How difficult is the route out of Munich (der Münchner Jakobsweg)?

[Prentiss Riddle]

In Agés we met a nice German couple who were singing the praises of the Münchner Jakobsweg, which runs from the historic center of Munich up the Isar River valley and then zigzags southwest to Lake Constance (the Bodensee) on the Swiss border.

Is this really a doable route for a middle-aged, unathletic pilgrim like me who finds the hills on the Francés hard enough?

I spent a year in Munich as a student and the idea of starting a pilgrimage there is magical. But the mere thought of the Alps is just about enough to give me a heart attack...

 

[MinaKamina]

Hi Prentiss Riddle, the website has a nice overview of the heights on the Müncher Jacobsweg, so that will give you an idea of the way UP and also down. To my pagan eyes it looks as if you will have to do some Abseilen on the last stretch, since the track goes from 1000 meter to less than 500 in about 2 kms.
http://www.hanna-jakobsweg.de/page/wegbeschreibung/wegprofil.html
On the other hand - there are recommendations fo certain (short) tracks that one should not hike with a child in a buggy, so it looks there is hope.

I think you should go for the magic, and take a detour or a bus when you feel like it, and decide about the Alps once you see eye to eye.

 

[Felipe]

Not particularly difficult. It is more hilly than mountain country (unless you choose the new transversal way by the Isar into Austria). A lot depends on the weather. I walked in mid-March, and I had a very tough day in the Ammerschlucht, after Peißenberg (which *I don't recommend walking with bad weather*, prefer the less scenic but safer paved road). It can be lonely, too, I never met other pilgrims. All this can change once the "trekking season" start (from May to September, more or less) since trekking is a national passion in Germany.
It is a very beautiful country, people are friendly (notice that in villages English is not so common as in Munich), food is great (if you are not a veggie...) and, as you know, beer jars have almost mythological proportions.
My photo profile was taken precisely in Peißenberg; and that was the easy part of the day.

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

Vielen Dank, Mina & Felipe! The Germans who tipped me off to this route suggested June, when the weather is good but the students are still at Uni. We'll see...

 

[Kitsambler]

the Münchner Jakobsweg, ...Is this really a doable route for a middle-aged, unathletic pilgrim...

I claim that category for myself as well. And I loved walking the nearby route running from Ulm to Konstanz; the terrain is gently rolling there. Recommend you give the Muenchner a try!

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello, Prentiss Riddle

A portion of the Munchen Jacobsweg coincides with Der Konig Ludwig Weg, a superb 6 day hike from Starnberg See to Neuschwanstein castle in Fuessen. A detour after Wieskirche is worth the effort. Walt Disney modelled his castle on this one.....

http://koenig-ludwig-weg.de/Koenig-Ludwig-Weg,Flyer2017.pdf

Cheers
LK

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

I'm reviving this old thread to ask about accommodations. I took a look at Booking.com and Google, and I'm not finding much outside of conventional hotels in the €100 range and up - mostly more like €250.

Are there albergues/hostels on the Münchner Jakobsweg? Am I overlooking something?

Vielen Dank.

 

[Kitsambler]

Are there albergues/hostels on the Münchner Jakobsweg?

Try these: (Google translate is your friend)
https://www.fernwege.de/d/jakobsweg/muenchen-lindau/hotel/hotelliste/index.html?type=0%25D...2%C3%90

https://www.fernwege.de/d/jakobsweg/muenchen-lindau/hotel/hotelliste/index.html?type=0%25D...2%C3%90

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

Danke schön! I’ll study the list. Have you walked it yourself? Are reservations necessary? Any other tips?

 

[HaraldS]

A friend of mine walked the Münchner Jakobsweg and liked it very much. It's being discussed regularly in the German Pilgrim's Forum. There's a guidebook from 2014 which recommends places to stay. You're very welcome to the German forum, don't hesitate to participate in english. We discussed the Münchener Weg e.g. in these threads:
Münchner Jakobsweg
Münchner Weg - Unterkunft in Starnberg
Pilgerunterkunft in Steingaden (Münchner Jakobsweg) gesucht
Übernachtungen am Münchner Jakobsweg

Harald

 

[Kitsambler]

Have you walked it yourself? Are reservations necessary? Any other tips?

I walked the main Jakobsweg route, passing through Ulm and Konstanz so that's north of the Munchner but parallel, in late May. This counted as early spring, so there were not crowds of other walkers. I did not make reservations in advance. As elsewhere in Germany, breakfasts are quite substantial, the churches are usually open and frequently have Pilgerstempel (the credential stamps), bus shelters are great for lunch breaks.