all year round, closed on Mondays.
- 2 Pfeiffer Alm (Berggasthof, guest room), Schlattan 8, 82467 Garmisch - Partenkirchen (from the B2 GAP-Mittenwald access to the "Gschwandtnerhof"). Tel.: 49(0)8821 2720. Access by car is possible.
accommodation
List of mountain huts of the German Alpine Club (DAV) and des Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) as well as private huts for hikers, mountaineers and mountain bikers (as of March 2007).
- Wankhaus (1,780 m);
- Equipment: 10 room dormitories; 24 beds in a mattress dormitory;
- Opening times: Open all year round, closed for 2 weeks in November;
- Address: Wank 1, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen (D); Tel .: 49 (0) 8821 56201; Fax: 49 (0) 8821 56201; info;
- Summit possibilities: Fricken (1940m) in approx. 1.5 - 2 hours; Bischof (2033m) in approx. 2 - 2.5 hours; Krottenkopf (2086m) in approx. 2.5 - 3 hours;
- Arrival with the Wankbahn;
- Hut access: Garmisch-Partenkirchen (700m) in approx. 2.5 hours; Farchant (671m) in approx. 3 hours;
- Weilheimer Hut (1,995 m), also known as the "Krottenkopf Hut";
- Equipment: 8 beds dormitory; 67 places in mattress dormitory; Winter room with 5 mattress dormitories (AV key);
- Opening times: Whit Saturday until mid-October.
- Address: Hochstr. 5, 82494 Krun (D); Hut Tel. Fax: 49 / 170-27080; info;
- Summit possibilities: Krottenkopf, 2086 m, (approx. 30 min); Upper Risskopf, 2050 m, (approx. 15 min.); Bischof, 2033 m, (approx. 2.5 hours); Hoher Fricken, 1940 m, (approx. 1.5 hours)
- Hut access: from the summit station of the Wank cable car (1,780 m) (approx. 3 hours); from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (700 m) in approx. 4 hours; of Oberau (approx. 3 hours); of Farchant (671m) in approx. 4 hours; of Krün in approx. 5 hours;
climate
- ÖAV - Alpine Club - Weather service;
- Avalanche warning service for Bavaria;
literature
- see article Rockclimbing - Contains information on the topic Mountain hiking and Rockclimbing:
cards
- German Alpine Club (DAV) (Ed.): Alpine Club Card No. BY 9 (1: 25,000) Estergebirge. ISBN 978-3-937530-32-1 . 9,80 €. Map for the regions Loisachtal, Ettaler Mandl, Krottenkopf, Wank, Walchensee and Herzogstand;
- Bavarian Land Surveying Office, UKL30, (scale 1: 50,000), ISBN 3-86038-498-8 ;
- Compass hiking map No. 5 (Wetterstein Mountains and Zugspitz area) (scale 1: 50,000);
Web links
- Tour descriptions at steinmadl.de;
