Via Alpina Purple A65

The Via Alpina Purple A65 is a 20.8 km point-to-point day stage in the Allgäu Alps of Bavaria, Germany, gaining 1,742 m of elevation over approximately 9–10 hours of walking. Rated Difficulty II on the Via Alpina scale, this demanding mountain route connects Tannheim village to the Prinz-Luitpold-Haus alpine hut via the Geißhorn summit (2,296 m), the Rauhhorn (2,240 m), and the glacially carved Schrecksee lake — showcasing the finest high-Alpine scenery in southern Germany.

About the Via Alpina Purple A65

Stage A65 is one of 161 stages on the Via Alpina Purple Trail — Europe's longest trans-Alpine route, stretching 2,668 km from Trieste on the Adriatic Sea to Monaco on the Mediterranean across Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and France. The Purple Trail is the backbone of the Via Alpina network, and its German stages traverse the Allgäu Alps: a chain of dramatic limestone peaks, ancient alpine pastures, and mirror-still glacial lakes straddling the Bavaria–Austria border.

Stage A65 begins in Tannheim (1,098 m), the main village of the Tannheimer Tal — a high enclosed valley ringed by dolomitic cliffs that remains one of the least-developed corners of the German Alps. The stage ends at Prinz-Luitpold-Haus (1,846 m), a staffed mountain hut operated by the German Alpine Club (Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV) and named for Prince Luitpold of Bavaria. Between these two points, the trail gains more vertical than almost any other German section of the Via Alpina, ascending the full height of two 2,000 m+ summits in a single day.

The stage is categorised as Difficulty II on the Via Alpina's four-level scale, equivalent to SAC T3 Mountain Hiker: solid fitness, sure-footedness, and familiarity with high-alpine terrain are all required. Exposed ridge sections near the Geißhorn, loose scree on the descent from Rauhhorn, and the steep approach to Lahnerscharte all demand careful footwork. For well-prepared hikers, A65 is among the most rewarding stages on the entire Purple Trail.

At Prinz-Luitpold-Haus, Stage A65 intersects with the Red Trail (stages R49 and R50), making this hut a strategic junction for hikers combining or switching routes. The Via Alpina is fully recognised as part of the International Walking Network (IWN), one of the world's highest-grade long-distance walking organisations.

Route Overview & Stages

The 20.8 km route climbs from the Tannheim valley floor, ascends to the Geißhorn ridge, traverses the Rauhhorn plateau, descends to Schrecksee, then rises again to cross the Lahnerscharte before dropping to the hut. Two distinct ascent phases make the cumulative elevation gain of 1,742 m genuinely demanding — plan for 9–10 hours of moving time plus rest breaks.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Tannheim (1,098 m) — The Tannheimer Tal's principal village and stage start point. Enclosed by dolomitic limestone walls on three sides, this valley has preserved its traditional Bavarian Alpine character; the spire of the parish church is visible from the first kilometres of the trail.
• Älpele Alm — A staffed summer pasture approximately 5 km from Tannheim, where traditional cattle farming continues through the Alpine season. The approach follows the Älpelebach stream, providing reliable fresh water in the first third of the stage before the serious climbing begins.
• Geißhorn (2,296 m) — The day's highest point and one of the most prominent summits in the eastern Allgäu Alps. On clear days the panorama stretches from the Zugspitze (Germany's highest peak at 2,962 m) to the east and the Lechtaler Alps to the west — a 360° sweep across four countries in exceptional visibility.
• Rauhhorn (2,240 m) — A secondary summit southwest of the Geißhorn, connected by a narrow limestone ridge requiring careful footing in wet or misty conditions. The rock is characteristic Allgäu limestone: grey, jagged, and worn smooth by centuries of weather and boots.
• Schrecksee (1,813 m) — The undisputed scenic centrepiece of Stage A65. This glacially carved cirque lake sits in a rocky bowl beneath sheer limestone walls; its extraordinary turquoise colouring stems from glacial silt suspended in exceptionally cold, clear water. Swimming is permitted — the lake rarely exceeds 10 °C even at the height of summer.
• Lahnerscharte — A high mountain pass linking the Schrecksee basin to the slopes above Prinz-Luitpold-Haus. The ascent from the lakeshore involves approximately 400 m of steep scree and loose boulders; trekking poles are a genuine asset here, not merely a comfort item.
• Jubiläumsweg — A historic commemorative path built to mark an anniversary of the DAV, traversing the lower slopes between Lahnerscharte and the hut. Its moderate gradient provides welcome relief after the demanding ascent, and the views back across the Allgäu ridgeline are exceptional in late afternoon light.
• Prinz-Luitpold-Haus (1,846 m) — Named for Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, this well-equipped DAV hut sleeps around 100 guests across dormitory and private rooms and serves hot meals from breakfast through dinner. The sunrise view from the terrace across the surrounding limestone massif is reason enough to start the next stage an hour later than planned.

Best Time to Hike the Via Alpina Purple A65

Stage A65 is an exclusively high-alpine route with two crossings above 2,200 m, making it strongly dependent on snow conditions. The reliable hiking window is mid-June to mid-October, but conditions vary considerably across that span.

July is the single best month for hiking the Via Alpina Purple A65. By then all passes are reliably snow-free, Alpine wildflowers are at peak bloom across the meadows below the Geißhorn, and daylight extends past 21:00 — enough for a relaxed 9–10 hour day without time pressure. Daytime temperatures at altitude sit between 12 °C and 18 °C, with cool nights at the hut well-suited to deep sleep before Stage A66.

August brings equally stable weather and the Schrecksee reaches its warmest swimming temperatures, but trail and hut occupancy peak sharply. Prinz-Luitpold-Haus fills on summer weekends — book at least 3–4 weeks ahead for August dates. Early September is arguably the best overall compromise: far fewer hikers, continued high-pressure stability, and the first hints of autumn colour on the valley slopes below Tannheim.

Late October brings early-season snowfall above 2,000 m, making the Geißhorn and Lahnerscharte sections potentially dangerous without crampons and ice axe. As of 2026, the Allgäu Alps have been experiencing a noticeably earlier onset of summer conditions due to reduced winter snowpack — the Lahnerscharte often clears fully by the first week of June, earlier than the late-June dates that were historically typical. Always confirm current snow conditions directly with the hut guardian at Prinz-Luitpold-Haus before attempting the route outside the core July–September window.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Prinz-Luitpold-Haus is the natural overnight stop at the end of Stage A65. This DAV-staffed mountain hut (open mid-June to mid-October) offers the following approximate rates:

• Dormitory beds (Matratzenlager): €35–42 per person including linen
• Private double rooms: €55–70 per person
• Half-board supplement (dinner + breakfast): approximately €28–35 per person
• DAV, SAC, and ÖAV members receive a nightly discount of approximately €10–15
• Reservations strongly recommended for July and August — book via the DAV hut booking portal (alpenvereinshuetten.de)

In Tannheim at the stage start, accommodation ranges from holiday apartments (Ferienwohnungen) at €25–45 per person per night to traditional Gasthöfe at €55–85 including breakfast. The municipal campsite offers pitches from €12 per night plus €8 per person — suitable for hikers arriving the previous evening to depart early the next morning.

Getting There & Back

To Tannheim (stage start): The nearest rail hub is Reutte in Tirol (Austria), approximately 22 km from Tannheim. Regional buses connect Reutte to Tannheim several times daily with a journey time of approximately 35 minutes. Reutte is reached by train from Innsbruck (1 hour 10 minutes) or by Regionalbus from Füssen, Germany, which is itself served by direct trains from Munich in approximately 2 hours. By car, Tannheim is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes from Munich via the A96 and B309.

From Prinz-Luitpold-Haus (stage end): The hut has no road access. Continuing on Stage A66 brings hikers to Oberstdorf (approximately 6–7 hours of walking), which has direct trains to Munich in 1 hour 50 minutes. For a vehicle shuttle, a taxi between Oberstdorf and Tannheim costs approximately €70–90 and takes around 45 minutes.

Permits & Fees

No walking permit is required on Stage A65. The route passes through the Allgäuer Hochalpen Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Allgäuer Hochalpen), where wild camping and open fires are prohibited but day hiking and hut-to-hut travel are unrestricted. There are no trail entry fees or access charges. Hut payment is made on arrival at Prinz-Luitpold-Haus — card payment is not always available, so carry sufficient cash. DAV membership (approximately €70–85 per year) is not mandatory but delivers nightly discounts of €10–15 at all DAV huts along the full Purple Trail.

Gear & Packing List

Stage A65 demands genuine mountain hiking equipment. The 1,742 m of ascent, exposed ridge traverses, and the Allgäu's well-known tendency towards afternoon thunderstorms in July and August mean no shortcuts on kit. If you're calculating food for the day, how many calories you need hiking a full day covers the calculation in detail — a 9–10 hour alpine stage burns approximately 3,500–4,500 kcal depending on pace, pack weight, and body mass.

Backpack: A 45–65 L pack with a supportive hipbelt handles the typical three-to-four day kit needed for this section of the Purple Trail. Top choices for Alpine hut-to-hut hiking:

• Osprey Aether 65 — a benchmark multi-day Alpine pack with excellent load transfer, widely used by Via Alpina long-distance hikers carrying full hut kit across the German stages
• Deuter Aircontact Core 50+10 — German-engineered with the Vari Quick fit system, well matched to the varied terrain and sustained load demands of an Allgäu multi-day stage
• Deuter Aircontact Lite 45+10 — the lighter sibling for hikers targeting a sub-12 kg base weight, with no compromise on back system support on demanding terrain like A65

For through-hikers planning the full Purple Trail, the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 reviews seven tested packs including frameless designs rated for technical alpine terrain.

Essential gear checklist for Stage A65:

• Mountain hiking boots with ankle support and stiff midsole — mandatory for the Lahnerscharte scree and loose boulder terrain
• Trekking poles — particularly valuable on the descent from Rauhhorn and the boulder section below Lahnerscharte
• Waterproof hardshell jacket and mid-layer insulation — alpine weather changes fast above 2,000 m in the Allgäu
• Sun protection: SPF 50+ sunscreen, UV-rated sunglasses, sun hat — UV intensity at 2,000–2,300 m is significantly higher than at sea level
• 2-litre water capacity minimum — refill at Älpele Alm; no reliable water source between Schrecksee and Prinz-Luitpold-Haus
• Headlamp with spare batteries — useful for early starts from Tannheim to clear the Geißhorn before afternoon storm risk builds
• Hut sheet sleeping bag liner — required or strongly recommended at Prinz-Luitpold-Haus dormitory
• 1:25,000 topographic map: Kompass WK 04 (Allgäuer Alpen / Tannheimer Berge) covers the full stage

Similar Trails You Might Like

Hikers drawn to long-distance European mountain routes within the same IWN network have several compelling options. The Europäischer Fernwanderweg E8 (Rheinland-Pfalz) and E8 (Nordrhein-Westfalen) offer a gentler forested contrast through western Germany's river valleys — excellent for hikers wanting extended distance without Alpine technical demands. For a comparably dramatic single-day mountain crossing at significantly lower cost, the Theth to Valbona hike in Albania delivers equivalent elevation and scenery with a fraction of the hut prices. Germany's eastern long-distance network also offers extensive options through varied lowland terrain:

• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11, Sachsen-Anhalt (W)
• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11, Sachsen-Anhalt (O)
• Europäischer Fernwanderweg E11, Brandenburg (O)

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Via Alpina Purple A65?

July is the optimal month. All passes are reliably snow-free, wildflowers are at peak across the alpine meadows, and long daylight hours easily accommodate the 9–10 hour stage. Early September is a strong second choice — quieter trails, stable weather, and the hut still operating. Avoid May, early June, and after mid-October unless you confirm current snow conditions with Prinz-Luitpold-Haus directly.

How difficult is the Via Alpina Purple A65?

Difficulty II on the Via Alpina scale, equivalent to SAC T3 Mountain Hiker. The stage requires solid fitness, sure-footedness on loose scree and exposed ridges, and experience with alpine conditions. The 1,742 m of elevation gain over 20.8 km places it among the most demanding German day stages. The exposed sections near the Geißhorn and Lahnerscharte require confident mountain movement skills and should not be underestimated.

How many kilometres per day is typical on the Via Alpina Purple Trail?

On the German Allgäu stages, a realistic daily budget is 15–22 km with 1,200–1,800 m of elevation gain. Stage A65 at 20.8 km sits at the upper end of that range. Hikers completing the full Purple Trail through Germany average around 18 km per day. Pack weight is the biggest controllable variable — a trail-optimised lightweight pack meaningfully increases sustainable daily range over a multi-week traverse.

What accommodation is available on Stage A65?

The primary option is Prinz-Luitpold-Haus, a DAV-staffed alpine hut at 1,846 m at the stage end. Dormitory beds cost approximately €35–42 per person; half-board adds €28–35 per person. Book ahead for July and August weekends. At the stage start in Tannheim, guesthouses, holiday apartments, and a campsite cover all budgets from a €12 campsite pitch to €85+ for a Gasthof with breakfast.

Are any permits required to hike the Via Alpina Purple A65?

No permits are needed. Stage A65 passes through the Allgäuer Hochalpen Nature Reserve, which prohibits wild camping and open fires but places no restrictions on day hiking or hut-to-hut travel. There are no trail fees or access charges. DAV membership (approximately €70–85 per year) is voluntary but delivers nightly discounts of €10–15 at Prinz-Luitpold-Haus and all other DAV huts along the full Via Alpina Purple Trail.