Hiking alone in Münich area

contact the Munich TI to find out the equivalent of the Swiss Alps hiking club, I'm sure Germany is full of them.

I stayed in Mittenwald 2 nights in 2019 and know there must be trails - there were hikers in abundance. Check www.alltrails.com. I found a bunch of info that you can use as a start.

https://www.alltrails.com/germany/bavaria/mittenwald

Hikes around Mittenwald:
https://www.outdooractive.com/en/hikes/mittenwald/hikes-in-mittenwald/1438720/?i=1438720

Couple of links to your trail of choice:

https://www.schachenhaus.de/index.php/2-uncategorised/26-schachen-ascents-from-mittenwald

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187302-d5461580-Reviews-Konigshaus_am_Schachen-Garmisch_Partenkirchen_Upper_Bavaria_Bavaria.html

That impresses me as more than "casual" - a pretty long hike that is also pretty demanding overall in terms of elevation gain.

Here's a guide to exploring Mittenwald:
https://hastingshouse.typepad.com/hastings_house_us/2007/04/mittenwald_germ.html

Munich is the English-language name for München. You need the umlaut (ü) only for the German version. I wish I understood how it was that my English-speaking predecessors came to pronounce the town "myoo-nick" - the German version was apparently so odd to them that they just decided to re-do the entire name.

Thank you for all your links! Some of them I had not found yet and are very useful :)

Russ, I agree, it does not seem so much of a casual hike with that ascent. I think I will be okay as long as there are other hikers around, as I have some experience with hiking up mountains. I am mostly concerned if I need special gear, or if something happens to me that no one would be around for hours/days. But my general impression is that a lot of people hike around here and I guess I could contact Schachenhaus as I am sure they must have an idea of how traversed the area is.

Thank you so much! If anyone coming across this post has personal experience with this hike, I would be happy to hear about that too :)

I have considered the route from Mittenwald up to Schachenhaus, stay overnight, and then down to Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The route from Mittenwald is easy but parts of it are much frequented by mountain bikers (there is a big renting station at the Mittenwald train station). Even easier is the access from Elmau following the so called Königsweg, i.e. the small supply road that was constructed to bring up all the stuff required for the (rare) stays of King Ludwig II on the Schachen. There are two routes down to Garmisch (1) the so called "Kälbersteig" (calf trail?) and (2) the rather steep and a bit demanding route down to the Oberreintal (the "back side", as it were, of the Zugspitze) and through the Partnachklamm to Garmisch. Still, I'd take route (2) which offers much better views. All the routes are quite busy on a sunny day, so you cannot get lost.
From the Schachenhaus you can climb up to the Meilerhütte, which sits on the ridge of the Wettersteinkamm and offers splendid views both to the north (Bavarian pre alps) and the south (central Austrian alps). On the Schachen, don't miss the very curious orientalizing chalet of Ludwig II and the Alpengarten, a dependance of the Botanical Garden of the University of Munich.

Addendum: Please note that you have to pay cash at the Schachenhaus!

All the routes are quite busy on a sunny day, so you cannot get lost.

That's exactly what I want to hear :D Your suggestions are very useful, it gives me a good overview of my options. I was thinking to take the route (2) as you describe as it looks like a much more interesting route with beautiful views. I may start in Garmisch-Partkirchen and end in Mittenwald instead, but I reckon the steep incline from Oberreintal to Schachen should be doable - sometimes it is even easier to go up than down steep inclinations.

Thank you for your tips, Augusta - I will remember cash!

Munich is the English-language name for München. You need the umlaut (ü) only for the German version. I wish I understood how it was that my English-speaking predecessors came to pronounce the town "myoo-nick" - the German version was apparently so odd to them that they just decided to re-do the entire name.

@Russ
Most likely it's a simple adapation of the medieval form of the place name "(Bei den) Munichen" ("at the monks") with deletion of the "useless" dative ending -en, which may have already taken place at a French intermediate stage (i.e., following the "Homeros > Homer" model: Munichen > Munich). Since the place name was associated with historical figures such as Henry the Lion and Louis IV, it will have been known in England in its original form.