Normally, the direction for the Münchner's is South, to the Austrian and Italian Alps, and to the Lago di Garda and beyond. But to the East is the Bayerischer Wald, literally translated as Bavarian Forest. It is a region of gentle hills up to near 1500 m with a National Park which is an unmanaged forest. There is also the border to the Czech Republic and the Bohemian forest within the Bavarian forest. For a change, Ana and I decided to visit the Bavarian forest for some gentle walks. Here is Ana during day 1 where we aimed for the Grosser Arber (1456 m), the highest peak of the Bavarian forest.
The top of the Grosser Arber is a bit of a let down as it is a Nato radar station presumably because it was close to the Iron curtain pre-1989.
On the way down we followed a stream that turned into a waterfall. I carried a tripod and it was well worth it, as I took a tack sharp photo showing the rusty red and green plus the soft lines of the falling water during an exposure that was longer than 1 s.
On day 2 we aimed for the Grosser Rachel (1453 m), a mere 3 m short of the Grosser Arber. Here is Ana during the ascent reaching the point where the thick forest opened up.
High up many trees were dead presumably because of storms and because of the infamous Borkenkäfer, a bug who kills trees.
Below the summit of the Grosser Rachel is a hut but unfortunately, it was shut. The grosser Rachel is the hill behind.
Here is the summit with views into the nearby Czech Republic.
Here is Ana at the summit cross of the Grosser Arber...
... and here she descents.
On the way down there is a chapel and a lake with views over the National park forest.
On the third day, rain was forecast but in the end, it stayed dry. We did a low-level walk near Viechtach, a wee town which we visited for a triathlon training camp in our tweens. Lots of stories...
Overall, the Bavarian forest is a great area for straightforward hill and forest walking. Accommodation, food, and beer are cheap and there are some multi-day walks. Ana and I cannot wait to visit it in winter as Nordic skiing is supposed to be excellent.
HW
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