A Trip to Nebelhorn

Tadas Svetikas
Aug 7, 2025
3 min read

Since moving to Germany last year, I’ve always wanted to see the big mountains — the Alps. Living in Stuttgart, I knew it would take some time to get there by train, but better late than never. Last month, I finally started researching mountains in southern Germany that would be accessible by train and doable as a day trip.

After some Googling, I came across the town of Oberstdorf, which is about 4.5 hours away (one way) from my home in Stuttgart. The more I read, the more I discovered — including a nearby peak called Nebelhorn, where some people had reported sightings of Golden Eagles.

Now that got my attention!

I had been on the fence for a while, but that little detail gave me the final push I needed. As they say: go and get it! There was only one factor still holding me back — the weather. For the past three weeks, I’d been checking the forecast daily. I needed a rain-free, preferably sunny day with good light — photographing birds in flight with a super telephoto lens (800mm, f/7.1) is no small feat.

Then finally — bingo! The weather cleared up, and I decided it was time.

On the big day, I left home at 7 a.m. After two buses and three trains, I arrived in Oberstdorf at 11:30 a.m. As the train approached, I could already see the mountains in the distance — what a sight.

By my calculations, I had around four hours before I needed to catch the return train. Since I wouldn’t have enough time to hike to Nebelhorn, I decided to take the cable car. I walked to the Nebelhornbahn station and paid the €54 fee (a lot of money — I held my bank card in my hand like a buzzard clutching its prey).

And off we went!

I'm so glad I made that choice. Taking the cable car gave me plenty of time at the top to take photos — tight shots and wide-angle views (64gb memory card was full in no time).

From the Höfatsblick station I hiked up to the very top of the Nebelhorn (my route is shown in a photo below). It took me around 30 minutes or so. I had to stop for photos too many times.

The mountains were absolutely stunning. You could even see the Swiss Alps in the distance. Truly breath-taking views!

Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to head back down. One thing I noticed up there — the haze is different. The distant mountain peaks look incredibly blue, almost like an over-saturated photo. No need to boost the colours — nature does it for you. Bad news - NO any Golden Eagles... I will need to come back next time!

After a quick cable car ride back to the base, I took some photos around town — beautiful, cosy houses and charming little streets.