Updated March 13th, 2019

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Did you know that you can easily hike back and forth between Austria and Germany in one day?

This day was one of the days I was most looking forward to on our trip and was the deciding factor in our Austrian itinerary and route. Our plan was to do the Leutaschklamm Gorge Hike. When I woke up with a very sore and bruised knee and ankle from my fall during the night and saw the forecasted rainy and thundery day I was a bit grumpy and wary of the day ahead.

I looked up some other indoor possibilities in the area, but the Seefeld area is known for outdoor activities. My mom said we should go for our original plans and hope for the best. We bought a cold water bottle and I gave my ailments an icing and then we were on our way.

Getting from Seefeld to Mittenwald

From Seefeld, Austria we took a quick 20 minute train ride to Mittenwald, Germany. See the visiting information section below for detailed directions. 

Walking to the Gorge

From the central train station in the town we started walking towards the Leutaschklamm Gorge. We found our way through the town easily by following the signposts. It took about 15 minutes or so until we were on the outskirts of town and then another 15 minutes or so along a scenic pathway.

Leutaschklamm Gorge

Also known as the Leutasch Ghost Gorge, the Leutaschklamm Gorge Hike is a family friendly walk full of ghosts and goblins.

There are three possible routes to take within the gorge. One route forms a loop that starts and ends on the Mittenwald side. The other route forms a larger loop from the Leutasch side. Both the routes share a portion of the same route. By the end of the day we ventured on all parts of the trails.

Koboldpfad – The Goblin Trail (Blue Route)

We started on the Goblin Trail from the Mittenwald side. The route begins with a very steep zig zagging path through the forest.Signs are present throughout the trails to give more information. Signs on this route explain how the gorge was formed. Other postings later on shared tidbits on the ghosts and goblins that inhabit the gorge. Soon we arrived at the impressive Panorama Bridge. Our cloudy day did not deter from the thrilling view of the water running beneath us.

Klammegeistweg – The Ghost Trail (Red Route)

We continued on the metal walkways, that cling to the gorge walls, along the Ghost Trail. It was a unique experience to be inside the gorge, surrounded by nature, yet high up on metal walkways. For those who are afraid of heights this might be a frightening enterprise, but for us it was only exhilarating to feel so close to nature!

Little activities throughout the walk provide entertainment for the young and old alike!

Another path through the forest lead us to the Leutasch side where we stopped for lunch.

Then we headed back the way we came on the Ghost Trail. Following that we covered the part of the Goblin Trail that we had not walked on yet.

An interesting part of the gorge is that it goes back and forth between Austria and Germany. Other than one sign that said we were now in Austria and perhaps painting on the trees, it was a little unclear when we were in Austria and when we were in Germany. Despite not knowing exactly, it was still cool to be exploring between two countries so freely!

Wasserfallsteig – Waterfall Path (Green Route)

The third path, the waterfall route is the shortest and also the only one with a cost of three euros. We saved this one for last and even debated if we should do it or not.

It has a different feel than the other routes. Whereas the other paths were through the forest or high up in the gorge overlooking the water, this path was a wooden walkway lower in the gorge right next to the river.The anticipation grows on the narrow paths as you get closer and closer to the waterfall. We could hear the falls way before we saw them.Once at the waterfall you can finally see the strong source of all the water throughout the gorge. As you feel the mist cascading down and listen to the thundery pulse as it flows we couldn’t help but be glad we decided to visit the waterfall up close!

Mittenwald

After walking through the gorge, we spent the remainder of the day exploring Mittenwald. It is a charming Bavarian town with a little brook running through the town center.

One of its biggest claims to fame is all the beautifully painted buildings.Along with that it is also known for its violin makers. While there is a violin museum to visit, we just stuck to this photo op. Lucky for us this wasn’t the first day on our trip when the forecasted weather was completely off. I’m so glad we went with the original plan and explored the gorge and the quaint village of Mittenwald.

Visiting Information

How to Get There

With public transportation you can access the Leutaschklamm Gorge Hike from the Mittenwald or the Leutasch side of the gorge.

From Mittenwald:

Take a train to Mittenwald central station and then walk to the start of the gorge by following the posted signs within Mittenwald (~30 minute walk). Trains arrive and depart about once an hour.

From Leutasch:

Bus 431 picks you up and drops you off directly at the start of the gorge. As of this writing the only options of arrival are at 12:06pm and 1:46pm and the only departure is at 1:57pm. 

Recommendations

We went with the Mittenwald option because it was cheaper, faster and gave us more freedom to explore at our own pace without worrying about catching the one bus back. Also it gave us the opportunity to explore a Bavarian town.

The Trails

All the trails together are about 3.5 miles. Including walking to and from the trail, stopping to eat and taking our time to make sure we saw every part of each trail we spent about 4 hours. It could be done quicker than that, but we wanted to take time for photos and to simply enjoy the magnificent experience.

Map of the routes can be downloaded here.

Food

There is a cafe at the Leutasch entrance with a few simple Austrian choices. A food stop is also at the Mittenwald entrance, but it appeared to have less options. Only 10 minutes or so way from the Mittenwald entrance there is a full service restaurant with a nice view. Several restaurants and cafe are within the town of Mittenwald. 

Toilets

There are free toilets at the Mittenwald and Leutasch entrances to the gorge. The restaurant I am sure would have toilets as well. Unlike the locations of the other toilets where you don’t necessarily need to buy anything, it might be a little more obvious going into the restaurant without eating or drinking. Free toilets are also located across the street from the train station in Mittenwald. 

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Landhaus Klausnerhof Hotel Garni in Seefeld in Tirol.  The Landhaus Klausnerhof Hotel Garni is run by one of the nicest hotel managers you will ever meet! The hotel is cozy, provides a delicious breakfast, is close to the train station and all the restaurants in town. Seefeld is the perfect town in the Austrian Alps to do outdoor activities like the Leutaschklamm Gorge Hike.

More about Austria

• A full Austria Itinerary
• Which Cities & Towns to Visit and What to Do
  • Gmunden (in the Salzburg Lakes District)
  • Salzburg: Sound of Music Bicycle Tour, Untersberg, Hellbrunn Palace, Salzburg Christmas Museum
  • Seefeld (in Tyrol)
  • Vienna: Sisi Museum & Schönbrunn Palace
• What and Where to Eat in Austria
  • Savory Foods
  • Sweet Treats

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