Lautersee and Ferchensee from Mittenwald

The walk starts at Mittenwald station. It goes through the historic Gries district to the Kurpark Puit and up the Laintal, a path for walkers only beside the Lainbach and its cascades, to the Lautersee, with the Maria Königin chapel above the lake. A path leads on to the Ferchensee, and a track brings you back towards the Lautersee. The return climbs a path across the slope south of the lake and drops through the woods to Mittenwald.

It is 9.5 km round with 238 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Moderate on distance rather than on the ground: the paths and tracks are good and the climbs are steady. Alpenwelt Karwendel's own Lautersee loop from the station is 6.6 km with 115 m and is rated Easy; this walk adds the Ferchensee to it.

Alpenwelt Karwendel gives its Laintal and Lautersee loops as walkable all year, but snow and ice lie here in winter, and the Ferchensee leg and the slope path are not on those pages. The Lautersee is a popular swimming lake with refreshment stops at the water. Tours are taken at your own risk, and in an emergency 112 reaches the rescue control centre.

The start is Mittenwald station, on the line from Munich through Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Innsbruck. Alpenwelt Karwendel's own tour pages disagree on whether the station car park (P1) is free or chargeable, so read the sign at the car park.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.