We firmly believe that every trail has unique rewards to anyone who is lucky enough to wander along them. Some trails grant the satisfaction of summiting high peaks or passes, others promise stark and beautiful solitude, while still others transport their walkers to incredible vistas and uncommon places. If you’re searching for a rugged and demanding high mountain trek, the Lechweg isn’t for you. Instead, the Lechweg gently meanders its way through a variety of landscapes as it follows the wild Lech River from its alpine source, across country borders, and to its terminus in the beautiful hills of Bavaria. It isn’t without challenges, however, and it certainly promises to be a rewarding and unforgettable experience for all who walk it. This is a hike that will appeal to a wide range of walkers: nature lovers, less experienced walkers, dedicated backpackers, gastrophiles, history buffs, and truly anyone who appreciates the good life. If you want to spend your days wandering through mossy forests, passing alpine lakes and crumbling castles, viewing the rushing turquoise river, visiting quaint, friendly villages, and tasting fantastic food, this hike surely won’t disappoint!
We walked the Lechweg over six days in late July 2019. This was the third of five treks that would make up our “trip of a lifetime” round the world adventure. After completing the Laugavegur Trail and then the Haute Route, we welcomed the mellower profile of the Lechweg. Despite its good underfoot conditions and its relatively flat nature, we still felt plenty challenged by the fast pace at which we completed the trek (averaging 13 miles per day) and the added effort of camping along the way. As with all of our long-distance treks, we chose to camp as much as possible along the Lechweg. We prefer camping for its budget-friendly nature, flexibility, and because it allows us to maximize our time outdoors in the wild places we’re experiencing. We had a great time camping on the Lechweg and we highly recommend it to others. When we began researching the Lechweg,we found very little information out there, especially when it came to camping. This is a relatively new trail (opened in 2012), and hikers are still discovering its awesomeness. We hope this guide will be helpful for our fellow tent-dwellers as they plan for their own Lechweg adventure!
A bit about the hike:
Direction: The Lechweg is traditionally walked northeast from Lech, Austria to Füssen, Germany. This trajectory allows hikers to follow the Lech River from its source at Lake Formarinsee down to its terminus at the Lechfall. Since it follows the flow of the river, the trail is predominantly downhill in this direction. We hiked the Lechweg in the traditional northeast fashion and enjoyed watching the river and landscape change along the way. We didn’t feel that it was too much downhill walking (it’s mostly flat with some undulating sections). You could easily hike in the other direction, however. It would be a bit more challenging, as you’d be generally hiking uphill the entire way, but it’s still very doable. If you hiked southwest, you could simply reverse the itinerary and wouldn’t need to make any major changes to the route or logistics. You’ll see plenty of other hikers going both ways, but we never found the trail to be overly crowded in either direction.
When to do it: The general season for hiking the Lechweg typically lasts from mid-June through early October, although this window is subject to some variability, especially at the higher elevations. You can usually hike the sections between Steeg and Füssen in May, which is a good option if you wanted to do a shorter variation and skip the snowier stages between Steeg and Formarinsee. Most of the accommodation you’ll find along the Lechweg is open year-round (including the campgrounds).
Notes:
- All prices listed in this guide are per person, per day.
- Campers will obviously need to carry more than other hikers, but you should still make every effort to only bring absolute necessities and keep your pack weight down.
- This guide is based on a fast-paced 6-day itinerary. There are many itinerary options, ranging from 6-8 days, but the itinerary we recommend in our guide will allow you to camp as much as possible.
- According to the official Lechweg website, wild camping in along the trail is prohibited by law. Fortunately, there are official campsites that are easily accessible along the route. While not entirely cheap, we feel it is important to use these facilities whenever they are available in order to give respect to the local communities and the fragile natural environment. If you choose to wild camp, set up after dusk, pack up at dawn, and utilize leave no trace practices. As the trail remains close to civilization for a large portion of your hike, wild camping would be very difficult in many places. In this guide, we noted areas where it would be particularly easy or hard to wild camp.
- Reservations are not necessary for any of the campgrounds along the Lechweg. If you’re worried about getting a good pitch, try to get to the campground before 5:00pm and you should be just fine.
- Overall, food and water are plentiful along the route. However, you’ll need to be a bit strategic if you want to save money by purchasing your food at grocery stores instead of spending a fortune on restaurant meals. We’ve noted the availability of shops and services along each stage of the Lechweg. Use this guide to plan ahead and stock up ahead of longer stretches without shops. Keep in mind that most stores are closed on Sundays. In terms of water, we filled our hydration bladders in the morning and carried 2-3 liters per day (it was quite hot when we hiked). All of the campgrounds provide potable water. On most days you’ll pass through towns with public water fountains, but this is certainly not guaranteed on every stage of the walk.
A Note on Camping:
If you are wanting to camp along every stage of the Lechweg, you’ll need to be a bit strategic, as camping options are limited on some parts of the trail. There are no official campsites until you reach just past the village of Häselgehr (Camping Rudi). The first stage of the Lechweg begins at Lake Formarinsee and terminates in the town of Lech. We saw a few possible wild camping spots near Formarinsee and also a few miles past Lech. Keep in mind however, that wild camping is technically not permitted. Additionally, there is quite a bit of agricultural land in this area, so make sure to ask the landowner’s permission before pitching your tent near grazing cattle or farmland. Further past Lech, wild camping becomes pretty difficult, since you’re never far from civilization. If you want to camp, but only in official campsites, you have the option of using one campsite as a base and then taking the bus (Bus 110 runs between Lech and Reutte and you can the tourist card provided by your accommodation to ride for free) to the start of your hiking stage each day. If you choose this option, we recommend choosing Camping Vorderhornbach, due to the fact that it has the nicest facilities and easiest proximity to the bus stop.
Of course, your other option is to stay indoors for the first three stages of your Lechweg walk and camp for the second half. We opted to stay in an AirBnb in Stubenbach (a small village just south of Lech) and use it as a base for completing the first two stages. We stayed in a hotel in Steeg, and then camped from that point onwards. This was a great way to balance luxury with frugality, and it allowed us to thru-hike the trail more flexibly without worrying about the bus schedule or reservations for the later stages of the hike.
Day One: Formarinsee to Lech
Camping Availability: None
As mentioned above, you might be able to wild camp near Formarinsee or on the outskirts of Lech, but there are no official campgrounds on this stage. For budget accommodation, consider staying in Stubenbach, which is a smaller more affordable town next to Lech. You could also stay at the Freiburger Hütte before beginning the first stage of your hike. This is a cozy, friendly spot with beautiful views of the lake.
Nearby: There are two grocery stores in Lech, as well as an outdoor retailer, bakeries, ATM, restaurants, a post office, and bus stop. Other than bus stops, there are no services available in Formarinsee or Stubenbach.
Day Two: Lech to Steeg
Camping Availability: None
Despite the lack of camping availability, we recommend spending a night in Steeg if you’re able to. This was one of the most charming towns we visited on our walk, and it has a variety of options for accommodation and services.
Nearby: Grocery store, bus stop, restaurants, ATM, fromagerie.
Day Three: Steeg to Häselgehr
Camping Availability: Camping Rudi
If you’re up for a long day (17 miles), you can finally reach your first real campground on this stage of the walk! The lovely Camping Rudi is located a bit past Häselgehr, and requires a short detour from the trail. Despite a recent fire which damaged the original facilities, the campground still provides very nice toilets and showers in a portable structure. They are in the process of building new facilities in the near future. The campground, like most along the Lechweg, is dominated by caravans and camping vans, but there is a nice grassy area with plenty of flat spaces to pitch a tent.
Price: €8.60 per person + €4 for small tents + €1.30 tourist tax per person (cash only)
Services: Hot showers, toilets (soap and toilet paper provided), room for washing up, small covered sitting area, outlets in bathrooms, and free wifi. Ice cream, beer, and stove fuel are available for sale at the reception. Bread and pastries can be ordered for the morning. Trash and recycling available. Tourist card provided (includes bus pass).
Nearby: There are no shops or other services near the campground. You’ll need to walk about 15 minutes to reach the bus stop.
Day Four: Camping Rudi to Vorderhornbach
If you’re feeling tired after the long distances you’ve covered over the previous days, you’ll be happy to know that it’s just a short hike to reach Camping Vorderhornbach. Even though today’s walk will likely take you less than three hours, Camping Vorderhornbach is the most practical next stop for campers. Plus, with its excellent facilities, it’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon off.
Camping Availability: Camping Vorderhornbach
Price: €9 per person + €12.50 per tent + €1.40 per person tourist tax.
Services: Very nice facilities including showers with hot water, sinks for washing, and an indoor space with coffee machine. Free wifi available throughout along with restaurant, beer garden, laundry drying racks, and swimming pool (additional cost). Bread and pastries can be ordered for the morning.
Nearby: There is a bus stop and a restaurant in the town of Vorderhornbach, which is a ten-minute walk from the campground. There are no shops within walking distance of the campground, however.
Day Five: Vorderhornbach to Reutte
In order to camp on this stage of the Lechweg, you’ll need to detour from the trail a bit (the detour takes about half an hour). Reutte, although not officially on the Lechweg, is worth a visit. There are multiple supermarkets, several cute cafes, shops, and good restaurants. The campground is a sprawling collection of caravans with retro-looking facilities (which are rather far from the tent pitches), but it is a convenient stop before your final stage on the Lechweg. Keep in mind that getting to Reutte requires another long day of walking, as well as the additional 30 or so minutes you’ll spend walking back to rejoin the trail the following day.
Camping Availability: Camping Reutte
Price: €10 per person + €2.00 per person tourist tax (cash only)
Services: Toilets (TP and soap provided), sinks with hot and cold water, washing up room, covered area near tent pitches with picnic tables and clotheslines, hot showers (€0.5 for 4min or €1 for 8 min), washing machine and dryer, restaurant, free WiFi available near reception, and sauna.
Nearby: There are a few supermarkets and an ATM within 15 minutes’ walk from the campground. There is a bus stop 5 minutes away. It’s about a 25 minute walk to the shops, cafes, and restaurants in the city center.
Day Six: Reutte to Füssen
Upon completing your Lechweg trek, it would be quite understandable (and well deserved) if you opted to splurge on indoor accommodation in Füssen. That’s what we did, staying at the lovely, moderately priced, and centrally located Hotel Ludwigs. However, if you prefer to camp, Camping Brunnen is located a bit outside of town, but can be easily accessed via the #78 bus.
Camping Availability: Camping Brunnen
Price: €12.10 per person + €1.90 visitor tax per person + €9-15 per tent (depending on type of pitch)
Services: Toilets, hot showers, spa access, laundry, dish washing room, electronics charging, restaurant, beer garden, mini-mart, wifi, and bicycle rentals.
Nearby: The campsite is located on the shores of Lake Forggensee. Although there’s not much in terms of services in the surrounding area, this large campsite has its own restaurant and shop, and it’s about a 10-minute walk to the bus stop.
The Lechweg Trail is a truly unique and beautiful hike that can be customized to all paces, abilities, styles, and budgets. Like so many other great walks, we believe it is best experienced by carrying your tent and spending as many nights under the stars as possible. Hopefully this guide will help and inspire you to embark on your own Lechweg adventure!
