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Hiking to Lake Seebensee and Lake Drachensee is one of those experiences that sticks with you long after you’ve left the trail. I’ve had the chance to do this hike twice—once in the golden days of summer and once during the crisp, colorful beauty of fall—and honestly, I’d go back in a heartbeat. There’s just something magical about those shimmering alpine lakes, surrounded by towering peaks and the quiet of nature.
In summer, the trail is alive with wildflowers, and the clear, turquoise waters of Seebensee feel like they’re straight out of a postcard. Fall, on the other hand, brings a whole new vibe—the cooler air, the changing colors of the leaves, and a peacefulness that makes you feel like you’ve got the whole mountain to yourself.
Whether you’re there for the views, the fresh air, or just a good challenge, this hike has it all, and it’s one of those adventures you’ll always remember!
📖 READ MORE – 9 x Very Best Things To Do In Ehrwald
Seebensee & Drachensee Hiking Statistics
Distance – 14km
Elevation – 560 meters
Difficulty – Moderate
Duration – 5 hours
Starting Point – Ehrwalder Alm
Ending Point – Ehrwalder Alm
What to bring – water, snacks, a jacket and your camera
Parking Lot – Ehrwalder Almbahn in Ehrwald
Where to stay
Mei Puite – During our time in the region we stayed at this appartement. It had two bedrooms and a balcony with a view over the majestic Zugspitze and the other nearby mountains.
Bergresort Zugspitze Ehrwald by ALPS RESORTS – This luxury 4 star resort has an outdoor pool, a wellness and a fitness centre. All rooms come with a mountain view. Honestly the perfect hotel for a romantic holiday in the mountains where you just want to relax when coming back from a hike.
Best time to hike
The summer months are the most popular time to hike to Lake Drachensee, thanks to the warm weather and fully accessible trails. The surrounding alpine meadows are lush and vibrant, and the clear skies make for breathtaking views of the lake and the towering peaks. Another bonus is that during the summer months the sun is reaches high enough in the sky so that lake Drachensee gets lit up completely during the day.
For a quieter and more picturesque experience, early fall is ideal. The crowds thin out, and the changing foliage creates a stunning backdrop for the hike. The temperatures are cooler, around, but still comfortable for hiking.
The only downside for this particular hike is that the sun doesn’t get high enough anymore and stays behind the mountain so that lake Drachensee doesn’t light up.
How to reach the start of the hiking trail
To reach the starting point for the hike to Lake Seebensee and Lake Drachensee, you’ll need to head to Ehrwald, a picturesque village in Austria’s Zugspitze region.
By Car
Driving is the most convenient way to reach the trailhead:
- Navigate to Ehrwald Almbahn (Ehrwald Cable Car), which serves as a key starting point. There’s ample parking available at the cable car station.
- From here, you can either hike up to the trail or take the cable car to Ehrwalder Alm, cutting out a significant portion of the uphill climb.
🚗 Rent a car by using SunnyCars. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included.
By Public Transport
- If you don’t have a car, public transport can get you close to the trailhead:
- Take a train to Ehrwald Zugspitzbahn station. This station connects to major cities in Austria and Germany.
From the station, catch a bus or taxi to Ehrwald Almbahn.
For the latest opening hours and pricing of the Ehrwalder Almbahn make sure to check their official website.
What to expect along the trail
Ehrwalder Almbahn
The hiking trail to Seebensee and Drachensee starts at the Ehrwalder Alm, which lies at the top of the Ehrwalder Almbahn.
Another option is t not take the cable car up but to hike up from the parking lot. This adds another hour to your hike one way and a pretty steep ascend.
The first time that we did this hike this is how we did it. It was the first hike Christof and I ever did together and I wanted to show off by agreeing to not take the cable car up. Never again :p.
At the bottom of the cable car station there’s a huge parking lot. But in the summer months it can fill up pretty quickly!
🅿️ PARKING FEE – €5/day
Ehrwalder Alm to Seebensee
The first part goes from Ehrwalder Alm to the shores of the spectacular Seebensee. The trail to Seebensee is an easy one and can even be done with a stroller in hand or by mountainbike. There’s also another option where the terrain is a little rockies and it leads you through the forest. Both time we opted for this one.
Once you leave the cable car station simply follow the trail up that takes you across the mountain slope. The hiking trail to Seebensee is well marked and doesn’t have any steep inclinations.
💡 TIP – if you don’t have to take the mountain road, follow the alpine track that leads through the forest. It’s much quieter, cause there are no mountainbikes here.
This is one of my favorite hikes and once you go onto the alpine track you’ll be greeted by the most spectacular scenery and mountain backdrops. From here on, the views only get better and better!
After about 1 hour of hiking you’ll reach the Seebenalm, a small alpine restaurant where you can have a drink or use the restroom.
At the Seebensee itself there are no facilities.
Seebensee to Drachensee
Once you reach the shore of the Seebensee you can hike down to the waterfront and simply take in the views, which are absolutely mesmerizing. A lot of people, especially if there here with a stroller, won’t go further up to the Drachensee, but I highly recommend that you do!
But also take some time to admire the Seebensee, also known as one of the most beautiful lakes in Tyrol in Austria. During the warm summer months you’ll see a lot of people swimming in the lake. Just know that it’s an alpine lake so the temperature will be cold!
Follow the lakeshore until you reach a meadow at its far end. Walk through the meadow where you’ll also pass by a small stall for the mountainbikes.
The hike up to Drachensee/Coburger Hut is a steep climb up but only takes about 30 minutes. And while hiking up you’ll get an even better view over the Seebensee below and the Zugspitze in the back.
Once you’ve reached the top you’re in for a real treat! The Drachensee is almost completely surrounded by mountain peaks and overlooking all that is the Coburger Hut. The Coburger Hut is an alpine mountain hut, that also offers accommodation and a restaurant. However we never sat down for a drink or meal.
During the summer months it was simply way too crowded and we brought a picnic with us. And during our visit in the fall the Coburger Hut was already closed for the season.
The Drachensee is located a bit below the Coburger Hut so for the best views you’ll have to hike down a bit.
💡 TIP – For the Drachensee to light up and have its gorgeous green color the sun will have to be high in the sky. During the fall months the sun didn’t go over the mountain peaks anymore but we still had an amazing afternoon relaxing.
The way back
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed during our second visit due to the fact that the lake remained super dark. I can have a certain photograph in my mind for weeks and if it doesn’t work out, well I get bummed out a bit.
Nevertheless when we hiked back down we were greeted by the most amazing soft light back down at Seebensee.
We had less than 10 minutes to capture it before the sun would disappear again but we managed to take some of my favorite photographs of the past year!
The way back from the Coburger Hut to Ehrwalder Alm took us around 2 hours in total. Another option, if you don’t want to take the same route back is to hike up to Tajatörl -Brendlisee from the Drachensee.
But don’t underestimate it. It’s another inclination of about 350 meters but does offer a change of scenery and adds an extra layer of adventure.
We haven’t done this route ourselves since the first time we didn’t take the cable car up and the second time we couldn’t risk missing the last cable car back down.
If you have any questions about how to hike to the Seebensee and Drachensee, let me know in the comment section below!
More information on Tirol in Austria
9 x Very Best Things To Do In Ehrwald
Lake Plansee In Austria – How To Hike To The Best Viewpoint
Where To Stay in Tirol – Aqua Dome
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Hi! We’re Charlotte, Christof & César!
Armed with our cameras & drone we’re always on the lookout for the next adventure!
We’ve been traveling together since 2020 and the best adventures are yet to come!
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