Geierstein is a striking 1,491 m peak in the western Mangfall Mountains, part of the Bavarian Prealps. It's the first prominent summit you encounter heading out of the town of Lenggries, with steep drop-offs on both its northern and southern flanks that give it a real presence on the skyline.

The mountain forms part of an east–west ridge, almost entirely cloaked in forest — bare limestone only breaks through near the very top. To the east, the ridge dips down into the Sommersbachgraben before climbing again toward its taller neighbor, Fockenstein. From the summit, hikers are rewarded with sweeping views across the entire Isarwinkel region, the Munich gravel plain (with Munich itself visible on clear days), the Tegernsee mountains, and the impressive Wetterstein and Karwendel ranges.

How to reach the summit

• Lenggries — via Reitenbach, a well-marked trail almost entirely through forest until the final 100 m below the summit, about 800 m of ascent, roughly 2.5 hours, moderate difficulty
• Lenggries — via Markeck, also about 800 m of ascent and 2.5 hours, but steeper and more demanding

Practical information

• Both routes require sure-footedness near the summit, where the path crosses exposed limestone

You may also see the mountain's name written as Geigerstein ('Violinist Rock') instead of Geierstein ('Vulture Rock') — both spellings appear on the German Alpine Club's maps. A local legend tells of a violin-playing hermit whose eye was scratched out by an eagle.