Werdenfels Castle
I must be honest and admit that I am myself a little exhausted with Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The incessant droning references by foreign tourists extolling this town as the must-see & quintessential Bavarian excursion, well let’s just say it becomes more than a little old. Don’t get me wrong, while I fully appreciate the town, somewhere between the overwhelming online presence and multiple of my own Near From Home filming trips; I often find myself questioning the nature of its popularity. Bavaria offers hundreds of quaint villages bursting with Alpine wonder, so why this one? Aside from the Zugspitze’s “Top of Germany” peak, I’ve been struggling to recommend Garmisch. That is, until recently, when I discovered a new hidden site while researching German castle ruins. Nestled at the edge of the Ammergebirge National Park, just outside of Garmisch-Partenkirchen lays the mysterious Werdenfels castle ruins.
Some honesty right off the bat, I don’t really recommend taking a day trip all the way out from Munich and back just for these ruins alone, locals and tourists alike with limited time will probably get more value from bigger ticket sites or other castle ruins. However that being said, the Werdenfels Ruins provide a great option for those looking to round out their Garmisch experience. Pair this trip with another of Garmisch’s attractions, or simply a nice dinner in the town to complete the day. It’ll also work incredibly well for Bavarian tourists during what I call “Transportation” days; days when you need to transit between locations and end up with awkward amounts of time on either end. Consider making the hike in the morning, eating a picnic at the castle, and then heading out to your next destination after lunch. Something like that would fill up that awkward space nicely. No matter how you schedule this trip though, the journey from Munich couldn’t be simpler. As noted, I consider this excursion a half day trip and in kind I’d generally recommend catching a late morning train. With no need to rush, we left on 10:23 RB train, and including filming, had more than enough time to return back for a dinner in Munich. Either way, purchase your Bayern ticket from the red ticket machines (or the reisezentrum), and hop on an RB train in the direction of Garmisch-Partienkirchen or an RB train in the direction of Mittenwald (They are essentially the same train after all, just depends on your timing).
“Don’t misunderstand. Calling this a half-day activity is purely a reflection of the time investment, not the quality.”
Getting from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen train station and out to the ruins involves walking directly through Garmish, and out the other side. With that in mind, once off the train, head to Garmisch’s wonderfully pedestrian friendly high street. If you need a pick me up from the long train ride, now is the perfect time to grab a coffee, a sandwich, or some chocolate. I’d highly recommend Cafe Pano and chocolaterie Amelie respectively.
Another pro tip for you, Werdenfels castle is on Google Maps, and it’s walking directions will get you there, but once you hit the high street if I were you I’d take a detour through Kurpark city park. Once through the park, simply cross the road and follow the river through the lush Loisch valley, keeping on parellel with the River. After a pleasant stroll the path turns sharply left and crosses into a small suburban neighborhood of beautiful half timbered houses and Bavarian gardens. Cutting through the neighborhood, cross the main road into the Ammergebirge National Park. You’ll see some construction on your right as you wind into the foothills. Walk for about 30 more minutes following the signs for the Werdenfels Bergruine. After about 90 meters of elevation gain, the trail descends slightly into the Werdenfelslerhütte where visitors can order a beer or lunch. Just beyond the hut, lay the outer castle walls.
“Google won’t tell you to cut through the park, but I will! Perhaps get a coffee and relax here before going on the hike.”
Once inside the castle, take a look around, and enjoy a scenic picnic overlooking the Loisch Valley. The mountains penning in the quaint town of Farchant below, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the distance, make for an excellent reward after the walk. Spend some time exploring the grounds. The castle experts among you may notice some strange attributes inconsistent with medieval castle design. With a lack of flanking towers, and a mere 90 centimeter thick wall, the purpose of the castle is hotly debated among experts, as these parameters are unsustainable for defense. Academics suspect the structure acted as an administrative center briefly, but the entire structure is a bit of an anathema, with scholars not even agreeing on a building date. The castle is dated sometime between 1180-1230. Later corroborating the “unsustainable castle” theory, locals looted Werdenfels for building materials. The castle’s stones that can be found today in the Garmisch Baroque Parish Church foundations.
Afterwards, head back the way you came, returning along the trails to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. If you are on a simple day trip, take the reverse train from earlier in the direction of the Munich Hauptbahnhof and you’ll be done and dusted. However, now that you’ve seen this trip, I’m sure you feel the same as me in that it needs just a little bit more to make it worth the while. So perhaps consider a simple dinner and stroll around town or another outdoor activity like the Partnachklamm Gorge. If you are a tourist I mentioned using this on a travel day, but where is the best place for you to move on to from here? Well, I recommend heading to Austria for Ruette’s World of Castles, or continuing through Bavaria to Mittenwald.
