Great Arber

The Grosser Arber reaches 1,456 metres, the highest point of the Bavarian Forest and of the whole Bohemian Forest range on the German side. Two lakes lie in cirques below it: the Grosser Arbersee, edged with floating mats of bog that are still joined to the shore, and the Kleiner Arbersee, whose islands of peat broke away from the banks and drift on the water. Both are remnants of glaciation and are surrounded by spruce and bog. The summit is bare and rocky with the domes of an air force radar station, in service since 1983, on top, reached by cable car and a short walk, and in winter the mountain runs a ski area. Snow cover here is among the longest lasting in the region.

History

From the 19th century the Grosser Arber and the forests down to Bayerisch Eisenstein, with several former forest glassworks, belonged to the princely House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, which bought the estate of the glassmaster Hafenbrädl in Böhmisch Eisenstein and, in 1872, the estates in Bayerisch Eisenstein. The Bavarian Forest Club built a wooden mountain hut in 1884, the first hut on the summit followed in 1903, and the present shingle-covered one was built in 1936 and extended in 1985; large parts of the area were placed under protection as early as 1939 (Wikipedia, Großer Arber).

What you'll find

• The floating islands - drifting peat islands on the Kleiner Arbersee.
• The bare summit - a rocky top at 1,456 metres with radar domes.
• The cirque lakes - two glacial basins in spruce forest below.
• The winter snow - long-lasting cover with a ski area on the flank.

When to go

May to October for walking and the lakes; December to March for skiing. The summit is exposed and cold in any season with fast weather changes.

What to expect

The summit carries radar installations and is not wild. The cable car closes in high wind. The lakes are busy on summer weekends with limited parking.

Nearby

The Bavarian Forest national park lies south-east; the Czech border runs along the ridge.

Key facts