Sightseeing

The Elmau Valley is located at 1000 m above sealevel, in one of the most beautiful regions of the Alps, just 100 km south of Munich, 40 km north of Innsbruck, and 18 km southwest of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of the Wetterstein Mountain Range, between the Karwendel Mountains and the Zugspitz Glacier, Germany´s highest mountain.

With its striking architecture, the Schachen is one of the most impressive places you can find anywhere in the alps. King Ludwig II. built it in 1868-1872 as a retreat. The Schachen is located 1800m above sea level in the Wetterstein Mountains in front of Schloss Elmau and offers breathing taking views of the Bavarian Alps. The cosmopolitan design reflects how the King created his most intimate retreat by imagination and appropriation of a distant oriental and Indian culture in the midst of a spectactular alpine scenery.

King Ludwig used to change the horses of his carriage and stay overnight in the Schloss Elmau farmhouse on his way to his favourite retreat at 1800 m above sealoeve. Today you can reach the Schachenhaus from Schloss Elmau in one hour with an E-Mountainbike or after an easy 3 1/2 hours hike. You can stay over night at the Schachenhaus or continue to the Meilerhütte Mountain Retreat in another hour from where you can climb up to the Dreitorspitze 2900m above sea level.

A 3 km walk along the rushing Ferchenbach stream to the crystal clear Ferchensee Lake. The ideal 9 km track for running or jogging around the lake and back to the hotel. You may extend it by another 3-6 km if you continue to the next lake or the Mittenwald village.