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This is a list of the highest mountains in Germany. All of these mountains are located in the federal state of Bavaria. They lie within the Alps in the region known as the Eastern Alps and are part of the Northern Limestone Alps. The majority belong to the mountain ranges of the Wetterstein, Berchtesgaden Alps and Allgäu Alps.
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Because the definition of a mountain is not universally agreed, a distinction is made between main summits and other peaks. Subsidiary summits or subpeaks are not counted. In the Alps a summit is classed as independent, according to the UIAA definition, if it has a prominence of 30 metres or more. In order for a peak to qualify as an independent mountain, however, it must have a prominence of at least 300 metres. Based on this definition only the main summits of entire mountain massifs are counted. All elevations with a prominence below 30 metres are considered as subpeaks.
By these definitions, the highest mountains in Germany are the Zugspitze (2,962 m), Hochwanner (2,746 m) and Watzmann (Middle Peak, 2,713 m). If all independent summits are counted, the Zugspitze is followed by the Schneefernerkopf (2,875 m) and the Middle Wetterspitze (2,747 m) in places two and three. Both are however, part of the Zugspitze massif and lie relatively close to the summit of the Zugspitze itself.
The highest mountain which lies entirely on German soil is the Watzmann with a height of 2,713 metres, followed by the Hochkalter (2,607 m), the Großer Daumen (2,280 m) and the Höfats (2,259 m). Likewise fully on German territory, but considerably less independent, are the Middle Höllentalspitze (2,742 m) and the Hochblassen (2,703 m).
A majority of the summits were verifiably climbed in the 19th century; the Watzmann and Hoher Göll for example as early as 1800. The Zugspitze was officially climbed for the first time in 1820. However, there are many peaks of which it is suspected had been climbed in earlier times by unknown climbers.
Because the borders of Germany have often changed during the course of the centuries, there were different "highest mountains" in the past. For example, during the time of the Holy Roman Empire up to 1806, the Ortler in present-day South Tyrol, at 3,905 m, was the highest German mountain. Whilst during the colonial period to 1918 Mount Kilimanjaro in the colony of German East Africa, at 5,895 m, was officially the highest mountain the German Reich. During the Nazi era from 1938 to 1945 this title went to the Großglockner which, at 3,797 m, is today the highest mountain in Austria.
Key
There may be differences in data from other sources. The tables use the tables of the German height reference system, based on height above Normalnull (~sea level) in Amsterdam, and data from the Bavarian Survey Office (Bayerischen Vermessungsverwaltung).
The highest summits
Table 1 below shows the 30 highest independent summits in Germany. A summit or peak requires a prominence of over 30 metres in order to count as independent.
By clicking on the symbols at the head of the table the individual columns may be sorted.
The highest mountains
Table 2 below shows the 21 highest mountains in Germany. A mountain is considered to be the main summit of a massif if its prominence is more than 300 metres.
By clicking the symbols at the head of the table the individual column may be sorted.