The German Alps

The German Alps

The German Alps rise quite abruptly from the rolling hills of the Alpine Foreland of Bavaria, thus creating a dramatic scenery. The narrow fringe of mountains runs along the German border with Switzerland and Austria from Lake Constance (Bodensee) in the west to Salzburg in Austria in the east.

The German Alps are devided into three sections: The western section of the German Alps are the Allgäuer Alpen, located between Lake Constance and the Lech River. The central section are theBayerische Alpen between the Lech and Inn rivers. Here is Germany’s highest peak, the “Zugspitze” with a height of 2,963 metres above sea level. TheSalzburger Alpen begin at the Inn River, encircle Berchtesgaden, and make up the easternmost section of Germany’s Alps.

The Alpine region is primarily rural. In the beautiful green valleys with their quaint little villages between the mountain ranges and summits dairy farming is the main source of income. The region is also a prime holiday destination, not only for skiing and winter sports but – between May and October – for hiking and relaxing in this highly fascinating and healthy mountain world. The largest and most famous resort towns are Oberstdorf, Füssen, Berchtesgaden and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Oberammergau area.