Höllentalklamm
Wild gorge on the way to the Zugspitze
Photo: Wikitarisch / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
The Höllentalklamm near Hammersbach is one of the most impressive gorges in the Bavarian Alps and a section of the demanding Höllental ascent of the Zugspitze. Over walkways and through tunnels the path leads along roaring water and overhanging rock walls. The gorge is only open in the snow-free season.
Highlights
- Impressive gorge with walkways and tunnels
- Part of the Höllental Zugspitze ascent
- Roaring water and overhanging walls
- Open seasonally
Good to know
| Location | Hammersbach/Grainau |
| River | Hammersbach |
| Nearby | Höllental ascent of the Zugspitze |
| Season | snow-free months |
Practical info
Getting there: Train to Hammersbach/Grainau; access on foot to the gorge entrance.
Best time: Roughly June to October (please verify).
Cost: Admission payable (please verify).
Safety: Walkways wet and slippery; as a gorge visit only, the full Zugspitze ascent is high-alpine.
Tips:
- Bring rain protection, it sprays heavily in the gorge
Background & History
The Höllentalklamm near Garmisch-Partenkirchen is among the most impressive gorges in the Bavarian Alps, situated at the foot of the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. Over thousands of years the water of the Hammersbach has dug deep into the rock and created a narrow gorge filled in many places with roaring whirlpools and waterfalls, whose damp walls and narrow footbridges lend the place something primeval. Even the name, which evokes hell, testifies to how people once perceived this gloomy ravine filled with the thunder of the water.
The gorge became accessible only at the beginning of the 20th century, when, with considerable effort, paths, tunnels and bridges were cut into the rock and opened up for hikers. It also forms the prelude to one of the classic ascents of the Zugspitze, so that mountaineers have set out into the high region through its narrows for generations. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, situated at the exit of the gorge, has been a name in the world of mountain sports since the 1936 Winter Olympic Games, and from here hikers and mountaineers set out into the Wetterstein mountains. Geologically, the gorge tells of the tireless power of water, which is able to shape even the hard limestone of these mountains, and of the interplay of erosion and rock that gives the Alps their face. Anyone walking through the damp footbridges senses the raw force of nature directly above and below them.
To make your trip run smoothly , our guides and gear tips for this destination:
