Imagine you are hiking through the forest, the deep, dark forest. You’ve been at it for hours, following the winding trials (and hopefully, following the signs!) and you just ran out of water and snackage. You trudge on. You crest a small rise on the trail and you can either continue upwards, where the trail meanders left, or head downwards toward the valley floor. You decide on the latter choice. As you make your way down the rocky path, you start hearing muttered voices in the distance. You continue down. Now you see a parking lot, your first sign of civilization in 2 hours. Where there are cars, there is hope!

You follow the sound of the noise and stumble upon a large house. On the front are emblazoned the words “Naturfreundehaus Finsterbrunnertal”. Depending on how long you have been in Germany, you may have no idea what that means. You continue towards the house which is flanked on three sides by steep hills. You now see people carrying trays laden with plates of food and mugs of golden beer. You have arrived!

Combine with: Karlstalschlucht

There is a parking lot right in front of the building so driving there is practical. However, many people use this place as a stop during their hike or their bike ride. There is also a playground so you can turn the kids loose while you get your food and drink on! The menu is simple, but that’s all you need. If you want to incorporate a short hike, keep driving east until you see a sign that says “Unterhammer”, you can park there and follow the trail west back to the Finsterbrunnertal or go east to the Karlstal.