The autumn leaves near Oberammergau, Germany have reached their peak, so the surrounding hillsides are dressed in shades of copper, saffron, and a bit of green.
One of my favorite places to ride my bike is to the nearby Ettaler Weidmoos, a tranquil nature preserve that’s part of the Ammergau Alps Nature Park (Naturpark Ammergauer Alpen). Here, depending on the season, you’re likely to see ducks, unique orchids, and even birch trees felled by beavers. The air is fresh, the water is crystal-clear, and the mountains are majestic.
The Kofel, Oberammergau’s distinctive mountain peak, towers over the gravel path leading from Oberammergau to the Ettaler Weidmoos.
A few kilometers away, you’ll find one of Germany’s most famous royal abodes, the Linderhof Palace (Schloss Linderhof). The Ettal Monastery is also just around the corner from the nature park. In the winter months, you can even head toward the snowy forest and watch a wild-deer feeding.
My latest video offers a quick peek at this exceptionally beautiful natural spot.
Tricia A. Mitchell is a freelance writer and photographer. Born in Europe but raised in the United States, she has lived in Valletta, Malta; Heidelberg, Germany; and Split, Croatia. An avid globetrotter who has visited more than 65 countries, she has a penchant for off-season travel. Tricia has learned that travel’s greatest gift is not sightseeing, rather it is the interactions with people. Some of her most memorable experiences have been sharing a bottle of champagne with distant French cousins in Lorraine, learning how to milk goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village, and ringing in the Vietnamese New Year with a Hanoi family. She welcomes any opportunity to practice French and German, and she loves delving into a place’s history and artisanal food scene.
A former education administrator and training specialist, Tricia has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in international relations. She and her husband, Shawn, married in the ruins of a snowy German castle. They’ve been known to escape winter by basing themselves in coastal Croatia or Southeast Asia.
Her writing has appeared in Fodor’s Travel, Frommer’s, and International Living.
View more posts
19 thoughts on “Autumn in the Ammergau Alps Nature Park, Near Oberammergau, Germany”
Hi Jo, knowing that you love long walks, I have a feeling you’d enjoy this area. We’re lucky that it only takes about 45 minutes to walk here from my parents’ home. Hope all is well in Portugal!
A lovely place to call home, but chilly in the winter, no doubt. Hope they are fit and well, hon.
It is a lovely area, but there can be lots of snow, usually between October and April. If you’re a cross-country skier or downhill skier, I imagine it’s a paradise. I haven’t skied in many years though. My parents do love their bike rides. In fact, they often pedal past this nature park, going all the way to King Ludwig’s “small” palace, Linderhof.
🤗💗
Beautiful! It’s on my bucket list now! Thank you for sharing. Hugs to you and Shawn.
Mary Ann, glad you enjoyed this glimpse of our autumn leaves! It’s such a beautiful spot, so it’s good to know that the landscape is protected by the government. When Shawn and I walked here yesterday, we saw lots of tree trunks that have been devoured by beavers. One of the trunks hadn’t fallen yet, so the tree was standing rather precariously. Perhaps the beaver returned last night and finished the job.
Just beautiful! Seeing autumn leaves is one of the things I’ve always wanted to do. The closest to that was when I went to Japan in October 2016. However, it was still a bit too early for the peak of the autumn colors.
Hi Bama, these leaves I photographed a few weeks ago are now mostly swirling on the ground and accumulating in mounds. I saw a young boy daring to ride his bike through some sizable piles the other day. :)
It is a beautiful time of year, and I hope you’ll fulfill your long-time wish of experiencing autumn somewhere. Aside from the splendor of the trees, it’s fun seeing what local and seasonal treats are available. Here in Germany, there’s lots of pumpkin — or Kürbis — on offer. I like making homemade bread with pumpkin purée and ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Now I’m wondering what special dishes are made in Japan. I’d love to go there in spring or autumn!
Tricia, how good for the heart and soul to bike in those magnificent surroundings. At a time when the world struggles through difficult times we need these moments to bring calm and quiet moments into our life. Cheers, Virginia
Dear Virginia, I do feel immensely fortunate to have this natural space just down the street right now. Somehow the grand scale of the mountains just helps to put everything into perspective. Here’s hoping that you might have a wonderful natural getaway of your own this weekend, or perhaps in the very near future. Sending a hug your way!
Hi Neha, indeed it is beautiful! This little corner of Germany is one of the most serene places I’ve gone biking. Are you thinking of heading to Bavaria?
Well I have a plan to Visit Germany Later in the year and Places are yet to be Finalized :) , Bavaria can be on the list as I love Biking too , currently In Netherlands and its Windy here … Be ready for a long Post , haha
I’ve never gone bike riding in the Netherlands, but I imagine it’d be beautiful to go biking through the tulip fields!
Enjoy your Germany trip planning. It’s pretty cold here now in Frankfurt. However, a few flowers have emerged so spring can’t be too far away. :)
I live in Bavaria and can´t wait to explore this little gem! Planning to explore Oberammergau this weekend and can´t wait to see with my own eyes this wonderful side of Germany.Thank you for sharing!
Hi Christina, thanks for letting me know about your trip to Oberammergau – I’m a bit late to respond, so you might have already visited?
If you haven’t visited yet, and you have enough time, I recommend renting bikes and going out to this nature park, which is less than 25 minutes away from O’gau. Even if you’re driving, you can see this scenery when going from Oberammergau to Schloss Linderhof, for example.
Travels With Tricia 
It looks a beautiful part of the world, Tricia.
Hi Jo, knowing that you love long walks, I have a feeling you’d enjoy this area. We’re lucky that it only takes about 45 minutes to walk here from my parents’ home. Hope all is well in Portugal!
A lovely place to call home, but chilly in the winter, no doubt. Hope they are fit and well, hon.
It is a lovely area, but there can be lots of snow, usually between October and April. If you’re a cross-country skier or downhill skier, I imagine it’s a paradise. I haven’t skied in many years though. My parents do love their bike rides. In fact, they often pedal past this nature park, going all the way to King Ludwig’s “small” palace, Linderhof.
🤗💗
Beautiful! It’s on my bucket list now! Thank you for sharing. Hugs to you and Shawn.
Merna
Hi Merna, I wish we had been in Germany when you visited Oberammergau a few years ago. Sending hugs your way too!
A great post and I see you included your video. Smart move! Mary Ann
Mary Ann, glad you enjoyed this glimpse of our autumn leaves! It’s such a beautiful spot, so it’s good to know that the landscape is protected by the government. When Shawn and I walked here yesterday, we saw lots of tree trunks that have been devoured by beavers. One of the trunks hadn’t fallen yet, so the tree was standing rather precariously. Perhaps the beaver returned last night and finished the job.
Just beautiful! Seeing autumn leaves is one of the things I’ve always wanted to do. The closest to that was when I went to Japan in October 2016. However, it was still a bit too early for the peak of the autumn colors.
Hi Bama, these leaves I photographed a few weeks ago are now mostly swirling on the ground and accumulating in mounds. I saw a young boy daring to ride his bike through some sizable piles the other day. :)
It is a beautiful time of year, and I hope you’ll fulfill your long-time wish of experiencing autumn somewhere. Aside from the splendor of the trees, it’s fun seeing what local and seasonal treats are available. Here in Germany, there’s lots of pumpkin — or Kürbis — on offer. I like making homemade bread with pumpkin purée and ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Now I’m wondering what special dishes are made in Japan. I’d love to go there in spring or autumn!
Tricia, how good for the heart and soul to bike in those magnificent surroundings. At a time when the world struggles through difficult times we need these moments to bring calm and quiet moments into our life. Cheers, Virginia
Dear Virginia, I do feel immensely fortunate to have this natural space just down the street right now. Somehow the grand scale of the mountains just helps to put everything into perspective. Here’s hoping that you might have a wonderful natural getaway of your own this weekend, or perhaps in the very near future. Sending a hug your way!
Looks beautiful
Hi Neha, indeed it is beautiful! This little corner of Germany is one of the most serene places I’ve gone biking. Are you thinking of heading to Bavaria?
Well I have a plan to Visit Germany Later in the year and Places are yet to be Finalized :) , Bavaria can be on the list as I love Biking too , currently In Netherlands and its Windy here … Be ready for a long Post , haha
I’ve never gone bike riding in the Netherlands, but I imagine it’d be beautiful to go biking through the tulip fields!
Enjoy your Germany trip planning. It’s pretty cold here now in Frankfurt. However, a few flowers have emerged so spring can’t be too far away. :)
I live in Bavaria and can´t wait to explore this little gem! Planning to explore Oberammergau this weekend and can´t wait to see with my own eyes this wonderful side of Germany.Thank you for sharing!
Hi Christina, thanks for letting me know about your trip to Oberammergau – I’m a bit late to respond, so you might have already visited?
If you haven’t visited yet, and you have enough time, I recommend renting bikes and going out to this nature park, which is less than 25 minutes away from O’gau. Even if you’re driving, you can see this scenery when going from Oberammergau to Schloss Linderhof, for example.
Where in Bavaria do you live?