Hike – Oberammergau - Graswang

Glass-clear streams wend their way through the moss, feeding the River Ammer. The river has its source in the Graswang Valley on the border with Austria, where it is initially known as the Linder and flows past Linderhof before seeping into the gravel of the valley.

In the vicinity of the farmsteads in the hamlet of Rahm (the "Rahmbauernhöfe") and above the Ettal Mill, it remerges in the form of several bubbling springs. Make your way through the Dickenwald forest to the Rahmbauernhöfe. The Dickenwald forms a particular kind of woodland referred to as a "ravine forest".

This comprises a mixture of ash, maple and elm that grow so quickly that conifers or beech trees have no chance and are overrun. You will soon reach the "Rahmbauernhöfe", which date back to 1803. In this instance, "Rahm" has nothing to do with "Schlagrahm", the German word for whipped cream. It designates meadows within a mountain forest.

In times past, the Graswang Valley was probably naturally forest free due to the fact that growing woodland was constantly cleared away by floods. Just like throughout the whole of the hike, the final section towards Graswang continues to offer fantastic views of the highest mountains in the Ammergau Alps, such as the Notkarspitze or the Kienjoch to the South or the imposing Scheinbergspitze and Klammspitze to the East.

The small municipality of Graswang, which you will shortly reach, is definitely one of the most picturesque villages in the Alps. Although its inhabitants previously lived from agriculture and forestry , the main role today is played by tourism. Return via the Ettal Mill passing the Dickelschwaig, which is located in the centre of a large field. Previously a stables building for the abbey, the Dickelschwaig later became a forestry office.

Proceed through the Mühlwald forest to return to the Weidmoos Moor and back to Oberammergau.