Mittenwald
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Mittenwald

Mittenwald

Bavarian Alps resort town known for painted houses, Karwendel views, and centuries of violin making.

Mittenwald is one of the best-known resort towns in the Bavarian Alps, set between the Karwendel and Wetterstein ranges, just 16 km from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and 30 km from Innsbruck across the Austrian border.

The Karwendelbahn cable car takes you up to 2,244 metres for a breathtaking panorama of the Alps. In town, the main attraction is the Geigenbaumuseum — Matthias Klotz established Mittenwald as a centre for violin-making in the 17th century, and the craft continues here to this day. Many of the old houses in the centre have their facades decorated with painted scenes, often biblical figures, a Bavarian tradition called Lüftlmalerei that gives the town a storybook quality. The rococo Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul anchors the old market square, and short walks lead out to the small mountain lakes of Lautersee and the dramatic Leutascher Geisterklamm gorge.

Guide

Getting There

Mittenwald sits on the Mittenwaldbahn — the scenic railway line between Munich and Innsbruck that runs through the Karwendel range. Direct trains from Munich Hauptbahnhof take about 1 hour 45 minutes, with a change at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. From Innsbruck it is closer to 50 minutes, passing through the spectacular high-Alpine pass at Scharnitz.

By car, the A95 from Munich brings you to Garmisch in under 90 minutes; from there a 30-minute drive on the B2 reaches Mittenwald. There is paid parking at the edge of the pedestrianised old town. Munich Airport (MUC) is the most useful airport; Innsbruck (INN) is closer but has fewer connections.

Guide

Things to Do

Mittenwald is best appreciated on foot. The compact old town has been painted with Lüftlmalerei murals for centuries, and the main pleasures are wandering the streets to study the facades, visiting the Geigenbaumuseum to understand the town's history as a centre of violin-making, and riding the Karwendelbahn cable car to a panoramic viewpoint high in the surrounding mountains. Several long walks and easy day hikes start from the edge of town.

Guide

When to Go

Mittenwald has two clear seasons. June to September is hiking season — long days, alpine flowers, and reasonable weather for the high routes, though afternoon thunderstorms are common. December to March is the ski season; the town is small but the area is well connected to Garmisch and the Austrian resorts. The shoulder months of April-May and October-November can be quiet and grey, with many cable cars on maintenance closures.

For the warmest, most settled summer weather, aim for July or early September. The town has a strong tradition of brass band music in summer — concerts most evenings in the bandstand on Obermarkt. The Karwendelfest in early August brings folk music, parades, and the costumed crowning of a "Karwendel-Schnitterin" young woman.