Hidden between Bavaria’s gentle valleys and the rugged frontier of Austria, Reit im Winkl feels like something out of a fairytale. It’s quiet, scenic, and wildly underrated. With alpine trails that twist through gorges, climb up into panoramic ridges, and lead you to secret lakes and sleepy cows, this tiny village delivers outsized adventure.
There are places that resonate with us for some reason. Sometimes, they remind us of a place of our childhood. That was the case for me with Reit im Winkl. As I was a kid, I could go outside my home in Salta, north of Argentina, and see on one side the hills of Salta, and on the other, farther away, the Andes mountain range, with its eternally snowy peaks. I felt something similar in Reit im Winkl: on one side, the Wetterkreuz mountain, on the other, the Kaisergebirge, farther, in Austria.
Getting There From Hamburg
Start with a direct ICE train from Hamburg to Prien am Chiemsee. The ride takes about 6 hours and is usually quite scenic. From there, catch bus 9505, which meanders up into the hills and drops you off right in Reit im Winkl. You can get off either at the Tourist Office bus station or at the Rathaus (Town Hall) bus station.
If you get off at the Rathaus, you’re in luck: do yourself a favor and cross the street to the bakery across from the stop. Their pastries are heaven after a long ride (and also, before the long ride back, we also got a bunch for the way).
The Reit im Winkl Town: Small but Full of Soul
Reit im Winkl doesn’t announce itself loudly. It doesn’t need to. It’s the kind of place where time isn’t in a rush, and neither are you. This little alpine village doesn’t scream. Instead it tells stories.
For example, let’s talk about the small restaurant Gaststüberl.
You don’t walk into Gaststüberl. You enter his world. The owner (you’ll know him when you meet him) has the energy of someone who skipped small talk in every past life and jumped straight into chapter three. You won’t need to break the ice: he’ll melt it for you.
Ask him about his car from Uruguay. Yes, Uruguay.
Yes, he has a story. No, I’m not going to spoil it.
Now drift over to Bäckerei Neumaier, just beneath the Rathaus sign, where magic lives in loaf form. More specifically, in the Marmorkuchen. a simple marble cake that’s anything but. You don’t buy a slice. You buy the whole thing. That’s just how it works.
So we did. The woman behind the counter offered to slice it for us and said with a smile, “If you want more sliced later, just come back.” It felt more like a neighbor offering help than a transaction.
We got coffee. Sat outside. The first slice disappeared in seconds (of course it did). I went back inside and asked her to slice more. She smiled like she’d already written that scene in her head. Like she knew the Marmorkuchen would win.
And then there’s St. Pankratius, the town’s baroque Catholic church. White walls, onion dome, and a quiet kind of grandeur. It doesn’t try to impress you. It just will.
This town is like that. It doesn’t hustle for your attention. It just keeps giving you moments: a conversation you didn’t expect, the community library tucked in a corner, the guy in a rock t-shirt upset when the prussians (as he named them) come to go up a mountain in sandals, a Marmorkuchen you’ll think about later, the bayrische Oma (grandma in English) listening in a quite room to I still haven’t found what I’m looking for by U2, the immense prairies full of colors.
What’s in a Name? Dialects, and the Art of Grißi
The name Reit im Winkl carries both geographic and linguistic roots that reflect its alpine heritage. “Reit” likely derives from the old German word “reut,” meaning a clearing. A place where forest was cleared for settlement or pasture. “Im Winkl” translates roughly to “in the corner” or “in the nook”.
And yes, it’s accurate. This village is in a corner of the alpine world nestled right at the nook where Germany meets Austria. It has several water affluents, with the most important being the Lofer.
A side note: don’t offend the locals calling this area Bayern (Baviera in English). This is Oberbayern.
That clarified, the local language is German, although not quite the kind you’d hear in Hamburg or Berlin. Here, locals speak a Bavarian dialect called Südostoberbairisch.
It’s a southeastern branch of Upper Bavarian, shared with nearby Austrian regions. It’s melodic, earthy, and packed with expressive vocabulary. You’ll have no trouble communicating in standard German Hochdeutsch, but you should leave the Moin at home and instead greet with Griaß di, which in time you’ll shorten like locals to something like Grißi. Also, Brötchen? Nope, here’s it’s called Semmel.
Hiking Highlights & Adventures
The activities in Reit im Winkl change depending on the season, and they can go from ski to climbing a wall to hiking. I visited it at the edge of the summer, so most of the hiking trails were open. If you happen to visit it in winter, they might not but the ski offers will be available.
The Klausenbachklamm Round Tour: Cows, Cliffs & Getting Lost
You start this going through the Steinbach chalets and surroundings, where you’ll find a lot of characters, like this goat which will give you a quest: go through the Klausenbachklamm, collect water for my friend, the long haired bull, walk along the border with Austria and return the water to me.
You can first stroll around the Seerosenteich, an idyllic pond where depending on the time of the year you’ll find water lilies. Even if they’re not there, as in my case, the prairie is absolutely mesmerizing. In fact, I’ve never seen so many beautiful prairies here and there as in Reit im Winkl.
Then you start going up until you get to the Klausenbachklamm. The path is mostly sunny until you get into a dense forest and then start descending to the Klamm. I recommend you to bring hiking poles or Wanderstöcke in German. You’ll likely only need them for this stretch and to go up the Wetterkreuz in the steep wall. Even if you use them only on this stretch, it’s well worth it, because the descend to the Klamm has water and mud everywhere and there’s a lot of slippery places. Although it’s wide, the staircase-like path has very steep steps so your knees will thank you using the hiking poles. The ones I have are LEKI Makalu FX carbon. They’re super light and can fold very small and packable.
After a quiet walk through forested trails, you reach the Austrian border, and the path suddenly climbs steeply up into a forested ridge. The ascent is quite demanding. Just as your legs start questioning your choices, you’re rewarded by an unexpected plateau: a prairie on top of the ridge, dotted with grazing cows. And here’s it’s time to tell you a story.
All looked lovely, except the cows were on the path completely blocking it. I went around them carefully, but one cow, of course the flashy one with a bell, decided to follow me. She tracked every move I made like a bovine guardian. Slightly amused, slightly nervous, I focused so much on her that I didn’t notice I was going off the path.
Once I left them behind, I continued and checked the map, which showed I was still right next to the path. I assumed it was just a GPS glitch from the dense canopy above and I continued… until I saw the path. Yes, right there next to me… except it was a good 80-70 meters below me. Unknowingly, I had started ascending the Heuchenberg at 859 meters high.
It was already 18:30 hs. and the sun was slipping behind the peaks. With no real trail to descend (and stubborn as I am, I wasn’t going to return to the cows and take the path), I slid down the mountain, dodging rocks and branches. Somewhere along the way, a branch cut through my leg. Thankfully, adrenaline made me not notice it and kept me going. Eventually, I found the real path and hiked back to my accommodation in Reit im Winkl. It was already the twilight when I arrived and it felt so good to do so. Next time I’ll know: “next to the path” is not on the path.
https://www.outdooractive.com/de/route/wanderung/premiumweg-klausenbach-klamm/48014269
The Wetterkreuz Climb
Start your ascent from Reit im Winkl going up the Barfußpark, or “barefoot park”. No, it’s not a ruse. There are multiple things here to relax your feet and feel more in touch with the ground.
Walking up you’ll notice the white chapel remembering the fallen in the world wars. You might want to visit it. It’s small, but full of memories. And then start going up right in front of the Klettersteig climbing wall, next to the cascade that separate both ascension routes.
The path climbs quickly, with narrow steps that cling to the mountain. It’s steep, and as you rise, in a few minutes the view opens up dramatically. One moment you’re enclosed in trees and stone, and the next, the whole alpine valley stretches out below. The walk up to the Wetterkreuz is not too demanding, although there are some moments where it gets very steep. Even if it’s only 1064 meters, the length of the trail to ascend will take you about 2 hours.
Hiking to the Weitsee
On warmer days, this should be top of your list. The Weitsee is a glacial lake tucked between lush hills and alpine cliffs. It’s cool, deep blue, and cristal clear. You can reach it in about two hours by foot from Reit im Winkl, and it’s perfect for a dip or picnic. If you hit it on a quiet day, it feels like your own private lake at the edge of the world.
If it’s a rainy day and you’re short on time like we were when I visited it, get up the Bürgl hill at 865 meters high and enjoy the fantastic view of this alpine lake.
However, the way back goes on the same path so it’s not that exciting. Instead, try to catch the bus 9506 back to Reit im Winkl and you’ll be back in about 15 minutes. Or you can try hitchhiking! I went down that route because it was late (yes, again), and sure a few cars passed by but shortly a couple stopped and gave me a ride to almost the door of our accommodation. Interestingly enough, the woman was dressed with a Dirndl, the traditional dress of Bavaria, something like the postcard dress of Germany, although until now, I thought it was only wore during the Oktoberfest or other festivities.
Röthelmoos Alm: Kaiserschmarrn & Moorland Magic
This one’s a gentle-to-moderate hike and absolutely worth it. You can even connect this with the Weitsee because the starting point is close to it. If you’re departing from Reit im Winkl, take the 9506 bus and get off at the Weitsee/Röthelmoos bus station. Once here, venture into the Wappbachtal, following the water stream upwards. After about 1:30 hours depending on your pace and how many photos you stop to make, you’ll arrive to the Röthelmoos. The portion moos refers to the place: it’s an dialect form of the german word Moor, which in English means Marsh.
Röthelmoos Alm, situated at approximately 880 meters elevation, is a rustic alpine hut nestled in a highland meadow. They serve one of the best Kaiserschmarrn I’ve ever had. Sweet, fluffy, and perfectly caramelized, it’s the kind of dish that makes you wish the hike was even longer. Bring cash, because cards aren’t accepted.
Surrounding the Alm is the Röthelmoos Moor, a protected natural area of high ecological value. The path takes you through damp, spongy ground, home to rare flora and fauna. It’s a peaceful contrast to the more rugged trails, and the changing colors of the moor through the seasons are breathtaking.
Along the way you’ll notice to your right two beautiful stoney peaks, mostly visible when you’re in the marsh. These are the Gurnwandkopf at 1691 meters high, and the Hörndlwand with 1684 meters.
And the cows? Of course they were there. Especially one popular cow, who was being relentlessly followed by two others glued to her tail, completely ignoring any sense of cow personal space. The drama was real.
Into Tirol: The Kaiserbachtal and Griesner Alm
As soon as you walk around Reit im Winkl, you will notice something towards south: a massive mountain formation. This is none other than the renowned Kaisergebirge mountain range in Tirol, Austria, which is a serious upgrade in elevation and drama, with jagged peaks and rugged trails. I was hypnotized by this formation from the moment I arrived (exhibit A, the photo of me looking at the Kaisergebirge in the distance, in a prairie of Reit im Winkl). So I had to go.
So if you’re also in the mood for a trip across the border, take the bus 4000 at the Reit im Winkl Rathaus bus station (jasss, time grab something from the Bäckerei again!) and ride until the bus stop Kirchdorf in Tirol Griesenau. If you have a Deutschlandticket, keep in mind that this is not covered.
The highlight here will be a marvelous hike through the Kaiserbachtal, leading to the Griesner Alm at 1024 meters elevation. Along the way you’ll learn the folk tale of Der Schnackler und der Koasabacha (available on the boards also in English), and you can let yourself be a kid again and engage in the various games you’ll find in the trail. The real stars though, are them, those mountains. I have seldom see so magnificent views, other than in the trail to the Oeschinensee lake, in Switzerland.
The Griesner Alm serves as a base for exploring the Wilder Kaiser, whose highest peak, Ellmauer Halt, towers at 2344 meters. This area offers dramatic alpine trails with fewer crowds and unforgettable scenery. Think stone cathedrals, echoing valleys, and air so clean it could bottle calm. At the Alm, you can eat something from their offer, like trout, pig liver, or other vegetarian options.
Getting Around and Info
A great thing of Reit im Winkl and surroundings is that it can be easily explored by public transport making for a more environmentally sustainable holiday. Your source of info for buses and trains will be the regional buses page:
https://www.dbregiobus-bayern.de
and the official Reit im Winkl website with all the information you need on excursions, lodging, weather and so on:
Final Thoughts
Reit im Winkl is the kind of place where a simple hike turns into a full-on experience: cow encounters, map mishaps, mountain-top moments, and freshly baked Marmorkuchen. It may not be as famous as some other Bavarian destinations, but that’s part of the charm.
There are still so many places to visit from here. For a future visit, I have in my list to hike towards the Winklmoosalm, and going up the Sondersberg of 1243 meters high with the Gondelbahn Seegatterl cable car. For an extensive adventure, I’d like to do the circular trail from Reit im Winkl to the Taubensee lake. A portion of it goes into Austria, goes up the Sonnwendköpfl at 1278 meters high, and returns through the small town of Birnbach, right next to Reit im Winkl.
There’s also this event called MountainMan, that will take place on September this year 2025 in Reit im Winkl, and it’s all about trail-running and hiking different circuits, from 10 km to 73 km.
And I haven’t even mentioned the Ohren Auf! walk around the town and surroundings that’s designed to simply listen. And also… ah, it’s so much. You should just discover Reit im Winkl.
And remember: when the GPS says you’re right next to the trail… check how high you are.
