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Are you looking for an easy, family-friendly or romantic hike in the Bavarian Alps with one of the best panoramic views over Lake Tegernsee and perfect connection to Munich? Then the hike to Neureuther Hütte (Neureuth Hut) aka Berggasthof Neureuth (Mountain Inn Neureuth) is for you.
Quick Facts About The Hike
- Destination: Neureuther Hütte at 1.264 meters (4.147 ft.) above sea level.
- Region: Lake Tegernsee, Mangfall Mountains, Bavaria, Germany
- Difficulty: Very Easy – Easy (technically simple, moderately steep in places, well signed gravel-streets)
- Elevation gain: 400-500m (1.312 – 1.640 ft)
- Ascent time: Approx 1 hour from car-park, 1.5 – 2 hours from train station
- Suitable for: Families, beginners, seniors
- Stroller friendly: Yes (forest road only)
- Season: Year-round
- Car Access: Yes, parking lot (parking fee) at approx. 900m (2.952 ft).
- Food/Drink: Neureuther Hütte (Restaurant/Inn) or self-packed items or down in Tegernsee town.
Where is Tegernsee and Neureuther Hut?
Tegernsee is a well-known bavarian town sitting on the western bank of the lake with the same name. It can easily reached by car from Munich (approx. 1 hour depending on traffic) or by train (approx. 1 hour by train, direct connection from Munich Main Station)
Neureuther Hut sits on a grassy summit ridge called Neureuth at 1.261 meters above sea level on the western side of the Tegernsee. it is located directly above the town of Tegernsee. From there, you can look straight down onto the lake and the Bavarian Prealps – on clear days the panorama stretches from the Wetterstein Alps all the way to the high mountains of the Austrian Zillertal Alps.
What makes this hike so special is its location: you climb quickly, yet the path stays gentle enough for children, seniors and dogs. At the top you can enjoy a hearty Bavarian meal on a sun terrace and visit a the small Neureuth Chapel nerby.
How To Get To The Starting Point
Getting there by Train (recommended):
Bavarian Regional Railways (BRB) offers hourly service (or every half an hour during peak times) between Munich Main Station and Tegernsee Station.
You do not need to change trains as the trains run directly.
You can book tickets online via German Railways (DB) at https://int.bahn.de/en/ (ONLY ONE-WAY-TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE!)
or online at MVV (Munich’s Public Transport Network Company): https://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/
or at the official BRB website: https://www.brb.de/en/tickets/sales-channels
Please note: Unfortunately the online options for train tickets to Tegernsee are rather inconvenient for tourists. Therefore I strongly recommend not to buy single tickets via the websites. The risk of buying a wrong ticket is very high. I therefore recommend buying a ‘Bayern Ticket’ (Bavaria Ticket). This is sold by Deutsche Bahn (DB) and offers unlimited train travel (coach 2nd class or 1st class for additional fee) for one day (9am until 3am the next day) for:
| Persons | Price in € | approx. Price in USD | approx. price in GBP |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 adult |
34 € |
39 USD |
29 GBP |
|
2 adults |
44 € |
50 USD |
38 GBP |
|
3 adults |
54 € |
62 USD |
46 GBP |
|
4 adults |
64 € |
73 USD |
54 GBP |
|
5 adults |
74 € |
85 USD |
64 GBP |
The Bavaria Ticket is the go to option for day trips within Bavaria. You are not allowed to use it in high speed trains (called ICE) or fast so called “intercity”-connections (IC-trains). No worries, to and from Tegernsee, there are no such trains. You can only take the regional train.
Children aged 0-5 travel free in regional trains. Up to three children aged 6-14 travel free with the Bayern ticket.
Example: An American Family (father, mother, 3 chilldren aged 6, 14 and 16) want to visit Tegernsee. For the train ride there and back, they have to buy
- a Bayern ticket for three persons (father, mother and 16-year old). The other children travel free of charge.
So a trip to and back from Tegernsee will cost the family 54 Euros (approx. 62 USD). This equals about 13 Euros per person (approx 15 USD). Quite good, isn’t it?
Tip and hints:
- When you want to enter Munich Main Station as start or destination type in ‘München Hbf ‘ (MVV Website). If you don’t have the Umlaut ü available on your keyboard, hold the alt-key and type the numbers 1 2 9 (on laptops maybe alt+Fn+129).
- The train number is RB 57
- The train to Tegernsee has usually three waggons. The waggons are devided at Holzkirchen Station. Only one goes to Tegernsee (RB 57). The others go to the towns of Lenggries (RB 56) and Bayrischzell (RB 55). Double-check when entering the train, you’re in the correct waggon.
Munich Main Station
Munich Donnersberger Brücke
Munich Siemenswerke
Holzkirchen
Warngau
Schaftlach
Moosrain
Finsterwald
Gmund (Tegernsee)
Tegernsee Station
Stage 0 - From The Station To the Hiker's Parking Lot
If you arrive by train at Tegernsee Station, consider grabbing a bite at the Station Kiosk (snack shop, open daily from 8am to 6pm), visiting the public restrooms and admiring the old staion building from 1902. Then start southward. At the end of the railway tracks, make a sharp left turn into Neureutherstr. and follow the street uphill for approx 20 minutes. Always stay on Neureutherstr.. You will then reach an unpaved parking lot for hikers.
Stage 1 - Hiker's Parking lot to Neureuther Hütte
You will start here with your hike, when you arrive by car. In navigation systems, look for “Parkplatz Neureuth”. Please be aware, that the parking lot is metered (pay and display or payment via app) from 8am until 8pm.
From the parking lot, turn right and follow the paved path into to forest. Always look at the yellow waysigns for hikers and follow the route to “Neureuth”. On the yellow signs, you can see the estimated walking time to the destination.
After a few steps, you can decide which route you want to go. The forest road (can also be made with children, I already have seen families with strollers) or the more hiking-like path through the forest.
I would recommend walking up the hiking path and down the forest road.
When you choose the hiking path, keep left and follow the signs to Neureuth after a while hiking through the forest, you will see a small shelter hut. There keep right and walk further uphill.
after about 10 minutes after the shelter hut, you will find mountain pastures with a broad path.
From here it is not steep anymore and it feels like a stroll. And you’re nearly at the summit. From here you can already see panoramic views of the Alps. After another 10 minutes you will reach the destination: Neureuther Hütte.
Neureuther Hütte is a mountain inn with terrace. A perfect spot for a refreshing drink and a traditional Bavarian dish. From the terrace, you can enjoy panoramic views down to Lake Tegernsee and the Austrian Alps in the background. This view will definitely give you Sound of Music vibes. Please be aware, that Neureuther Hütte serves hot food only between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm. Food items are only served until half an hour before closing time. Last round of drinks: 1/4 hour before closing time
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CLOSED
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8:30AM - 6:00 PM
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8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
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8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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if Monday is a public holiday: opening times like on a sunday, but then closed on Tuesday. This also applies to the regional Kirda Day (church fest, late october).
You can check the most actual opening times on the official website of the Neureuther Hütte: https://www.neureuth.com/de/oeffnungszeiten
Other things good to know:
- The terrace looks like a beer garden. It isn’t. You are not allowed to bring your own food or drinks there.
- Between late November and late December, the inn goes on company vaction.
- You can pay CASH ONLY! No cards accepted up there.
- On the terrace, no small drinks can be ordered (small beers)
- Trash you brought with you (e.g. from snacks) you have to take it again down with you.
- No bicycles on the terrace!
You can also visit the small chapel (catholic) near the Neureuther Hütte. The chapel is located west of the mountain inn and therefore an ideal spot for sunsets.
Stage 2 - BackTo The Parking Lot
Behind the Neureuther Hütte, you will find again a waysign. From there, follow the path down to “Parkplatz Newureuth”. This path will bring you back down to the parking lot via a forest road, which is used to transport food and drinks and service staff from and to the mountain inn.
If you need to go back to the train station, follow again Neureuther Street down to the town of Tegernsee. At the end, you will find yourself at Tegernsee station, where you can board the train to Munich.
Map Overview
My Tips for Your Perfect Hike to Neureuther Hütte
- Have good shoes. The best way to hike is by using hikung shoes. Here, you don’t have to bring your high altitude mountain boots, but I recommend hiking shoes with good grip such as trail running shoes.
- Bring a small daypack. Especially when you do this hike with children, bring a packpack, so you have water, snacks and maybe toys with you.
- Consider the time of day. It is possible to hike up to Neureuther Hütte for sunset, but be aware that you also have to hike down. It gets really dark inside the forest, so bring a headlamp or a torchlight when you plan to see the sunset (or sunrise).
- Remember the train timetable. When you arrive by train and you want to go back to Munich with the train, remember the train timetable and be at the station on time. No worries, if you did not catch your train. Usually there is an hourly connection. But do not miss the last train (around 10:30 pm).
- Check for seasonal routes. Some routes (for example MIA) are only available during a couple of months. If you are traveling outside of this season, you may have to connect.
WebsitesWith Even More Information
The following websites wioll give you more information about this easy hike and what to do and see before, while and after the hike:
- https://www.neureuth.com/ – the official site of the mountain inn (in German)
- https://www.tegernsee.com/en/ – the official tourism site of the Tegernsee Valley (in English)
- https://www.mein-tegernsee.de/ – blog about tourism, and hiking (in German)
- https://www.seenschifffahrt.de/en/tegernsee – Official website of the ferry boats on Lake Tegernsee – ideal for a panoramic view (in English)
- https://www.brb.de/en – official website of the BRB – Bavarian Regional Railways for tickets to and from Tegernsee (in English)
- https://braustuberl.de/en – The Ducal Bräustüberl – traditional Bavarian restaurant and beer hall (in English)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
No. It is in my opinion a family friendly hike. Of course it gets steep for a few meters, but all in all it is easy, especially as you can walk a forest road which is used for transport to and from the inn (food, drinks, service staff).
No. It is just a restaurant where hikers can have a drink and a bite.
I recommend the summer months between June and September. Sun sets late and you don’t have to hurry down in order to avoid darkness.
More experienced hikers can also enjoy late fall hikes with crisp cold air, frozen pastures and clear skies. Or it is possible to do a winter hike (please only with winter hiking gear) through snowy woods and dramatic views of snowy mountain tops.
The train goes hourly between Munich and Tegernsee from around 6 am until midnight. Please always check the official timetables at https://www.brb.de/en
Unfortunately, they only accept cash.
from Tegernsee station: It will take 1:30 – 2:00 hrs to the mountain inn and again about 1:30 hours back.
from Neureuth Parkplatz (parking lot): 1 – 1:30 hours up and about 45 min – 1 hour back.
Conclusion
The hike from Tegernsee up to the Neureuther Hütte Mountain Inn is a beatiful hike for beginners and those who usually do not go hiking. The hike is perfect for thiose who don’t want or can go to alpine summits to see beautiful panoramic views. The views from Neureuther Hütte will not disappoint. Plus: you can enjoy a drink and traditional meal with a stunning view on a sunny terrace. Can it even get better?