Bärenhöhle Oberammergau

Useful Information

photography — Die Baerenhöhle bei Ober-Ammergau, 1820, Lithographie von **Carl Heinzmann**. Public Domain.

Location:	B23, 82487 Oberammergau. (47.5839249, 11.0756475)
Open:	No restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Erosional Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Mathias Flurl (1792): Beschreibung der Gebirge von Baiern und der oberen Pfalz, unveränderter Nachdruck, herausgegeben durch die Vereinigung der Freunde der Mineralogie und Geologie, VFMG e.V. Heidelberg 1972. Anselm Andreas Caspar Cammerer (1832): Naturwunder, Orts- und Länder-Merkwürdigkeiten des Königreiches Bayern für Vaterlandsfreunde, sowie für kunst- und naturliebende Reisende, Kempten 1832.
Address:	Tourist Information Oberammergau, Eugen-Papst-Str. 9a, 82487 Oberammergau, Tel: +49-8822-922740. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1792	first written mention by Mathias Flurl.
1832	description by Anselm Andreas Caspar Cammerer.
2013	the trail is closed after a landslide.
2015	hiking trail is removed.

Description

The Bärenhöhle Oberammergau (Oberammergau Bear Cave) is a freely accessible and very easy to reach grotto or shelter in a limestone cliff directly on the B23 motorway on the southern outskirts of Oberammergau. Bärenhöhle is one of the names which are frequently used for caves. Unfortunately, this can easily lead to confusion, which is why we use the suffix ‘Oberammergau’ here. In fact, the cave is simply called Bärenhöhle, in older descriptions also Bärenloch.

As already mentioned, the cave is very well developed and is located directly at a tourist hotspot. Nevertheless, it is rarely visited, which makes it an insider tip and also makes the visit much more pleasant. We think this is due to three factors: the cave is not widely advertised, the climb is short but steep, and people are in the mood for mainstream sights.

But after so much introduction to the cave itself. The Bärenhöhle is located high above the valley and is a large portal in the limestone rock face. The large portal can be seen from afar. It has a rather narrow, triangular shape. From the car park, you first have to cross the main road, be careful, cars drive at 100 km/h and don't expect pedestrians to cross. Now you have to climb up a steep, winding footpath to the cave.

Until 2013, there was a good hiking trail that zigzagged up to the cave, partly with steps. In autumn 2013, however, there was a somewhat larger landslide and the path was closed for the time being. Apparently people, or at least the local council's building committee, have no memory, they were completely surprised and frightened by the fact that rocks can fall down vertical rock faces. As if it had never happened before. In their panic and to avoid any possible liability for the (impoverished) community, the decision was made to dismantle the path. So now there is no longer a path, even if the dismantling was rather incomplete, and you can easily follow the non-path. You do it at your own risk. If you wish, you are welcome to wear a helmet.

The cave itself is quite small, some people guess that you don't need a lamp. Nevertheless, we definitely recommend taking a lamp with you, as you will want to shine a light into one or two dark corners. The cave floor continues to rise steeply inside the cave, and you can clearly see that it is laid out along a vertical crack in the rock. From the portal you have a beautiful view of the Kofel (1342 m asl) on the opposite side of the valley.

The cave has two Christian works of art, although it is not a cave church. The first is a copy of an oil painting by Johannes Andreas Wolff depicting the founding of Ettal Monastery by Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian in 1330. This is the road from Oberammergau to Ettal, and this painting invokes the intercession of Mary for all who are travelling here. It is located at the foot of the limestone wall in a carved niche. Further up, in the centre of the portal, there is a statue of Jesus on a small brick plinth. The statue is almost life-size, has a halo around its head and holds a red and white flag. It is also known as a resurrection figure. Nothing is known about its age and origin; it cannot be seen on a lithograph from 1820, but can be seen on the postcard from 1905.