We went hiking again! This was such a different hike than our hike to Siebenhütten but we loved it as well! This time we were near Chiemsee on the Samerberg, and hiked up to the Käser Alm.
We drove (and what a drive it was! The views!!) to the bottom of the Hochriesbahn and parked, and then started our hike. The drive from Munich took about 55 minutes with no traffic. The beginning of the trail is rather steep and is paved, which was a little tricky because a few cars and a tractor drove past, and we had to be careful. This is just the first section though, and after we got out of the initial ascent there was no more traffic. We passed a thrilling mountain biking course and took a little break to watch the crazy bikers.
We continued on through a section of field, which was the hardest and hottest section, until we entered a forest, where we took a “shortcut” up the hillside over roots and stones – it was definitely challenging but we had Luke in the hiking pack and Charlie stopped his complaining because he was so focused on scrambling up the trail – so although it was harder, he moved better and faster because it was simply more interesting. At the top we scrambled over three cow gates – a bit of a challenge because of the barbed wire, but also exciting in its own way – and found ourselves at the Alm!
The Käser Alm itself is situated in the middle of a valley with spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and the Paragliders above. There were two horses grazing, some cows in the distance, and, of course, a beautiful Biergarten with a spectacular natural playground. We ate a Brotzeitplatte and Kaiserschmarrn and drank some beer and fresh buttermilk – the food was really excellent and the prices were good.
The Alm itself is cozy but quite picturesque and the kids loved playing on the really spectacularly designed playground – which managed to have interesting and challenging elements that completely fit in with the surrounding Alps – wooden bridges, interestingly shaped trees, stacked logs for climbing, and a shady sandbox.
We were pretty exhausted from the climb up – the signs told us it was a 20 minute walk, but we found the hike to be quite difficult and steep, and needed about an hour and a half to arrive – and weren’t particularly keen on hiking back down – so we took the chair lift! We paid 4.50/person and I will say – it was kind of the highlight of our hike, but it was also just a little bit terrifying. The chairs are single seats so we each had to have a kid on our lap – which was fine for Papa and Charlie but I had Luke and I was so worried he would squirm – which he didn’t, but if he had, I would have really had to hold on tight. If we did it again, I would definitely put Luke in our Mei Tai carrier for the ride down, for security. Nevertheless, we really enjoyed the ride down and the views, and we lived to tell the tale 🙂
I recommend this hike to families even with young kids especially because you have the option of taking the chair lift either up or down – and you don’t have to take the path through the woods like we did, instead you can just follow the road and (I assume) it will stay flat and actually even stroller accessible. The road is pretty steep though so it didn’t look like much fun to push a stroller all the way up – just FYI. We were happy we had brought our hiking carrier.
Both kids were exhausted when we got back to the car around 4pm so we just headed home but if you had more time, the Naturbad Samerberger Filze is only a few minutes drive away and is a free natural swimming pool with stunning Alpine views. Or you could try out the Bauerngolf Samerberg, which looks like great fun, with giant plastic clubs (actually a wooden shoe on a stick) and balls in the middle of a cow meadow, with miniature golf-like obstacles (but in giant versions).
I know we will be back to try out these other two options!
The kids were tempted to stop and splash in the stream but we held them off until we arrived and had some ice cream, then we picked a spot on the icy water and let them play. After lunch and drinks, we retraced our route back and were back at the car around 5pm.
We were recently confronted with DOOM – a letter from our landlord stating that he was cancelling our lease so that his in-laws can move in. Germany has spectacular renter protections, but as we would soon find out, this situation, called “Eigenbedarf”, is the one exception to those stoneclad rules. So we found ourselves suddenly, unwillingly, on the market for a new apartment.
If the snow sticks around (uncertain at this point) check out 
If you’re looking to add some new items to your child’s spring wardrobe, the first spring kids clothing and toy bazaars are starting – try stopping by the St. Maria Thalkirchen Church on Saturday from 1-3pm for some browsing and cake.
Maybe you’re 
up through until 6 or so. Really. Buy the cute ones with characters on the butt. Those are the best.
You will need these and honestly, I cannot fathom why this isn’t a normal thing for kids to have in the US. They’re great for playing in the rain, of course, but they’re also perfect for going anywhere that might be damp or muddy – and they make the slides faster. If you have a little crawler and it’s not summertime, just suit her up and let her crawl around on the wet ground – no worries!
as a travel bed the first few months.
, and has a large under stroller basket for groceries, as you’ll probably do your shopping on foot too. Make sure to pick up a rain cover and a foot muff (see above).
– lightweight, grippy, comfy and robust.
For the non-German speakers among us – what the heck is Turnen? I would translate it as “movement group” for kids. We belong to the 
If there is snow (and lately, this is a big IF) grab your sleds or “Poporutscher” and find a hill to speed down. Our favorites for first time sledders are Valleyspielplatz (head over to 
american wolpertinger 