Großer Arber, Mountain summit in Bavaria, Germany

Großer Arber rises to 1456 meters (4777 feet) and forms the highest point in Lower Bavaria and throughout the Bohemian Forest range. The summit area shows bare rock surrounded by expansive forests that descend far into the valleys below.

The surrounding area gained protected status in 1939 to preserve natural features like the Rißloch waterfalls and glacial lakes. Cable railway infrastructure developed during the second half of the 20th century, opening the summit to visitors year-round.

The name probably comes from the Celtic "Arduikos", meaning "the high mountain"; a 1279 charter calls it Adwich, and the form Arber appears in a 1740 document. The summit holds a cross erected in 1913 and, near the main peak, the Chapel of St Bartholomew from 1956. In winter, east wind and ice snow coat the mountain spruces in shapes called Arbermandl, a term coined by cameraman Martin Lippl's 1985 television footage.

A cable railway runs directly to the top, where several ski slopes with different difficulty levels begin. Hiking trails are well marked during summer, while winter conditions may require alpine equipment.

The summit region rises above the natural tree line, yet it is treeless and covered with subalpine mat grass, rock fields and dwarf pine scrub found nowhere else in the Bavarian Forest in this extent. In winter, east wind and ice snow freeze the mountain spruces into twisted figures called Arbermandl, a term coined by cameraman Martin Lippl's 1985 television footage.