Großer Rachel

The Großer Rachel stands in the Bavarian Forest National Park, 1,452 metres above sea level. It is the second highest summit in the Bavarian Forest and Bohemian Forest after the Großer Arber. The mountain forms the Rachel massif with the Kleiner Rachel nine hundred metres to the northwest. On the rocky summit a wooden cross and a mountain rescue hut are fixed. The panorama stretches from the Osser and Arber to the northwest to the Dreisesselberg to the southeast. The Great Rachel is a popular walking destination. Walkers can stop at the Waldschmidthaus below the summit for food and drink. Large parts of the Rachel forest were damaged by bark beetle in 1995. The National Park authorities decided not to intervene, allowing mixed forest to return instead of the former spruce stands. Southeast of the summit lies the Rachelsee lake about four hundred metres below. The Rachel Chapel stands on the mountain’s slopes. The summit can only be reached on foot; mountain bikes are not allowed on the trails. The shortest route from the Gfäll car park takes about an hour and a half. Further starting points include Oberfrauenau, Klingenbrunn railway station and the Racheldienst Hut car park. In winter the mountain is often climbed with touring skis or snowshoes because of deep snow.