Walchensee Round Tour

After my blackberry-rich hike with David, he messaged me for a new trip. In-between, I had a tooth removed for an implant, so I couldn't do proper hiking for a while. David didn't mind it and suggested doing an easy walk along one of the south Bavarian lakes.

I was happy to do that, and we agreed on a round tour around Walchensee, starting from the small café near the bottom of Jochberg (1565 m). At first, I was thinking of reversing the route and ending the hike at the café, but David suggested doing it clockwise, since that café wasn't that great from his memory.

We started off nice and slow, with clouds covering the sun and a light breeze. It was hard to decide if we should wear jackets or not, but we decided to keep them on for now. The boat rental seemed to be closed already for the season, although I could see some people in the distance swimming in the water, mostly locals.

It was also nice to see familiar mountains in the distance, like Soiernspitze (2257 m) peeking out from behind the smaller summits closer to the lake. And, of course, the view towards Herzogstand (1731 m) was amazing too. I haven't been there in quite a while, but I remember it being an amazing and very popular hike, rewarding visitors with a great view over the lake and the surrounding mountains.

As we continued, we reached Sachenbach, a small village on the eastern shore of the lake. There was a beer garden there with a few people enjoying the sun (although there wasn't much of it at that time). We decided to continue walking, discussing recent events and our plans for future hikes.

Soon after, we came across a great bench with a direct view towards Simetsberg (1836 m) that I visited in 2024. It was really a trip down memory lane, and I was happy to share my experience with David, who was also interested in doing hikes in the area.

As we continued walking, I felt okay and thought that I should be able to climb a small hill near the lake, Fischberg (1164 m). The road there seemed not steep at all on the map, so I had high hopes of successfully reaching the top. The road was a bit longer than I expected, and I came across many mushrooms and frogs on the way, but eventually we reached the top.

Although the whole route was covered in trees, there was a small private hut on the slope with a clearing towards the lake. We didn't trespass, but we managed to snap some photos from the edge of the property. The last part of the climb had us leave the tractor road and take a small path through the trees, which was a bit more challenging, but still manageable despite my recent dental surgery. I made sure to take it slow and manage my heart rate, so I wouldn't overexert myself.

The top of the mountain was similar to what I saw on my previous hikes to small peaks, like Großer Laber (1466 m), Gassler Berg (1178 m), and Rechelkopf (1330 m). It was a small clearing with a few spruce trees and no views towards the lake. The ground was covered in a mesh of spiky metal wire, clearly meant to be put up around some area, but forgotten to lay there forever. It was covered in a thick layer of leaves, dust, spruce needles and moss, so it was there for quite some time, making it hard to see.

From there, we descended back to the lake and headed to the restaurant Waldschänke Niedernach, which David found on the map the day before and really wanted to go there for some pork. I wasn't against it, although I wasn't sure I could chew it properly, but I was happy to try. From there, we headed straight towards our final destination, the bus stop at Einsiedl. I wasn't feeling like getting more elevation, so we took the side of the road that was closer to the lake.

It was a very long walk back to the bus route, and we were quite tired by the time we reached the end. Still, on the way we stopped at Biergartl on the south side of the lake for a small refreshment. It was definitely a long trip, but having company made it much more enjoyable. I was happy to have a chance to walk around the lake and enjoy the views from the bottom of the mountains, since I've seen the top-down views from several of them.

I'd definitely recommend this hike to people of all ages. If you have a car or a bike, it can be even more enjoyable, as you can stop at different points along the lake and experience the best views from all angles without walking over 20 kilometers. The lake is beautiful, and the surrounding mountains are breathtaking. I'll definitely be returning here in the future.