Method for the preparation of 4-hydroxymethyltetrahydropyrans of the general formula I in which R , R , R and R denote hydrogen, C1- to C12-alkyl, C3- to C8-cycloalkyl, aryl or C7- to C20-aralkyl, by reacting tetrahydropyrancarboxylic esters of the general formula II in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 have the abovementioned meanings and R5 denotes hydrogen or C1- to C12-alkyl, at temperatures of 50 to 400 DEG C and pressures of 1 to 400 bar in the presence of hydrogen and hydrogenation catalysts.