If you take a look at the overall ranking of the highest mountains in Germany, one name stands out in particular – the first seven places are exclusively peaks of the Wetterstein Mountains.
Val bel – the ‘beautiful valley‘. The derivation of the name from the Romance languages already makes it clear what one can expect in this mountain group of the Central Eastern Alps.
As Germany‘s highest mountain (2,962 meters), the Zugspitze enjoys the greatest fame in schoolbooks – everyone knows the mightiest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains, which extends not only over Bavaria but also over North Tyrol.
It‘s hard to believe that once the primeval sea Tethys was beating its waves here. But the limestone rocks of the Waidringer Alps are still witnesses of this turbulent past today.
For a long time, they stood in the mighty shadow of the neighboring Kaiser Mountains. It was not until the interwar years that the mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps experienced increased interest from alpinists, leading to the development of new climbing routes.
The Wild Kaiser, the Tame Kaiser, and the Niederkaiser dominate the alpine territory in the Northern Limestone Alps. And it is a truly majestic sight when their peaks glow in the setting evening sun.
A mountain range close to the pulsating heart of the city – the Tux Alps are not only part of the Central Eastern Alps, but also part of the massive mountain ring that protectively encloses Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol.
A bit less touristically developed than the Allgäu Alps are the Lechtal Alps – and thus still a kind of insider tip with a more original character for friends of extensive mountain tours.
Tyrol and Bavaria share a treasure that knows how to impress with some superlatives. 125 peaks rising over 2,000 meters in height is certainly not bad.
The Hohe Tauern National Park is located in three federal states and is the largest national park in Austria with an area of 1,856 km². The protected area extends over large parts of the High Tauern in the Eastern Alps and includes the sources of the Isel, Möll, Mur, and Salzach rivers.
Nestled between the Inn Valley, the Bavarian Prealps, and the picturesque Achensee, the Brandenberg Alps rise in the Tyrolean Lowlands as part of the Northern Limestone Alps.
A good mix of fold mountains, wide plateaus, and steep grass mountains with inclinations of up to 70 degrees makes the special charm of the Allgäu Alps, which characterizes this mountain group of the Northern Limestone Alps.
Southwest of Innsbruck, the Stubai Alps are located between the Wipptal, the Ötztal and the Passeier. Both Austria and Italy share this mountain range, which offers a splendid stage for summer hikes and winter ski tours.
Territorially, it does not want to be too narrowly defined – the Sesvenna Group. Besides Switzerland and Italy, Austria also has its own share of this mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps.
Majestic three-thousanders and icy glaciers – the Ötztal Alps boast both and condense into one of the largest mountain groups in the entire, expansive territory of the Eastern Alps.
