How do you create the perfect vacation day? With the wide range of activities that the Grainau holiday region offers, it is often not so easy to make a choice. Of course, choosing the right activity also depends on the travel companion. This time, my mother is visiting, 72 years old, fit on foot and an enthusiastic hiker — as long as things aren't too uphill. It should be a hike that we can start from the hotel and is classified as “easy”. And so the choice for our vacation day tomorrow is a tour along the Kramerplateau-Weg.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: easy
Route length: approx. 8 km
ascents: 200 meters
descents: 200 meters

10 good reasons for the Kramerplateauweg

1. The trail is mostly flat except for the first climb to the plateau and is therefore quite easy to walk.
2. You can extend or shorten the route as you like, as there are always descents to Garmisch in between.
3. The trail is accessible all year round (except for extreme weather conditions) and is also scattered.
4. There are numerous benches along the way to take a break and enjoy nature in between.
5. The path is wide and can even be walked on with a stroller.
6. There is a nice Hütteneinkehr halfway between Grainau and Pflegersee, as well as at Pflegersee.
7. Along the way, there are always beautiful views of the Werdenfels mountains.
8. There are always information boards on which you can read a lot of useful and interesting things.
9. A branch leads to the ruins of Werdenfels, which provides insights into the town's exciting past.
10. You can easily go back by bus and train.
    
    

Start the perfect vacation day

07:00 o'clock: The sun rose half an hour ago and the first daylight penetrates through the hotel window. It's time to get up and get ready for the day. A shower refreshes and dispels any last tiredness.

Here is a look at the weather app to check the current weather forecast again. Well, the hours of sunshine have fallen once again since yesterday. However, it should remain sunny until noon and only then should clouds set in. After all, rain is not expected. In order to still have some of the sun, we should therefore set off early.

8:00 AM: The guests in the Werdenfels restaurant are still manageable — most prefer to sleep longer on Sundays — and so there are still free places in the winter garden with a wonderful view of the lake and the Zugspitze. A good mix of vitamins, protein and carbohydrates from the buffet gives us energy for the first few kilometers.

Let's go hiking

9:30 a.m.: We are ready for today's hike, which will take us from the Hotel am Badersee to Pflegersee along the Kramerplateau trail. Through the small wooded area, we reach Grainau and on to Griesener Straße, which we cross to cross the Loisach on the other side a short time later. Our ascent to the Kramerplateauweg begins behind it. After the “access route” was quite comfortable so far, the increase is now clearly noticeable. The heart starts pounding, the circulation really gets going and we warm up quickly. All the more wonderful that a few first spring flowers are already smiling at us along the way, prompting us to pause. The blue liverworts, whose flowering period is from March to April, are lovely. The name liverwort — which doesn't describe the beauty of the flower at all — comes from the fact that the flower used to be used naturopathic for liver and biliary diseases.

Fortunately, every climb comes to an end and once at the top, we enjoy our first view of the Zugspitze. The weather leaves much to be desired. Instead of bright sunshine, as stated in the weather forecast, it is cloudy.

From now on, it just continues along the Kramerplateau trail.

Animal sighting on the Kramerplateauweg

Spring temperatures not only cause plants to flourish, but also a wake-up call for animals. Admittedly, the well-stocked birdhouses along the way are a found food for birds and squirrels and if you don't walk too loudly along the way, you might also be lucky enough to catch a bird — or a squirrel like us — just using the free feeding trough. Who wouldn't access it if they were served the food on a silver platter. But there are also jays, great tits, alpine jackdaws in the trees along the way, and in between, a woodpecker knocks heavily on the wood. We just can't get to see him. It's a shame.

First stop at a hut

11:45 a.m.: Right at lunchtime, we reach Berggasthof Almhütte. The first cars are lined up in the parking lot and so we hope that we can still get a place in the alpine hut, as we have of course not made a reservation in advance. We're lucky because we're still early. There are already “Reserved” signs on some tables, but a few tables are still vacant and so we look for a nice spot by the fireplace. The menu reads fantastic. We opt for pork neck steak in potato crepes with a side salad and oven-fresh roast pork with potato dumplings and red cabbage. It can be hearty after the first few kilometers and does it not also mean “Who hikes can also eat well! “?

Next stop: Pflegersee

12:45 p.m.: After a good hour of relaxation and a well-filled stomach, we are ready to set off again to gather new impressions along the hiking trail. As far as the weather is concerned, not much has happened here. The sun is still out of sight, but visibility remains good. You can also no longer rely on the weather forecast. Over the next few kilometers, we always have beautiful views of Garmisch-Partenkirchen with the ski jump in the background and of the fantastic Werdenfels mountains with their white, snow-covered peaks. With the magnificent views, you simply have to sit on a bench and let the view sink in. If you look closely, you can see skiers swinging down the slopes in miniature form. They too are enjoying the perfect vacation day today. We leave the Kramerplateauweg and now follow the Pflegersee trail until we reach the lake of the same name. This is still under a thick layer of ice and stretches like a white plain in front of the Kramer mountain range. An information board provides interesting facts about the lake. This is how we learn that since the first third of the 19th century the Pflegersee has been named after the caretakers who administered the county of Werdenfels on behalf of the prince-bishops of Freising from 1294-1802. The artificially enlarged lake was used as fishing water by the Werdenfels castle owners and served as an additional water supply for the castle. Today, the Pflegersee is a popular resort among the locals, especially in summer, and the Berggasthof Pflegersee is a popular tourist restaurant.

Second hut stop

2:30 p.m.: The cozy tavern is well stocked and we only find a spot at the table with other guests. At least this gives you the opportunity for a nice chat. After a hearty lunch, we are now ready for the sweet temptation and what is better than an ice cream sundae. We've earned that now! And to ease our bad conscience, we still have a hiking trail ahead of us that will take us back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen via the Werdenfels ruins

3:15 p.m.: Happy with our second break in the hut, we are back for the last part of our hiking tour. From Pflegersee, we have to walk back part of the way until we reach the first turnoff to the Werdenfels ruins, which are hidden behind a few bends. The remains of a former magnificent complex, which was probably built in the 13th century, are located on a hill. As with so many castles, fate did not mean well with the castle complex and so it fell apart over the centuries and was even used as a quarry in the 17th century for buildings in Garmisch and Farchant. Nevertheless, a visit to the ruins is worthwhile, because from above there is a magnificent 180° panoramic view all the way across to Farchant and Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the other side. From the castle ruins, it's all downhill to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Our tour ends at the bus stop at Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl. However, since the bus only arrives in 40 minutes and we are still fit, we walk to the city center.

3:45 p.m.: Who would have thought that: The sun is finally out and so a last “hut stop” on the terrace of the Mohrenplatz Wirtshaus & Biergarten is worthwhile. We spend the waiting time for the bus back to the hotel on Lake Badersee with a cool drink and bright sunshine. Just heavenly!

Pure relaxation! — End of a perfect hiking day

4:50 p.m.: Back at the hotel on Lake Badersee, we take off our hiking boots and throw ourselves on the bed first. As nice as the hike was, we still feel the kilometers in our feet. There is only one thing that helps: a foot massage! While my mother prefers to relax further in the room, I am drawn to the Landhaus Spa.

18:00 o'clock: Ms. Schmautz's trained hands conjure up new energy in my feet. She also manages to get me to nod off for a while. That is exactly how a massage should work.

8:00 p.m.: Our perfect vacation day ends with a small but delicious dinner.

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