An easy loop walk over two fine summits overlooking the German plain. Since they are the very first peaks to rise from the plain, and stand apart from other mountains on their northern side, the panorama from these summits is particularly wide. An ideal itinerary for a day of clear, cloudless sky.
The walk starts from the car park of the Herzogstand cable car (Herzogstandbahn) (m813, 5€). From here it is worth taking the cable car, which carries us up to about 1600 metres (8€); alternatively you can walk up on path H2/446 (1.45 hours).
From the Herzogstand top station (m1600) we make our way through a dense crowd of hikers and reach the Herzogstandhäuser (refreshments) on the level. From there, on a path that cuts 6 or 7 neat hairpins into the mountain, we gain the panoramic summit of the Herzogstand (m1731, 0.40 hours). On the summit a strange pagoda awaits us, with panels describing the geology and history of the area.
From here we take the Gratweg (“ridge path”), which descends westwards towards our next goal, the summit of the Heimgarten. The traverse is about 3km long and fitted with a couple of handrails at the most “exposed” points, so it is never dangerous. A final steep pull brings us to the summit cross of the Heimgarten (m1788, 1.20 hours) and, a little below, a fine mountain hut with a panoramic terrace, imaginatively named the Heimgartenhütte.
The descent offers spectacular views, first over the valleys to the south, cloaked in conifers as far as the eye can see, and further on over the Walchensee. Back on the valley floor, we follow a stream that leads us back to the cable car car park (m813, 2 hours).
