The Fern pass links the Aussernfern region of the Tyrol to the main Inn valley. This short hike connects the three lakes just below the pass on the Ausserfern side.
The Three Lakes walk links the Weissensee, the Blindsee and the Mittersee lakes with a circular route which can be accessed from the car park near the Weissensee, just outside the village of Biberwier and a few hundred metres from the main road from Lermoos up to the Fern pass.
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Only a few steps lie between the tarmac of the busy roads and the mountain world formed about 4000 years ago. A gigantic landslide filled the valleys between the mountains back then, forming these lakes and the surrounding landscape.
From the car park near the Weissensee it is just a stone’s throw from the car park to the lake shore. The Römerweg trail, an old Roman path, is now a pleasant forest road which leads along the shore of the Weissensee and uphill to several trail junctions which connect through to the Blindsee, the largest of the three lakes.
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The Blindsee is also the most popular for swimmers and sunbathers and, for those who do not want to do the circular hike, it can be reached from the car park near the rest stop and restaurant on the Fern pass road.
The trail offers great views of the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest mountain at 2,962 metres) on the hike around the lake shore and is itself spectacular with its turquoise blue waters.
The lake is called the Blindsee because it has no inflow or outflow and is fed exclusively by surface water The clear waters offer visibility of around 25 metres and it is easy to spot the submerged tree trunks which have rolled into the lake during storms. It is a popular destination for divers (who require a permit from the private landowners).
From the Blindsee, the path leaves one of the open bathing areas at the shore and continues up a small hill to a high moor landscape. The trail crosses a game feeding station and heads to the Mittersee, much smaller than the Blindsee but also popular with swimmers and sunbathers.
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There is also a short hike from the lake through to the springs which form the origins of the Loisach river. This runs past Ehrwald and through Garmisch-Partenkirchen before joining the Isar of the Kochelsee.
The final short stage of the hike leads through the forest and under the Fernpass road back to the car park at the Weissensee.
Hike length: just over eight kilometres
Hike duration: three to four hours
Hike difficulty: easy
Accommodation near the Three Lakes Walk
The nearest village is Biberwier just down the road from the Weissensee, but the larger settlements of Ehrwald and Lermoos are likely to have a larger choice of accommodation.
The lakes are visible on the map between Biberwier and the Fern Pass. Choose the appropriate dates above the map and then hover over and click the markers to view more information.
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