Best of Karwendel 3 days - Intermediate

Today it's time to hike up to the Karwendelhaus. You start this day with a gradual ascent, before heading back into the mountains. After around 9 kilometres you'll pass a small waterfall and then arrive at a beautiful viewpoint. This is always a good moment for a break, and of course some photos. After this you only have a few kilometres to go before you arrive at the Karwendelhaus, where a well-earned cold beer awaits you.

From the moment you step out of Karwendelhaus, the mountains waste no time. The trail wastes none either. It tilts upward right away—no dramatic switchbacks, just a steady grind as you gain altitude fast. For the next 3 kilometers, it's all about the climb. The air thins, the chatter fades, and before you know it, you’re looking south from the rim of the Schlauchkar. This isn’t just a viewpoint—it’s a front-row seat to the drama of the Karwendel range, crags and ridges stretching to the horizon.

But what goes up must go down, and the descent from here is no walk in the park. You start dropping, steep and sharp, with a rope-secured section that demands your attention. Birkkarspitze looms above, austere and silent. Then the trail releases its grip and you tumble into something entirely different—a world of trickling streams, alpine flowers, and soft turf. The Isar springs bubble to life at your feet, marking the lowest point of the day and maybe the prettiest. A perfect place to breathe, refill, and reset.

From the valley floor, the mood shifts again. The path climbs, but now it’s mellow. A slow-motion ascent through pine-scented trails, past a quiet waterfall and the weathered huts of Lafatscher Niederleger. The peaks stay close, but they’re less severe now—more welcoming. After about 7 gentle kilometers, the Hallerangerhaus comes into view, tucked in a green amphitheater beneath towering walls. Time to ditch the pack, soak in the evening sun, and let the silence settle around you. You’ve earned it.

Leaving Hallerangerhaus, the trail eases you in with broad views and the crunch of gravel underfoot. About four kilometers in, you’ll stumble across a quirky sight—a big bacon cart set against the backdrop of jagged Karwendel peaks. It’s more than just a photo stop. From here, you’re surrounded by a rugged alpine amphitheater alive with hardy mountain flora. Take a moment. The silence here hums with wind, and if you’re lucky, birds or marmots might break it.

A couple of kilometers later, the Bettelwurf Hütte comes into view, perched just before the trail starts to descend. It’s the perfect rest stop—grab a drink, kick back, and trade trail stories with fellow hikers. Then the trail tilts downward, weaving through pine-scented air and mossy shade. You’re heading into softer terrain now, but not without one more surprise: the Trinkwasserstollen Halltal. Carved 950 meters into the mountain, this tunnel delivers some of the purest, coldest drinking water around—untouched, ice-cold, and crystal clear.

The final stretch leads you gently into Hall in Tirol, where the wild gives way to cobbled lanes and weathered buildings. It’s a fitting end—one foot in nature, one in history. After the raw edges of Karwendel, Hall wraps the journey in a quiet, old-world exhale.