Autumn and winter in the Tölzer Land: our tips around Königsdorf

Published 3 November 2026 · approx. 9 min read

Winter here has two faces: November and early December are quiet, misty and cosy – perfect for museums, the spa and the first Advent markets. From mid-December, once the snow comes, ski areas, cross-country trails and toboggan runs open, and the season runs into March, snow permitting. Our tips cover the whole period. We mark anything that depends on snow; please check the provider's website before you set off.

Advent and traditions: Christmas markets around Königsdorf

The run-up to Christmas is especially atmospheric here because the markets are small, traditional and close together.

• Bad Tölz Christmas market (27 Nov – 24 Dec 2026): around 50 huts along the historic Marktstraße with its painted façades. According to event listings, open daily 11 am to 7 pm, until 2 pm on Christmas Eve. On Advent Saturdays the Tölz Krampus figures traditionally parade through the street. More in our post on the Leonhardi procession and Christmas market in Bad Tölz.
• Wolfratshausen and Beuerberg Abbey: on the first Advent weekend, Beuerberg on the second too. Details in Christmas market Wolfratshausen 2026.
• LichterZauber Lenggries (5 Dec): the village centre lit up, with St Nicholas – see LichterZauber in Lenggries.
• Old Bavarian Christmas market in Benediktbeuern (6 Dec) and the forest Christmas market at the Jugendsiedlung Hochland in Königsdorf (12 Dec) – right on our doorstep.
• Munich Christmas market (20 Nov – 24 Dec 2026): in 2026 it opens earlier than ever, on the Friday before Remembrance Sunday; closed on 22 November. Monday to Saturday 10 am to 9 pm, Sundays 10 am to 8 pm. The big Krampus run through the old town is on Sunday, 13 December, 3 to 5 pm.

Skiing and cross-country

Downhill: Brauneck near Lenggries is our local ski area – about 30 minutes from Königsdorf, with runs for families and experts, ski schools and huts. Season start and lift prices are in our post Brauneck ski season 2026/27. For more options, see our guide Ski areas from Königsdorf.

Cross-country: with good snow, around 260 kilometres of trails are groomed in the Tölzer Land – including right in Königsdorf:

• Königsdorf: Niederham–Osterhofen (approx. 4 km) and Kreut–Grafing (approx. 9 km), skating possible.
• Geretsried: approx. 12 km, and Bad Heilbrunn: approx. 14 km.
• Bad Tölz – Reutberg Abbey: a classic scenic trail through the Kirchsee moor.
• Jachenau: the “sunny valley” with up to 35 km of trails, ideal for skating.

All trails depend on snow; the municipalities post current conditions on their websites.

Tobogganing and night sledging

• Blomberg near Bad Tölz: one of Germany's longest natural toboggan runs, in use since 1906. Take the chairlift up and sledge down; sledges can be hired at the valley station. When there's snow, the run is usually floodlit on Saturday evenings for night sledging. About 25 minutes from Königsdorf.
• Blomberg Blitz: the all-year alpine coaster on the same mountain – runs even without snow, weather permitting.
• Brauneck: natural toboggan run from the Reiseralm, about 1.5 km long.

Winter walks and quiet lakes

• Isar high bank from Königsdorf: a scenic loop above the Isar valley, straight from the front door.
• Walchensee and Kochelsee: wonderfully empty in winter. Lakeside paths and village loops rather than summits – ideas in our Walchensee & Kochelsee guide.
• Loisach-Kochelsee moors near Benediktbeuern: flat paths around the abbey, atmospheric even in fog.
• Guided ranger walks: in winter the district office of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen offers themed tours with rangers – last season, for example, at Walchensee and in the Pupplinger Au. Check the district office's website for the current programme (mostly in German).

More routes in our hiking guide. With dogs: wildlife rests in winter, so please keep your dog on a lead and stay on the paths. More in Holidays with your dog.

Spa and sauna on grey days

• Kristall Therme in Kochel am See: thermal pools overlooking Lake Kochel and the Herzogstand, a large sauna area and a leisure pool with a children's area. About 30 minutes from Königsdorf; hours and prices on kristall-trimini.de.
• Bad Tölz indoor pool: the town pool with sauna at the Sportpark, handy for a short afternoon.

More ideas for bad weather: Rainy days in the Tölzer Land.

Museums, abbey and culture

• Franz Marc Museum, Kochel am See: works by Franz Marc and the Blue Rider with a view over the lake. November to March, Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, closed on 24 and 31 December. Adults €11.
• Buchheim Museum on Lake Starnberg: closed for construction until 4 December; reopening with the new extension is announced for December. More in our Buchheim Museum post.
• Benediktbeuern Abbey: baroque basilica, regular guided tours and the abbey's tavern to warm up in. About 20 minutes from Königsdorf.
• Bad Tölz marionette theatre: fairy tales for children mostly on weekend afternoons, plays for adults in the evening (in German). According to the programme, including “Der Brandner Kaspar” (28 Nov), “The Magic Flute” (5 Dec) and “Heilige Nacht” (22 Dec), each at 7:30 pm.

Families, ice and starry skies

• Bad Tölz ice stadium: public skating for the whole family, with skating aids for beginners. Current session times are on the ice stadium's website.
• Live ice hockey: the Tölzer Löwen play in the Oberliga Süd; a home game in Bad Tölz is a real experience, kids included.
• Isartal observatory in Königsdorf: its 60-centimetre reflecting telescope is the largest in the region. Run by volunteers; viewing evenings depend on clear skies and are announced on isartalsternwarte.de. Long winter nights are the best time.
• Tobogganing, the spa's children's pool and the marionette theatre – see above.

For families our wooden chalet with two bedrooms, a play and reading gallery and children's books is ideal. More ideas in our family holidays guide.

January to March: the second half of winter

After the holidays things quieten down – and for many guests this is the loveliest time: snowy landscapes, empty paths and usually the most reliable snow of the winter.

• Epiphany (6 January): a public holiday in Bavaria. In many villages the carol singers (Sternsinger) go from house to house – a lovely end to the Christmas season.
• Peak snow season (January and February): slopes, cross-country trails and the Blomberg toboggan run are at their most reliable. Come midweek and you often have Brauneck almost to yourself.
• Carnival (until Shrove Tuesday, 9 February 2027): many villages in the Tölzer Land celebrate with balls and their own parades; dates are published by the municipalities. In Munich, according to the city, “München narrisch” is planned from 7 to 9 February 2027 in the pedestrian zone, with stages at Marienplatz and Stachus.
• Spring skiing in March: longer days, corn snow in the morning and lunch in the sun on a hut terrace. At Brauneck, skiing is planned until the end of March, snow permitting.
• Museums and spa: the Franz Marc Museum, the reopened Buchheim Museum and the Kristall Therme are ideal for grey days all winter long.
• First signs of spring (late March): the Glentleiten open-air museum near Großweil usually reopens from mid to late March (19 March in 2026), and the season of sunny lakeside walks begins at Kochelsee and Walchensee.

Getting around from Königsdorf

• Bad Tölz, Wolfratshausen: about 15 minutes each.
• Blomberg: about 25 minutes; Brauneck, Benediktbeuern, Kochel: about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Munich: about 45 minutes by car, or the S7 from Wolfratshausen.

Parking at the Schlossquelle is free, and you can charge your electric car right outside. In winter we recommend winter tyres and, for mountain trips, snow chains in the boot.