This easy nature hike starts in Oberau — a place that is often overlooked by tourists, and offers some beautiful hiking opportunities with classic views of the Loisach Valley.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: easy
Route length: approx. 6 km (total)
ascents: 400 hm
descents: 400 hm

The contemplative hike “Über Sieben Bänke” is accessible in any season and almost any weather. The route offers a nice walking opportunity for the morning or evening hours. The total walking time is approx. 2 hours; there are only about 250 meters of altitude difference to cover the entire route. In summer, the trail is well shaded. Especially in autumn, the beech forest on the slopes is colorful and extremely picturesque.

The hike can start directly from Oberau train station, and it is easy to get there from the Hotel am Badersee by public transport. After you have crossed the B2, you reach the small town center and continue on Mühlstraße. After a few minutes, turn right into Triftstraße and then slightly left onto the small footpath that runs along the banks of the stream. After you have reached the soccer field, continue across the bridge to the left and in a few meters you are already in front of the traditional club house. The first sign “Über Sieben Bänke” is also clearly visible here.

The first bench is already standing directly above the sign. The short steep climb takes the hiker through a picturesque rocky gully surrounded by pine trees to the next two benches, which offer a classic view of Oberau and are often used by locals for group photos. The pine trees give off a fresh scent; in spring, beautiful alpine flowers such as liverworts, anemones and rodless gentian bloom along the wayside. In the evening, the last rays of sunshine make the rock face glow, especially in winter, when the Ester Mountains are covered in snow, the sunsets are a natural spectacle.

As the trail progresses a bit narrower, the benches always offer a rest area with wonderful views of Oberau, the nearby nature reserve, the Ester Mountains and the Wetterstein Range, which is crowned by the Zugspitze. In about 30 minutes, you can reach the “Heldenkreuz” with its magnificent panoramic view, which is often professionally photographed as an advertisement of the Loisach Valley. There are two “resting benches” here again for a contemplative break. From here, you have the opportunity to complete the hike to the so-called “Loisachblick”. From the “Heldenkreuz”, the forest becomes a bit denser and consists primarily of beech trees. In autumn, the trail is completely covered with golden leaves, but the route is well marked.

You will soon reach the “Manndlblick” bank, which offers a great view of the Ettaler Manndl. I've already taken a break here and enjoyed the view. Back then, I was out and about on an idyllic autumn day, the light, still warm, wind rushing through the gilded, sun-drenched forest. In absolute silence, you could hear individual leaves landing gently on the forest floor after a final roundabout. The silence was suddenly interrupted and steps were clearly visible in the whispers of the forest. Another hiker must also have set off today and was enjoying the sunny autumn day. The steps stopped briefly over and over again, as if the stranger was enjoying nature to the fullest, perhaps taking a photo. I thought that it could also be an elderly lady or man who took short breaks over and over again. In any case, I wanted to offer someone with a “hello” a seat on the bench. A chat with hikers is always nice. So I waited eagerly to see who would join me shortly. The steps came ever closer, but instead of two legs, two horns emerged from the forest. It was actually a deer! It was hard to tell who cringed more at this unexpected encounter. We only looked at each other for a few seconds, then unfortunately the deer disappeared back into the forest. I'm staying here alone today, although I would certainly have found a meeting with the deer from back then very nice.

From “Manndlblick”, the rest of the trail is now only slightly uphill and reaches the destination “Loisachblick” after approx. 10-15 minutes. For me, this is an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle that often prevails in the valley, especially due to tourist traffic along the B2. A fantastic backdrop spreads out in front of my eyes and offers the most beautiful photo opportunities. I'm going to stay here for a while now and simply enjoy nature to the fullest. Then I'll make my way back again. In rainy weather, you can also enjoy the view from the covered bench.

Tips & info:

• Arriving by public transport: From Hotel am Badersee, take the Eibsee bus and drive to Garmisch-Partenkirchen train station. From here, the regional train to Oberau runs once an hour (journey time 10 minutes).
• If you arrive by car, you can park at the “Schwimmbad Oberau” car park — right in front of the Trachtenvereinsheim.
• If the “Seven Banks” are too steep for you at the beginning — or even when it freezes in winter — you can climb up to the “Heldenkreuz” via the forest road. To do this, take the road directly from below to the Oberau natural swimming pool, which then turns right at the swimming pool and leads in a big curve through the mountain forest towards Eschenlohe. After about 20-30 minutes (depending on the speed), you first reach the turnoff to the Sieben Bänken (here you will then come directly to Bank 2) and after another 10 minutes the turnoff to the “Heldenkreuz”.
• The “Seven Banks” route is a nice detour on a bike trip to Eschenlohe. Because of the altitude difference, mountain bikes or e-bikes are recommended here. Once in Oberau, take the forest road past the swimming pool until you reach the turnoff to the “Heldenkreuz”. Here you can park your mountain bikes/ e-bikes in the forest and reach the “Loisachblick” on foot in just 30 minutes. Continue through the forest towards Eschenlohe and come out at Höllenstein. Cross the motorway via a small tunnel and soon reach the town center of Eschenlohe, which offers several places to stop for refreshments. After the Loisach Bridge, take the first road to the right and then in about 1 km you turn right again to get on the riverside path back to Oberau.
• From “Loisachblick”, you can continue walking to the so-called “Little Paradise”, from where you have a beautiful view of the Murnauer Moos and Eschenlohe.
• If the “Seven Banks” route is not enough for you, you can take advantage of the somewhat longer “Grüne Fleck” circular hike at approx. 350 m. The two routes are easy to combine. The “Grüne Fleck” branches off to the top just above the Oberau swimming pool, walking time is between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. On the descent, you get back on the same forest road and reach the turnoff to the “Heldenkreuz”, from here the “Loisachblick” is only about 30 minutes away.
  

‍