If you ask a Munich biker where he does his after-work laps, he will almost certainly answer "on the Isar trails". But that's not true at all. At least not always. The Munich resident only says this because he is naturally lazy and doesn't like to reveal his favourite spots. But quite apart from that, Munich locals love their Isar trails anyway. The start is easy to find and you don't need directions, just follow the Isar upstream to the south. Depending on his fitness level, he crosses a bridge of his choice and circles back on the trails on the other side of the river. Even visitors from Canada envy us for these trails, which rush straight from the city into the recreational green. But ever since the district administration closed the famous bomb crater to dirt bikers, Munich residents have also been worried about their Isar trails. Thousands of people went to the town hall in spring for fear that the ground could be pulled out from under their feet. Well, and then what?
Mountain biking in Munich: More than just Isar trails
In fact, there are several alternatives, as a survey of the BIKE editorial team alone revealed. It wasn't easy to tease out these insider tips from our colleagues, but they did set off with their GPS devices and recorded their favourite routes. Unfortunately, you can't just go for a ride in the Munich area. There is no Isar river here that could serve as a common thread. If you try anyway, every third attempt at a forest road will lead to a dead end and you run the risk of despair and being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Of course we don't want that.
Test editor Stephan Ottmar therefore returned with the track recording of his most secret trail treasures along the Würm. Test assistant Anette Jacoby knows that everyone only ever goes to Andechs to drink beer, but the trails in the Andechs gorge are even better. At least beforehand. If editor-in-chief Josh Welz has to go to a meeting in the afternoon, it could also be an appointment with the trails at the Neureuth Alm in Tegernsee. And if you live on Lake Starnberg, the 100 metres up to the Ilkahöhe are enough to visit the most secret bathing bays afterwards. Flatland trails, on the other hand, are not at all appealing to test boss Christoph Listmann. He prefers to get in the car after the office and take a detour to the Walchensee. There, an honestly fought climb is rewarded with a proper downhill trail!
The BIKE editorial team's favourite MTB tours around Munich
TOUR 1: Lake Starnberg / Osterseen (47.9 km, 770 m elevation gain, 4 h 00 min)
The tour starts at Tutzing railway station and is therefore easily accessible by S-Bahn (terminus S6). A shortcut climbs up to the panoramic trail on the Ilkahöhe. From here you can see the tour area all the way to the Alps. At Forsthaus Ilkahöhe (lovely beer garden!), the tour then dives into the undulating foothills of the Alps, passing all the lakes on forest paths and exciting flow trails that you would otherwise only recognise from local films: Gallaweiher, Nussberger Weiher and, at the turning point, the Osterseen lakes. Here, a forest trail leads around the large Ostersee lake past many romantic mini bathing bays. Anyone who doesn't stop here is a philistine. The route continues along easy trails to Seeshaupt, through Bernrieder Schlosspark to Tutzing. In Bleicherpark, it's best to take another dip in Lake Starnberg and then order a pizza Miriam at Tarantella. It's the best!
DRIVING IN TIP Alfons Schuhbeck's house pizzeria "Tarantella" and the most beautiful swimming spot on Lake Starnberg, the Bleicherpark in Tutzing (but let's keep that between us, really!).
TOUR 2: Tegernsee / Neureuthhaus (13.0 km, 600 m elevation gain, 1 h 20 min)
If you're not travelling at rush hour, you can make it from Munich to Gmund am Tegernsee in 30 minutes, the uphill takes a good 45 minutes, the downhill half an hour - making this tour perfect for city dwellers as an after-work ride in summer. The starting point is the car park at St. Ägidius Church in Gmund, after which an asphalt road leads through a picture-book Bavarian idyll, so beautiful that you want to kneel down and weep for joy. The joy gives way on the ascent to the Neureuthhaus. The forest path becomes steeper and steeper and, after about 45 minutes of hard labour, reaches its finale in a high-percentage cart track ramp. Before this climb breaks your last willpower, a cattle gate ends the nasty slog. So: dismount and heave your bike over it - now it's just a few metres to the Neureuthhaus. You can enjoy the view of Lake Tegernsee and the surrounding mountains over a few lengths of wheat beer. But you should save the reward for the final stop at the Tegernsee "Bräustüberl" - because the winding root trail down to the lake demands a lot of unadulterated skill. Hairpin bend after hairpin bend, the path winds its way down into the valley until it joins the Tegernsee high trail. There, a sign demands that bikers dismount. Of course you should comply with this request, even though you will only meet a few hikers in the evening - and the path really promises flow.
DRIVING IN TIP The "Bräustüberl" in Tegernsee is THE traditional inn par excellence.
TOUR 3: Isar Trail Paradise
The Isar trails are to bikers what Munich's Maximilianstraße is to shoppers - a paradise. The classic trail starts at Flaucher and leads to Schäftlarn and back. Right from the start, the trail winds playfully between the trees. The next bend awaits behind every trunk and short climbs get the pulse racing. Ideal for recharging your mental batteries.
DRIVING IN TIP: Halfway through the tour, stop off at the "Brückenwirt" beer garden in Pullach.
TOUR 4: Ammersee and Andechs
From the recreation area at Wörthsee through the forest to the eastern shore of Ammersee and from there back through the Andechs Gorge. The route has beautiful light and clear lakeside roads, especially in the evening. But don't forget to plan more time for the trails in the Andechser Schlucht gorge, as you'll want to try out one or two more branches. Rollercoaster!
DRIVING IN TIP: Country pub "Alter Wirt" in Etterschlag. Cosy beer garden, fair prices. www.alter-wirt-etterschlag.de
TOUR 5: Jochberg trails (26.3 km, 1140 m elevation gain, 2 h 45 min)
The Jochberg tour is very popular with the riding technique specialists from the editorial team, even though the riding fun is preceded by a good hour of slogging over steep gravel paths. You start directly at Kochelsee, wind your way up towards Jochberg, enjoy a trail passage to Kotalm and fight your way up the last steep forest road ramps to Jocher-Alm. The view there is captivating with the Herzogstand and Walchensee opposite, the distant view of the Zugspitze and if you trudge up to the Jochberg summit on foot, you can see as far as Munich. After a refreshment stop at the mountain hut, you descend the saddle and balance down the path towards Jachenau, which is rarely used by hikers. Although down is the wrong word: the narrow trail stretches for ages along the slope (or hillside), loses only a few metres in altitude and is great fun in dry conditions. However, it gets tricky when the trail is wet. You have to steer precisely and keep your nerve on the sloping roots. After a swim stop at Lake Walchensee, the trails on the old Kesselberg road will get your adrenalin pumping once again. Caution: If you are travelling from Munich to Kochel, you should ride anti-cyclically - the region is a very popular destination.
DRIVING IN TIP Cheesecake at the Jocher-Alm, swimming in the Walchensee and homemade ice cream at the "Tre Scalini" (Kochel) are a must.
TOUR 6: Würmtal single trails
The Würm trails are the little brothers of the Isar trails: they start in Gauting at the TSV centre and immediately plunge into the idyllic Würm valley. A real rollercoaster ride at speed. Past the castle beer garden, the next trails branch off straight into the Leutstettener Moos. The ancient wooden planks should be ridden with care. Via Starnberg, you return to Gauting with some technical challenges.
DRIVING IN TIP: Roast pork, venison and potato salad are nowhere better than in the castle restaurant in Leutstetten!
You can find these MTB tours around Munich in the GPS download below
- Anette's Ammersee tour
- Gitta's Lakes Tour
- Josh's Neureuth Alm Tour
- Listis Jochberg Tour
- Stephan's Würmtal trails
Information on mountain biking around Munich
MUNICH'S LOCAL RECREATION AREA
Munich may be close to the Alps, but the city itself is spread out over a gravel plain. Munich bikers are therefore just as much flatland bikers as the people of Hamburg, for example. However, the Garmisch, Lindau and Salzburg motorways, as well as the S-Bahn, quickly lead to the local recreation area, where the glacier once carved out a few hills and gorges. The first Alpine climbs are reached after just under an hour's drive.
CARDS
The most accurate maps are those produced by the Bavarian State Surveying Office at a scale of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000, on paper and in digital form. Info: http://vermessung.bayern.de/index.html
LITERATURE
Moser Bike Guide, Volume 7: "Genusstouren Oberbayern 1", and Moser Bike Guide, Volume 8: "Genusstouren Oberland 2". By Elmar Moser, Delius Klasing Verlag, price: 29.90 euros each.
"Mountain biking in the south of Munich". 20 selected tours between Kochelsee and Schliersee - with road books and GPS data. By Thomas Roegner, Delius Klasing Verlag, price: 18 euros.
DRIVING TECHNIQUE COURSES
The lawnmowers: Karen Eller and Holger Meyer also give day and weekend courses on the Isar trails. www.dierasenmaeher.de
Joko Tours: general and specialised riding technique courses, e.g. for Transalp or other multi-day tours. www.joko-mtb.de
Mountain Bike Academy: day courses and camps with the riding technique experts centred around Stefan Herrmann. www.mtb-academy.de
GUIDED TOURS
Alps Biketours: Offers special Transalp preparation camps and the BIKE youth camp in spring. www.go-alps.de
DAV M97: The mountain bike group of the German Alpine Club has around 700 members. The programme includes after-work rides on Wednesdays, day tours and riding technique courses. www.m97.de
Geobike: Isar evening tours and sundowner tours to Lake Starnberg. www.geobike.com
Joko Tours: Day tours in the south of Munich. www.joko-mtb.de
Moooove: Indoor cycle centre and regular training rides with mechanic courses, performance diagnostics and race preparation. www.moooove.de
Ulpbike: Hut tours just outside Munich, pre-season camps and riding technique courses. www.ulpbike.de
Downloads:
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
