A true delight is the wonderful connection between the landscape Ludwig loved so much and the cultural treasures it holds within. There is plenty to see and marvel at everywhere, to admire and enjoy. All this is embedded in a dreamlike landscape with idyllic lakes and unique panoramas such as from the Hohen Peißenberg, the highest point of the trail at 988 m above sea level. From Starnberg via the world-famous Andechs monastery, this trail leads to the Marienmünster in Dießen at Ammersee and then further to Wessobrunn monastery, over the Hohenpeißenberg (988 m AMSL) and through the Ammerschlucht to Rottenbuch. The Wieskirche, the Welfenmünster in Steingaden, and the royal castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau form the end of this scenic and culturally rich hike.
The route is divided into six comfortably hikeable daily stages:
Stage 1: Berg – Dießen, 8 hours, 32.6 km
Stage 2: Dießen – Paterzell, 4:45 hours, 17.2 km
Stage 3: Paterzell – Hohenpeißenberg, 3:45 hours, 13 km
Stage 4: Hohenpeißenberg – Rottenbuch, 4:00 hours, 13 km
Stage 5: Rottenbuch – Prem, 6:00 hours, 22.4 km
Stage 6: Prem – Füssen, 6:45 hours, 24.6 km
Tipp des Autors: Special highlights of this long-distance hiking trail are, of course, the royal castles in Schwangau, respectively Hohenschwangau near Füssen. Nature enthusiasts will fully enjoy the Ammerschlucht - the Grand Canyon of Upper Bavaria - between Peiting and Rottenbuch. Another highlight is the UNESCO World Heritage site Wieskirche near Steingaden.
Ausrüstung: Hiking without luggage
Royal service - just enjoy, no baggage. Your luggage will be transported to your respective hotel reserved by the organizer. You can discover the magnificent Bavarian Alpine foothills completely unburdened.
The King Ludwig Trail is offered in four variants with 6-9 overnight stays, the Lech Experience Trail with 6 overnight stays. Package deals with accommodation, luggage transport, and hiking maps can be booked at:
- Feuer und Eis Touristik GmbH, Südliche Hauptstrasse 33, 83700 Rottach-Egern, Tel. 08022-66364-0, hallo@feuerundeis.de, www.feuer-eis-touristik.de/wanderreise-koenig-ludwig-weg
- Alpenlandtouristik, Brauerstr. 2, 86825 Bad Wörishofen, Tel.: +49 8247 9924554, info@alpenlandtouristik.de, http://alpenlandtouristik.de
Wegbeschreibung: Stage 1: Berg – Dießen, 8 hours, 32.6 km
The trail starts in Berg on Lake Starnberg at the votive chapel and leads along the idyllic lakeshore past Schloss Berg to Starnberg. It continues through the romantic Maisinger Gorge up to Andechs monastery. After a break, the trail leads through Kiental to Herrsching. With a pleasure boat, you finally reach Dießen.
Herrsching-Dießen variant: Via the alternative land route, it goes from Herrsching along the southern shore of Ammersee and via Raisting with its impressive Earth station also to Dießen. Alternatively, from Raisting it goes directly on to Wessobrunn. (Herrsching-Dießen: 19 km, Herrsching-Raisting: 14 km, Raisting-Wessobrunn: 11 km)
Stage 2: Dießen – Paterzell, 4:45 hours, 17.2 km
Past Dießen‘s Marienmünster, the trail leads through dreamy forests and meadows to Wessobrunn. Highlights here are the memorial stone to the "Wessobrunner Prayer," the monastery, and the Tassilo linden tree. Then it goes along a romantic brook gorge up to Schönwag and finally to Paterzell with Germany‘s largest yew forest.
Stage 3: Paterzell – Hohenpeißenberg, 3:45 hours, 13 km
This somewhat longer stage starts immediately with a climb through the slope forest to St. Leonhard and continues further up to Hohen Peißenberg with a magnificent panoramic view of the Alpine chain.
Stage 4: Hohenpeißenberg – Rottenbuch, 4:00 hours, 13 km
The route then leads down into the wildly romantic Ammer valley. Hiking through the Ammerschlucht is one of the scenic highlights of the entire route. Ascending once more, the Ammerschlucht is left behind, and the trail leads up to Rottenbuch.
Stage 5: Rottenbuch – Prem, 6:00 hours, 22.4 km
Through the southern gatehouse, the trail leaves Rottenbuch and continues over gentle hills to Wildsteig. Alternating between forest and meadows, the route now reaches the UNESCO World Heritage Wieskirche. From here, you first cross the "Brettleweg" through the Wiesfilz and reach Steingaden through the dark Eulenwald, a town full of sights (Welfenmünster, cloister walk, monastery garden). It continues over a small hill with magnificent views of the Alpine chain to Urspring and through a beautiful moor to Prem. Variant: From Wieskirche, you can also hike directly south towards the mountains. After the Birnbaumer Filz and smaller hamlets, this variant finally ends in Trauchgau.
Stage 6: Prem – Füssen, 6:45 hours, 24.6 km
Along the Lech river and always with views of the Alpine chain, the trail continues winding through lush green meadows and past small bathing lakes. At Kühmoossee, the route meets again with the variant via Trauchgau. It continues between Forggensee and Bannwaldsee to the Pöllatschlucht at the foot of Neuschwanstein Castle. Via Hohenschwangau Castle, Schwangsee Park, and Kalvarienberg, the trail leads into Füssen’s old town to Kaiser-Maximilian-Platz, the endpoint of the King Ludwig Trail.
Hiking map Pfaffenwinkel, scale 1:40,000, HW-Verlag, conservation fee 1 EUR, available via the Pfaffenwinkel Tourism Association, www.pfaffen-winkel.de