Scharnitz

Altitude: 964 m a.s.l.

Scharnitz is located along the connection road from Seefeld to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, close to the source of the Isar river. In Middle Ages, it used to be an important front gate along the trade route Venice-Augsburg - in the Thirty Years' War, at Scharnitz the "Porta Claudia" gate was established, remainings of which can still be seen today. Today, the village is perfectly accessible with means of public transport, such as the Mittenwald Railway Innsbruck-Munich.

Here in Scharnitz you are at the junction of the Karwendel, Hinterau, Gleirsch and Isar Valleys. As gate to the Karwendel Alpine Park and its wide variety of hiking destinations, this villages is a perfect place for active holidays: Particularly popular are cycling tours into the mountains, where you can proceed on foot, e.g. to the source of the Isar river or into the wild Gleirsch Gorge. Also an annual event is dedicated to hiking: The Karwendel March in August takes you across the Karwendel Mountains to the village Pertisau on the shores of Lake Achensee.

However, Scharnitz is also known as base station for kayaking, perfect for those who seek the thrill at the Isar river. Winter then stands for winter in the mountains! On the one hand there are the slopes in the Olympic Region Seefeld Skiing Area, on the other hand there are different toboggan runs in the surroundings, two of which are located at Scharnitz: the 1.2 km long toboggan run Kreidegraben and the 2.5 km long toboggan run Mühlberg. Both are considered medium difficult.