The reward was the majesty of the Bavarian Alps, showering glory upon those willing to hike serious trails, and maybe endure copious amounts of apricot schnapps in the company of hearty German hikers.

A trek through the Eastern Alps from Bavaria via Austria to Italy’s South Tyrol offers high-altitude hikes, heady views and a parade of peak-top castles.

Climbers hiking near Switzerland's famous Matterhorn mountain in the Alps came across human remains of a German climber who went missing in 1986.

The reward was the majesty of the Bavarian Alps, showering glory upon those willing to hike serious trails, and maybe endure copious amounts of apricot schnapps in the company of hearty German hikers.

Signposts that provide estimated hiking times and degrees of difficulty appear along a trail in the Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany on June 27, 2022.