Camping in Chiemgau
The Chiemgau wraps around the Chiemsee. At roughly 80 square kilometers, it is the largest lake in Bavaria. Southward the land climbs through wide raised bogs and young moraine hills into the Chiemgauer Alpen. The mouth of the Tiroler Achen forms the only inland delta in Central Europe still developing naturally, and together with the Chiemseemoore it belongs to a bird protection area of 13,988 hectares under EU law. That same area is a wetland under the Ramsar Convention.
34 places and units in this region
Places in this region
The year in this region
September: Red-crested pochards gather at Chiemsee
For the red-crested pochard, the Chiemsee is Bavaria's second most important resting and wintering wetland after the Ismaninger Teichgebiet. Molting and wintering run from September to March, and numbers rise markedly during this period, reaching autumn peaks of 3,000 to 8,000 birds statewide. The drakes can be recognized from a distance by their rust-red heads and red bills.
In the middle of the month the sun rises at 6:46 AM and sets at 7:24 PM. That leaves 12 hours and 38 minutes of daylight.
Water and air: Open-Meteo, measured averages. How busy: share of school holidays 2027 across all sixteen federal states. Nature dates: German Weather Service, phenological observations 2014 to 2026 at 39 stations in the region, typical day.
Tours in this region
Marked tours that fit into a day from a site, and one multi day tour per kind.
- Hiking
SalzAlpenSteig
From Prien am Chiemsee over the Chiemgau mountains to Bad Reichenhall, on to the Königssee and as far as the Hallstätter See in Austria. The route follows salt: old pack trails, saltworks and the line of the brine pipeline that once ran from Bad Reichenhall to Traunstein, with boggy ground, mountain streams and quiet forest in between. On the Hochfelln you stand at 1674 metres.
236.6 kmMulti day tour
- Hiking
Maximiliansweg
Section Bayern
King Maximilian II travelled from Lindau on Lake Constance to Berchtesgaden in 1858, and the route picks up his line again. It runs through the Bregenzerwald, past Neuschwanstein, over the Ammergau Alps and the Bavarian foothills into the Chiemgau and Berchtesgaden ranges, across alpine pasture, scree and rooty paths. The view often reaches far out over the lowland.
410.8 kmMulti day tour
- Hiking
Chiemsee Rundweg
Around the lake on field tracks, narrow natural paths and paved promenades, through Bernau, Prien, Gstadt, Seebruck and Chieming. Between Aiterbach and the Sassau peninsula the reeds stand tall, and observation towers rise in the Grabenstätter Moos and the Achen delta. The Alps stay in sight nearly all the way.
58.2 km
- Cycling
Chiemgau-Radweg
Between Inzell, Ruhpolding and Reit im Winkl, mostly on forest and farm tracks through meadows and woodland. Then come Lödensee, Mittersee and Weitsee. The Chiemgau mountains stand ahead or behind the whole way, and towards the end the Schwarzlofer stream accompanies the route into Reit im Winkl.
30.9 km
- Cycling
Bodensee-Königssee-Radweg
Section Chiemgau
In the Chiemgau the route runs through the Priental valley by way of Aschau, Bernau am Chiemsee and Grassau, along the northern edge of the Chiemgau Alps. Before that it crosses the Inn at Neubeuern and rolls over the soft hills of the alpine foreland. At Bernau the Chiemsee appears.
42.5 km350 m ascent
- Mountain biking
Chiemgau King MTB
Eight alpine pastures in one go: from the Chiemgau Arena in Ruhpolding over Maria Eck and the Stoißeralm to Inzell, on to the Bründlingalm, the Torfbahnhof at Rottau and up to the Steinlingalm below the Kampenwand. Then the Staffnalm in the Hochplatte area above Marquartstein, the Jochbergalm near Unterwössen and the Winklmoosalm above Reit im Winkl, before the way back to Ruhpolding. Some 4600 metres of climbing lie in between.
161.3 kmMulti day tour
- Cross country skiing
Aufstiegsloipe Hemmersuppenalm
The track climbs from Reit im Winkl in the valley at 800 metres up through the forest to the plateau of the Hemmersuppenalm above 1200 metres. At the top wide alpine meadows open out under snow, with the Hindenburghütte at their edge. Snow lasts longer up here than below.
6.4 km
Tours: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Lengths computed from the mapped course, as of September 12, 2026.
Animals you can meet here
January to DecemberRed-crested pochard
On the open water of the Chiemsee, especially off the Achendelta and in the Hirschauer Bucht, the red-crested pochard gathers in large numbers. The drakes stand out from a distance with their rust-red head and bright red bill. From September to March, the Chiemsee is Bavaria's second most important resting and wintering water for the species, after the Ismaninger Teichgebiet.
all yearChamois
In the Geigelstein nature reserve between Schleching and Sachrang, and in the districts managed by the Forstbetrieb Ruhpolding, the chamois can be found all year round. In summer it stays in the rocky terrain and on the alpine pastures, in winter it moves down into more wooded slopes, where it is easier to spot from the trails. Its black, backward-curving horns and pale face mask with a dark eye stripe make it unmistakable.
April to SeptemberAlpine marmot
On the open alpine pastures of the Rossalm in the Geigelstein nature reserve, the Alpine marmot is one of the characteristic species. Its stocky build and shrill alarm whistle give it away from a distance. It is most active in the morning and late afternoon, retreating into its cool burrow during the midday heat.
March to JulyEurasian curlew
In the wet meadows around the Achendelta and in the Grabenstätter Moos, the Eurasian curlew reclaims its breeding territory from late March onward. Its long, downward-curved bill and its mournful, far-carrying call give it away from a distance. Around 500 breeding pairs live in Bavaria, with egg-laying beginning no earlier than late March.
Pictures: Freepik
Dark skies
Places certified by DarkSky International.
Winklmoosalm
The alp sits at 1,200 metres above Reit im Winkl, above the haze that hangs in the valley. The mountains also screen off the light of the towns around.
Getting there
- 1 h 00 minMünchen
- 1 h 45 minAugsburg
- 4 h 45 minFrankfurt am Main
- 6 h 30 minKöln
- 6 h 45 minBerlin
- 8 h 30 minHamburg
Good to know
Quiet zones on the Chiemsee
Since 2005 the Chiemsee has had designated quiet zones for birds and fish. Some apply year round, others from March 1 to July 31, affecting mainly the shores of the Herreninsel and the Sassau peninsula. The boundaries are marked with buoys, and maps are available from the local municipalities and the lake authority in Prien.
Observation towers instead of the core zone
The core zone of the nature reserve at the mouth of the Tiroler Achen remains off-limits; on the water, a line of buoys marks the boundary. Two freely accessible observation towers stand ready instead, one at the Lachsgang near Übersee for the west side of the delta, one at the Hirschauer Bucht for the east side. Both are free of charge and equipped with telescopes.
Behavior in the protected areas
In the region's nature reserves the rules are: stay on the marked trails, keep dogs on a leash, do not collect plants or mushrooms, and do not fly drones or kites. At the Achendelta, access to the delta's core is closed off so that breeding birds remain undisturbed. The specific rules in force are posted at the entrances to each area.
Fire in the forest
Under Article 17 of the Bavarian Forest Act, open fires in the forest and within 100 meters of it require official permission. Smoking in the forest is prohibited from March 1 to October 31. Grilling therefore belongs at the designated sites run by the municipalities and campgrounds.
To the islands without a car
From Prien station, the meter-gauge Chiemsee-Bahn has run the not quite 1.8 kilometers down to the harbor at Prien/Stock since 1887, in summer pulled by the 1887 steam locomotive Laura. Regular service runs from late May to late September. From Stock, the boats of the Chiemsee-Schifffahrt serve the Herreninsel and the Fraueninsel; bicycles and dogs are carried on certain routes.
Trails, bikes, and horses
Article 28 of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act permits hiking, horseback riding, and travel by non-motorized vehicles on private paths in the open countryside, with pedestrians given priority. In the forest, cycling and horseback riding are allowed only on roads and suitable paths, and farmland may be entered only on existing paths during the working season. Trail markings may only be put up with the approval of the lower nature conservation authority, so the signposted routes can be relied on.
About this region
Chiemgau lies around the Chiemsee, Bavaria's largest lake, and rises south into the Chiemgauer Alpen. Its defining feature is the mouth of the Tiroler Achen, one of the last naturally developing inland deltas in Europe. Pitches range from lakeside spots to campsites at the foot of the mountains.
Summer is busiest, spring and autumn are quieter. When a site is open is shown in each listing's calendar.
