Brannenburg offers culture-minded travelers a range of ways to explore: along the art trail, artworks draw attention to special features of the natural landscape; at Biber, the focus is on church architecture, the Stations of the Cross and the history of stone quarrying. The Riesenkopf also offers seasonal activities. These options involve different considerations when planning your trip: trail length and elevation gain, historical themes, and dependence on snow and weather.
Art Trail: Art and Elevation Gain
The art trail begins at the valley station of the Wendelstein rack railway and comprises 13 stops. The artworks highlight special features of the natural landscape. As one of five themed trails in the Wendelstein-Streifzüge community project, it also forms part of a broader thematic context. The route is 11.7 kilometers long, with an elevation gain of 1,200 meters. The ascent is listed as taking about 3¾ hours, and the descent about 3¼ hours. The comparison helps with planning: the ascent is estimated to take about half an hour longer than the descent. The distance and elevation change also give a concrete idea of the scale of the hike.
St. Mary Magdalene and the Stations of the Cross at Biber
The early Baroque pilgrimage church of St. Mary Magdalene at Biber dates back to the construction of a small church in 1628/29; it was consecrated in 1636. This makes it possible to distinguish the early construction history from the Stations of the Cross, which were added later: the stations were added in 1733/1736 and comprise 15 stops. In summer, the former pilgrimage church offers views of the Riesenkopf and Maiwand. The landscape adds a seasonal perspective on two named peaks to the historical themes.
Millstone Quarrying and Nagelfluh Conglomerate
At various stops, the Brannenburg cultural walk explores the beginnings of Degerndorf’s industrial history and millstone quarrying from the 9th century onward. It also provides information about the geology of the Nagelfluh conglomerate at the so-called Biberstein. The “Biberrundweg” and “Nußdorfer Mühlenweg” hiking trails are also part of the project on the millstone quarries in the Inn Valley. Three quarrying companies at Biber are taking part in a project featuring display objects and information boards. Topics include Nagelfluh conglomerate blocks, millstone quarrying, wedge splitting and stone sawing techniques. The geological and craft aspects of the cultural landscape are presented side by side, without equating the two hiking trails.
Winter Activities at the Riesenkopf
The Riesenberg cross-country ski trail is located at the foot of the Riesenkopf. When snow and weather conditions are suitable, it is regularly groomed for classic cross-country skiing and skating over a distance of about 10 kilometers between Brannenburg and Flintsbach am Inn. Whether this option suits your travel dates therefore depends on the conditions at the time; check them before planning a tour. Snowshoeing offers another way to experience the winter landscape. Both activities are seasonal, but require different planning: snow and weather are explicitly decisive for the ski trail, while snowshoeing is described as a winter experience.
Starting Your Hike in Milbing
The free Erlach hiking car park is on the outskirts of Brannenburg in the district of Milbing. It is a starting point for hikes to the Riesenkopf and into the Wendelstein area. This provides a named starting point to help visitors find their way to these hiking destinations.
Discover more destinations: Amerang, Oberaudorf, Rimsting, Griesstätt, Pfaffing, Flintsbach Am Inn, Rosenheim, Ramerberg.
Go to the main travel overview: Rosenheim.
