The 2026 solar eclipse at the Wendelstein

Riding the Wendelstein cogwheel railway on a special trip almost to the summit, I experienced my first consciously witnessed solar eclipse. The Wendelstein is one of the most iconic peaks in the Bavarian Alps, and on this special evening it offered an unforgettable backdrop: clear views across to the Wilder Kaiser in Austria, a detour 82 steps down into the Wendelstein Cave to the whisky casks maturing there, and finally the climb along the panoramic trail up to the summit with its observatory at 1,838 meters. Up there, gazing out over the endless, layered mountain ranges fading into blue, I waited alongside other photographers for the maximum phase of the eclipse — visible to the naked eye just before sunset, no filter needed. As the positions of the moon and sun aligned, the sun briefly turned into an oversized, orange crescent moon before dipping below the horizon. To close out the evening, Germany’s highest church appeared bathed in the last light of the sun before we headed back down the mountain on the cogwheel railway. An evening full of stillness, natural spectacle, and truly special moments in the Bavarian Alps.