Category: Travel Tip

A Cinema Of Nature In The Bavarian Alps – The HÖRNLE MOUNTAIN

Peter Engelmann, October 13, 2024

Every mountain peak in the Alps is a great experience. But here is one that makes you feel like watching the green pastures of the countryside in front of the Alps from a seat on an airplane.

The Hoernle Mountain, which actually consists of three mountain peaks of different heights, sits at the beginning of the Ammergauer Mountains mountain range. It’s close to Bad Kohlgrub, a well-known Bavarian holiday destination and spa. From here, a steep path leads up to the mountain.

There is a fantastic panoramic viewpoint on top near the chairlift station. It’s special because there is nothing on the west, north, or east sides. Only on the south side and south-west are higher mountains. That little peak near the station and the cozy Hörnle cabin has been called Zeitberg since 2013.

The other Hörnle peaks require some walking, but that little peak already provides a unique experience. They call it a “nature 3d cinema”. Wooden banks invite you to stay. It is indeed a cinema in nature. It provides great opportunities for photographers and videographers.

You can see a couple of lakes from the mountaintop. To the northeast, there is Lake Staffelsee, a famous lake near Murnau where lots of artists live and where famous painters such as Gabriele Münter lived.

Another lake in the north is Starnberger See, the second largest lake in Bavaria. Between the lake and the mountains, there are villages, hills, and woodland. It’s good to have a day with some clouds which create an interplay of light and shadow. This adds to the impression of depth in landscape photography.

In the lower half of the picture is Bad Kohlgrub. A destination is known for its mud bath. The suspension railway starts from here. It is also the train stop for the train coming from Murnau, which heads then to Oberammergau.

The mountain path is steep but a great experience. Normally everyone can do it. But if you have problems walking down a steep path consider the suspension railway as an alternative.

A unique sight from the mountaintop is the chain of the Ammergauer Alps. This is a nature park and some areas resemble a wilderness, but it is also where the famous Linderhof castle is located. The Ammergauer Alps offer a lot of great experiences as the Grinding Mill Gorge (Schleifmühlenklamm).

What impressed me most on the mountaintop was the big sky. Yes, this is a cinema of nature. It’s fantastic to watch the clouds moving and constantly changing.

At the bottom of the picture above is the “Hörnle Schwebebahn”, an attraction itself. It’s called a suspension railway with a Double swivel chair. This is a unique construction like nowhere else: When you reach your destination you don’t need to jump away to avoid being hit by the chair like other chairlifts. The chairs rotate 90 degrees and you can walk away. The chairlift went into operation in 1954 and brought tourists within 20 minutes to the mountain top and the Hörnle-Cabin til today. It operates both in winter and in summer but check before if you plan your trip here.

The Hoerlen suspension railway is approximately a 25-minute walk from the train station Bad Kohlgrub. From Munich or Augsburg, you take the train to Murnau and change for the train to Oberammergau. The ride with the train is a great experience itself.

I strongly recommend checking weather conditions before: If it is rainy the steep path might be slippery and be careful if there is snow. There is a so-called “Winter path” but due to the steepness, I would be careful with that if you are not an experienced hiker.

by Waldmeister Categories: natural wonders, Travel Tip, Uncategorized

THE JAPANESE GARDEN IN AUGSBURG, BAVARIA

The Japanese Garden is a dream in every time of the year. In autumn, the colors are an unparalleled firework of yellow and red. You don’t need to go to Japan to enjoy the fascination of a Japanese garden and the many motives it has to offer.

In Augsburg, Bavaria, not far from the city center is one of the most impressive and representative Japanese Gardens in Europe. Japanese landscape architect Yoshikuni Araki designed the Garden of Friendship. He created an outstanding experience with a unique setting where trees, plants, boulders, and water are in a special combination.

Water is a central element of the Japanese garden. The garden architects made use of Augsburg’s special landscape where water plays a pivotal role. There are two rivers, Lech and Wertach, and a huge number of channels in and around Augsburg, which previously helped the city to become an important industrial center. The channels, the water management system, and the industrial installations are UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE.

One of the many streams runs through the Botanical Garden and the embedded Japanese Garden in Augsburg. On one side, the water cascades over boulders and disappears under a bridge on the northern side of the Japanese garden.

The Japanese garden was built as a present for the 2000th anniversary of Augsburg in 1985. It presents also the friendship with partner cities Amagasaki and Nagahama. The friendship was initiated by Magokichi Yamaoka, president of Yanmar. There is also a Japanese memorial in the Wittelsbacher Park in Augsburg. Yamaoka intended to honor German Rudolf Diesel.

Augsburg’s Japanese Garden presents the Japanese Art Of Gardening at its best. These gardens are works of art. They present a landscape and have a spiritual quality. There are two entries to the garden and you can explore new angles that show different perspectives for hours. Uneven curved paths are a typical element and they lead you to the most interesting points. The center of the Japanese Garden is a lake (Euchi). It symbolizes the sea. Typical stone lanterns (Ishidoro) are placed at significant points. An open building (Pavillion) resembles a temple and is a great place to rest there. Tons of boulders were transported from the Fichtelgebirge, a mountain range in Northern Bavaria, to Augsburg. Inspiration for the garden came from Kyoto.

The waterfall and the boulders create the impression of a mountain landscape:

A magical place: Boulders with lichen and moss, a thick canopy, and water cascading over stones.

Trees and perennials play an important role in the Japanese garden. The typical cherry trees there and many other sorts of plants are typical for Japan. Due to the different climates, there are some compromises.

The Japanese Garden is an attractive place throughout the year. Highlights are festivities in spring and of course the interesting colors in autumn. Green, Yellow, and intense red are dominant colors. There are many opportunities for photographers here. On weekends there are many visitors in the garden. A good time is certainly shortly after the botanical garden opens.

More info is available at www.augsburg.de/botanischergarten

The Japanese garden inside the Botanischer Garten is easily accessible for a little entry fee. There is a huge parking space around and, you can get there by Bus 32 from Augsburg Hauptbahnhof. The Botanical Garden is surrounded on one side by the Siebentisch-Wald, which is a huge landscape park and forest.


by Waldmeister Categories: Autumn, Seasons, Travel Tip, Uncategorized

Kuhflucht Falls, Upper Bavaria

Not far from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a great motive and an adventure trail presents a unique experience and many opportunities for photographers. The Kuhflucht Falls are not as famous as the world-known Partnach Gorge, but they are worth the trip.
It’s good to know some things in advance to plan a trip there. The Kuhflucht Waterfalls have a height of 270 meters, but please do not expect one big waterfall. The stream cascades over some steps and contains three big falls. One particularly impressive cascade is near the bridge over the stream.
The falls are in some places inside a canyon. You can’t see the whole falls (except using a drone, which would require a permit), but there are many impressive motives along the way.
There are two parking lots in Farchant. One lot is where the trailhead of the hiking trail to the waterfall begins. The trail is connected to an adventure and experience trail leading through a forest with a lot of information about nature and a playground.


The lower part of the trail and the other trail offer a lot for families, and many people come here.
If you look for dramatic pictures, the season and the time of the day are important: These pictures were taken during spring after days of rain, and the snow melts. That makes a difference because much more water is cascading down over the boulders. It’s a different picture in a dry summer.
Late morning seems a good time since there is enough sunlight entering the canyon. High mountains and a dense forest with large trees surround the falls.


The trail is very comfortable in the lower part. The community of Farchant put a tremendous effort into this trail and some attractions there. After a severe storm with massive damages, the trail was repaired and reopened. Thanks to this effort, visitors can enjoy these romantic falls throughout the year. After approximately 750 metres the trail reaches a bridge over the stream.
Before the bridge, a smaller trail departs, where you can hike up a few meters to a viewpoint that offers an impressive view over the fall. After the bridge, the broad trail turns into a steep mountain path.
That path that leads higher up the mountain has a different quality. You should only do this hike if you are an experienced hiker. There is one scenic view, approximately 20 minutes from the bridge, where you can see the upper part of the gorge, but please be careful there!

You can also hike back on the “Philosophenweg” to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The Kuhflucht Falls are accessible via Train-Stop Farchant and by bus from Garmisch Partenkirchen.

The biggest fall is impressive after days of rain in spring or when the snow melts.

Standing close to the big cascades is a good feeling, it is not only the experience of majestic nature but the little water particles in the air open the airways and have a comforting effect. The effect is similar to standing at the shore of the sea and breathing the air close to the waves.

Above the bridge is a scenic view which allows a breath-taking perspective

The Kuhflucht Falls is an alternative or additional trip to the well-known destinations in the region.

by Waldmeister Categories: Photography Tips And Tricks, Seasons, Seasons Autumn, Spring, Travel TipTags: ,

Blautopf, Blaubeuren – A Location For Romantic Legends And Fairy Tales

by Peter Engelmann, August 10. 2022

Read in German

Have you ever been looking for a motive for presenting the German romanticism in pure form? The Blautopf lake near Blaubeuren in the Swabian Alb is such a motive.

The Blautopf Lake is the second largest karst spring in Germany and serves as the source of the river blue.

Visitors see a magical blue and green water, often changing its color. It is like a giant eye or portal to another world.

What else do we need for a romantic fairy-tale setting? Right. A hammer-smith and a medieval town. It’s all there. Across the blue lake of the Blautopf is a hammer-smith with a cafe and an information centre for tourists. Nearby is the city of Blaubeuren with a famous abbey. There are plenty of half-timbered houses.

Last but not least, ruins of castles sit on the top of hills above the valley.

The Blautopf and Blaubeuren are in the middle of a broad valley not far from Ulm, the biggest city in the neighbourhood. It is a popular tourist destination.

Real fairy tale Europe: The Hammer-Smith

Romantic Imagination

No wonder Blautopf lake has been an inspiration for many folk tales and romantic stories. Nix regularly stole the sounding line when researchers tried to make measurements.

The karst spring became prominent in the 19th century. This was the era of romanticism with writers as E.T.A. Hoffman and painters as Caspar David Friedrich.

Eduard Mörike, a famous German novelist and poet, incorporated many tales from the region in the romantic novella “Das Stuttgarter Hutzelmännlein”. It is a story about a journeyman travelling from Stuttgart to Blaubeuren. One folk legend is about “Die Schöne Lau”, a mermaid, and her husband, a male water-nix. She couldn’t laugh, and he punished her by confining her to the blue lake. In the end, the landlady of the Nonnenhof Inn came to her help.

Modern scientific discoveries in the region are often even more fantastic than the rich imagination of romantic writers.

The sun illuminates the magic pool

One Of Germany’s Most Impressive Water-Cave Systems

Officially, the spring basin is 22m deep, but this is not the end. Blautopf is the end of an incredible cave system. Divers use the Blautopf lake as an entry point for expeditions into the epic cave system “Blauhöhle”. It’s indeed a portal to the other world.

Cave-diving is a dangerous sport, and there was a tragic event here in 2003. There is a society, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blautopf, which explores the cave system. The water cave was discovered in 1960-62. Later, researcher and diver Jochen Hasenmayer made incredible discoveries. Most parts of the cave are under water but there are huge domes, which are dry, underwater lakes and huge stalactites. Speleologists are fascinated by this secret subterran world which still holds many secrets. Til today, this is a dangerous territory and there is no access for the public. However there are amazing documentaries about expeditions into the cave system as From The Blue, Into The Dark, which are highly recommended.

Reflections on the still water surface, underwater plants, light and shadow. A mysterious place.

Practical Guidance

The best time for photography and videography is in the morning hours during summer. This is a motive which looks better when the sun is shining. The impressive blue color is a result of the nanoscale limestone particles. They are densely distributed in the lake. The particles cause a raylight scattering effect.

You might want to consider also autumn for a visit. The trees are mostly deciduous trees. That will make a wonderful color palette with the magic blue Blautopf lake on the one side and the red and yellow colors of the leaves.

The Blautopf is easy accessible. It is a 25 minute walk from the train station in Blaubeuren. Blaubeuren is approximately 16 km from Ulm. The train ride is around 12 minutes from Ulm. Trains come frequently. Stuttgart is approx 80 from Blaubeuren. There is a huge parking space close to the Blautopf.

A flaltly leads around the Blautopf lake. From there there are many different perspectives of the blue water and the hammer-smith.

Having surrounded the Blautopf the trail leads straight into the medieval town Blaubeuren.

Close to the Blautopf: The Blaubeuren Abbey. Inside there is museum and the historical bath house of the monks. If there is still time the URMU, the Urgeschichtliche Museum, is another highlight in this amazing town. Traces of human presence in the Swabian Alb go back to 40 000 B.C. and in the museum there are some rare relicts.
by Waldmeister Categories: natural wonders, Summer, Travel Tip, UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , ,