> Hike 4 days through the heart of the Karwendel
> Stay in Karwendelhaus, Falkenhütte and Lamsenjochhütte
> We book all the huts for you
Morning mist clings to the valley near Karwendelhaus as the first light turns the rock walls golden. This is Karwendel at its purest. In four days, you’ll cross the core of this rugged range, from Scharnitz all the way to the shores of the Achensee. This 4-day hut-to-hut hike in the Alps isn’t for beginners, but it’s not extreme either. This one is just right for hikers who want to feel something extra while still soaking it all in.
You’ll hike a legendary route past three classic huts: Karwendelhaus, Falkenhütte and Lamsenjochhütte. Each day takes you deeper into the range, over high passes, through silent valleys and beneath towering cliffs. The trail ends in Maurach, where the turquoise waters of the Achensee await. This is Karwendel at its best. Four days, three huts, one solid story.
You walk the full length of the Karwendel Valley today, from Scharnitz at around 970 metres to the Karwendelhaus at roughly 1,770 metres. That is 800 metres of climbing, but spread over 16 kilometres you barely notice most of it. Underfoot it is a wide gravel road almost all day: easy to follow, with no exposure and no technical sections. It is also a popular mountain bike route, so expect to share it with cyclists.
The first kilometre out of Scharnitz climbs briskly past the little Birzel Chapel, then the gradient eases as the valley opens up. From here you follow the Karwendelbach upstream. You pass a view of the Karwendel waterfall from the Karwendelsteg bridge, a wide old landslide area, and the Spritz waterfall at around 9.5 kilometres, a good spot for a break. After the Larchetalm, at about 12 kilometres, with views of the Angerkopf, the road starts to climb in earnest. You pass the Julianabrunnen spring beside the river, and then the road winds up the slope in several switchbacks for the final 1.5 kilometres, the steepest of the day, gaining around 270 metres. The valley is long and open in places, so bring enough water and sun protection.
The Karwendelhaus sits on a steep slope high above the valley, with a terrace that looks straight back down the way you came. About 16 kilometres, count on 6 hours. It's beer time.
This is the shortest day of the trek. You descend about 400 metres to the Kleiner Ahornboden and then climb roughly the same amount back up to the Falkenhütte. You walk on wide tracks and well-maintained paths with no exposure. A few eroded, loose sections on the meadow paths ask for some care, but there is plenty of time to linger.
From the hut, a short walk takes you to the Hochalmsattel at 1,803 metres, with its summit cross and a first view of the Laliderer Wände. You then descend on tracks and a meadow path through open pasture and light forest to the Kleiner Ahornboden at around 1,400 metres. It has gnarled old sycamore maples, a few unstaffed alpine huts and a water fountain to refill your bottles, and it is much quieter than its famous big brother. After crossing a wide, usually dry stone riverbed, you climb on a forest road past the Ladizalm, whose historic alpine hut is thought to date back to the 16th century. A good path then continues through meadows to the hut. The last kilometre is the steepest, gaining around 190 metres.
The Falkenhütte (1,848 m) stands at the foot of the Laliderer Wände, limestone walls that rise almost 1,000 metres straight up. Grab a seat on the terrace and watch the climbers. About 8.8 kilometres, count on 4 hours.
This is the most demanding day of the trek: 840 metres up and 730 metres down, with a steep descent, a long climb and an airy traverse at the very end. Most of the route follows good mountain paths and forest roads. The final section below the Lamsenspitze, however, crosses steep slopes, and sure feet and a head for heights are needed there. Start early, because the long climb from Eng is in full sun in the afternoon.
A short climb from the hut brings you to the Spielissjoch. A well-maintained trail then traverses below the Laliderer Wände across wide scree slopes, dipping to around 1,700 metres before rising to the Hohljoch at 1,794 metres. From the col, the path drops steeply through meadows and mixed forest to the alpine village of Eng at around 1,220 metres. Take your time here: it is a long, knee-testing descent and can be slippery after rain. On the way down you look over the Großer Ahornboden, where more than 2,000 sycamore maples grow, many of them centuries old. Eng is a cluster of alpine farms with a show dairy, perfect for coffee, Apfelstrudel and a piece of local alpine cheese. Behind the last buildings the climb begins. A broad forest road with footpath shortcuts climbs past the Binsalm to the Westliches Lamsenjoch at 1,940 metres. It is never very steep, but it keeps going uphill for around 700 metres with hardly a break. From there, a nearly level path cuts across the steep slopes below the Lamsenspitze to the hut. It is not technical, but the ground falls away steeply below you, so take extra care in wet conditions.
The Lamsenjochhütte (1,953 m) sits in a rock cirque right below the walls of the Lamsenspitze. About 12 kilometres, count on 6 hours. Time for a well-deserved Kaiserschmarrn.
The last day is one long descent: just over 1,000 metres down and hardly any climbing, ending on the shores of the Achensee. There is no exposure, but the first three kilometres are steep and hard on the knees. After that, the rest of the day is a gentle walk out through the valley.
From the hut, you walk the short stretch back to the Östliches Lamsenjoch. From there, a path drops in tight switchbacks into the Gramaier Grund, losing around 500 metres in 2.5 kilometres. This is the steepest part of the whole trek. The path is stony with loose gravel in places, and trekking poles make a real difference. On the valley floor, at around 1,250 metres, the gradient eases. You continue past the Kasalm and the wide gravel bed of the Falzthurnbach on a cart track, and later on an asphalt section, through the Falzthurntal. The Sennhütte Falzthurn is your last chance for a plate of Jause and a cold beer in the mountains.
At Pertisau you reach the Achensee. The final, flat stretch follows the lakeshore to Seespitz, with the Achensee railway station and boat dock, and on to Maurach. About 17 kilometres, count on 6.5 hours.
