Großer Arber (Great Arber)

The Großer Arber is the highest mountain in the Bavarian Forest, rising to 4,775 feet (1,455.5 m) on the border region between Bavaria and the Czech Republic. Locals call it the "King of the Bavarian Forest." A gondola lifts you almost to the top, where granite outcrops, mountain meadows and sweeping views over the Bavarian and Bohemian forests await. Two glacial lakes lie at its foot, making the Arber an easy and scenic outing in every season.

Why the Arber is special

The Großer Arber is the highest peak in Bavaria outside the Alps and the second-highest mountain in Germany outside the Alps, after the Black Forest's Feldberg. The summit cross dates from 1913, the mountain hut from 1936, and the first chairlift opened in 1949. The white radar domes on the summit belong to the German Air Force and have operated since 1983. The mountain hosted Alpine Ski World Cup races from 1976 until 2011.

Things to do on the summit

• Walk to the summit cross and the granite tors for views deep into the Czech Republic.
• Find the Richard-Wagner-Kopf, a rock formation on the Bodenmaiser Riegel ridge.
• Visit the Arber chapel of St. Bartholomew just below the summit, rebuilt in 2015.
• Stroll the summit plateau on wide, family-friendly paths.

Gondola tickets and opening hours

The Arber-Bergbahn gondola runs from the valley station to a top station just below the summit. In summer the operator lists daily hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., subject to weather. The start of the 2026/27 winter season had not been announced yet, so check arber.de before you go.

Fares (as of October 2026):

• Round trip €21 for adults, €15 for children aged 4 to 16
• Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) €54
• Dogs €4 extra

How to get to the Großer Arber

• By car: The Arber is about 2.5 hours from Munich and roughly 1.5 hours from Regensburg. All parking at the mountain costs €4 per day; there are more than 1,000 spaces and EV chargers at the valley station.
• By train and bus: Take the Waldbahn regional train to Bayerisch Eisenstein, then a local bus to the "Arber Bergbahn Talstation" stop. Seasonal hiking and ski buses also connect nearby villages.
• On foot: A popular trail climbs from the Rißloch parking lot in Bodenmais past the Rißloch waterfalls.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes. Even with small children you can reach the summit by gondola and walk the plateau in about two hours, and on clear autumn days the views are superb. Pair it with a walk around the Großer Arbersee lake, the town of Bodenmais or the historic border station at Bayerisch Eisenstein.