In November 2022, I not only attempted to climb the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest mountain) but also tried out the Tegelbergsteig. It’s a rather difficult via ferrata in the area around the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.

So this article is about the Hohenschwangau → Tegelbergsteig → Hohenschwangau circular tour.

Route

My 10 km / 6.2 mi tour began in Hohenschwangau, at the foot of Neuschwanstein Castle, and led east of the Talstation Tegelbergbahn (valley station of the Tegelbergbahn cable car) to the start of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig (Yellow Wall Trail). At the start of the Tegelbergsteig, I switched to the latter. The end of the Tegelbergsteig rejoins the Gelbe-Wand-Steig, which you follow for the last few meters to the next hiking trail. The Tegelbergsteig is therefore an alternative route for the middle section of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig.

From Hohenschwangau to the start of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig is approx. 3.5 km / 2.2 mi and 500 m / 1640 ft in altitude.

Info on the via ferratas

In general, the term Steig in German means steep path and trails having this term in their name often refer to difficult paths or via ferratas.

By ascent I mean the first 500 m / 0.3 mi from the official starting point of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig, as the beginning of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig does not yet offer a via ferrata feeling, but is simply a challenging hiking trail.

• Tegelbergsteig:
  • Length: approx. 1.3 km / 0.8 mi (650 m ascent, 350 m via ferrata, 250 m remainder of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig)
  • Difficulty: C
  • Duration: approx. 1.5-2 hours (2-2.5 hours incl. ascent)
  • More information here and here
• Gelbe-Wand-Steig:
  • Length: approx. 1.5 km / 0.9 mi (500 m ascent, 1 km via ferrata)
  • Difficulty: A/B
  • Duration: approx. 1.5-2 hours (2-2.5 hours incl. ascent)
  • More information here and here

Equipment

For the ascend (as described above, the first 500m of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig) you only need sturdy footwear, as it is simply a demanding hiking trail. You don’t necessarily need via ferrata equipment from the actual start of the via ferrata section of the Gelbe-Wand-Steig to the start of the Tegelbergsteig, but I still recommend it.

A via ferrata set is a must on the Tegelbergsteig!

For all sections of this tour, proper hiking shoes and clothing suitable for the weather are of course advisable.

Condition

You should definitely be fit. The Tegelbergsteig is classified as “difficult” with a C rating and is not really suitable for beginners. The climb is correspondingly strenuous and due to some smooth rocks (see pictures below) you have hardly any grip in some rocky places, which makes these sections quite exhausting. In addition, you should not forget the ascent to the via ferrata (from Hohenschwangau to the start of the Tegelbergsteig, just under 4 km / 2.5 mi and approx. 500 m / 1640 ft in altitude).

Timetable

I left Hohenschwangau at around 10:15 AM and was at the start of the Tegelbergsteig at 12:30 PM and back out again at 2:15 PM. The Tegelbergsteig can therefore be walked comfortably in about two hours. If you don’t take photos all the time and don’t have to wait for other climbers, you can do it in 1:30 hours.

Quality of the Tegelbergsteig

The via ferrata is in very good condition overall. There are belays everywhere, there are places to rest from time to time, a great view and numbered rescue points in case of an emergency.

In some places, however, the rock is already very slippery and greasy (see pictures below), where you can hardly find a foothold, but this only affects a few places.

Impressions

Instead of a detailed tour report, here are just a few pictures to give you an impression of the tour.

Bis Anfang Tegelbergsteig

Tegelbergsteig

Abstieg über Neuschwanstein

Conclusion

What can I say: Great tour! The area is beautiful and the via ferratas are really fun. The sometimes greasy/smooth rock is the only downside, but it’s not that bad.

Overall, I can highly recommend the tour!