Munich East – Feringasee – Isar

In a wide circuit, an excellent, level route leaves Munich’s city center behind to explore trails truly off-the-beaten-track to the north-east. Following a string of local parks, creeks, and canals it leads deep into the countryside. Passing swimmable lakes, it circles back via the classic Isar trails.The longish route offers great variety with several hidden gems along easy trails and tracks. It is well suited to beginning trail runners and offers a great shortcut along a disused train track as a shorter alternative.

Due east from the river Isar, several local parks take you through affluent urban neighborhoods, connected by short stretches of small roads like links on a chain. Exploring a variety of urban green spaces, from Shakespeareplatz across the Denninger Anger, comfortable paths reach the city limits marked by the railway line at the edge of Zamilapark after around 5kms.

The charmingly industrial railway trail continues on, but our route leaves it to pound the pavement for a short stretch crossing the suburban dream of Daglfing – home of Munich’s horse-race track. Quite surprisingly, an idyllic, small creek trail, known only locally, hugs the bank of the Hüllgraben flowing out of the suburbs to rural farmland.

The natural creek bed turns into a canal (built to avoid frequent flooding) meandering through fields and increasingly remote meadows. Both sides are runnable and frequent crossovers via various bridges possible – the trail on the right bank is more fun. Crossing a disused railway line (turning left to follow the embankment offers an alternative to cut the loop short) the trail continues through a field to reach the lake-like Abfanggraben. Originally built to lower the groundwater level of the surrounding flatlands, it has turned into a beautiful nature reserve with crystal-clear water and abundant wildlife.

A few klicks of straight tracks through fields lead to the very popular swimming lake Feringasee and back to the end of the Isarkanal in Unterföhring.

High on the canal’s embankment first glimpses of another small swimming lake, Poschinger Weiher, are visible as the route leads back to the river Isar. Merging with the classic Isar trails circuit, a fun, moderately technical trail leads back to the starting point – shady and cooled by the clear mountain river it’s a welcome finish on a hot summer’s day.