A few days at Lake Tegernsee always work for me. Whether spring, summer, autumn or winter, my Berlin soul is grateful every time for a break in this beautiful corner of the world – and at Bachmair Weissach, in particular, I always feel wonderfully cared for and in good hands. A night in its alpine outpost, the Altes Wallberghaus on Tegernsee’s local mountain – the, as you might have guessed, Wallberg – was therefore long overdue. Mountain air and hut romance for the design-loving city dweller: my name was written all over this package in bold letters.

One weekend in late summer, the time had come. After a stopover in Munich, we dropped off our luggage at Bachmair Weissach – for the later regeneration phase – and set off upwards with a backpack for the night. There are two ways up: comfortably by cable car or sportily on foot. Due to my drastic tendency towards fear of heights, we chose the sporty option; the three-course dinner in the evening and the view had to be earned.

According to local people, the ascent would take around 2.5 hours. And if you are in the mountains every weekend, that may well be true for you. But if your athletic talent tends to reach its peak on urban flat ground, then you will almost certainly need much longer. Whether thanks to the roaring heat or the recently overcome Covid infection: from hotel to hotel, up to 1,815 metres above sea level, it took us six hours.

Halfway up, I was so completely at the end of my nerves that we considered descending again and taking the cable car up. But fear rebelled. When I also failed to convince the hotel manager of the Altes Wallberghaus to pick me up with a mountain vehicle – she remained iron-hard – we continued upwards with a great deal of willpower, even more breaks and a husband who had already secretly saved the number of the mountain rescue service.

With this little digression, I want to offer you a genuine basis for deciding on your route. I do not want to sugarcoat anything – and certainly not talk you out of anything. It is a wonderful feeling when, after hours of effort, you finally see the roof of the Altes Wallberghaus and know: in a moment, all suffering will be over. Salvation is in sight. Just assess yourself honestly and take enough time, as well as food and drink, for the ascent. And do not be ashamed to take the cable car if you do not feel well. Everyone is welcome.

As were we, when we arrived at the top. The tables were already set for dinner on the panoramic terrace, and afterwards all we had to do was fall into the beds with their blossom-white linen. As expected, the reduction to the essentials immediately made the soul blossom. Freshly showered and immensely proud, we then enjoyed a dreamlike sunset over the Tegernsee Valley with a glass of wine. The peace and purity were an unforgettable experience and would make me climb up again at any time – with plenty of time. At 10 p.m., just in time for hut quiet hours, we fell contentedly into bed. Not without setting the alarm for an equally dreamlike sunrise.

SHARON BERKAL

Sharon Berkal founded the agency HAUS GLANZ in 2018 to bring Germany’s medium-sized businesses closer to their customers, both strategically and creatively. In the agency’s own online magazine, she regularly presents the best of Germany in design, fashion, culture and lifestyle