As part of our road tripping European holiday, we visited Germany, my wife’s home country. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Zugspitze in Garmisch-Partenkirchen which at 2950 meters (approximately 9600 ft), it’s the highest point in Germany. My wife throughout all her travels in Germany had never been to the Zugspitze so this was a great opportunity for both of us to experience it. We stayed at the nearby Hotel Alpspitz in Grainau, a mere 30-minute bus ride away. As one of the perks of our hotel stay, we were able to obtain a mobile guest card which allowed us to ride the bus for free. You can also use it for discounts on various places of interest and other services. It can be downloaded to your phone, or you can opt to receive a physical card. When on vacation, we like to get an early start to see attractions and thereby get ahead of the crowds. A five-minute walk to the bus stop around the corner from the hotel, hop on the bus, scan our free pass and we’re on our way. You can also access the Zugspitze from the Austrian side since both countries share a border.

Hiking the Zugspitze’s many trails is supposed to be quite challenging but blessed with the most beautiful views. We however are not hiking this day. We disembarked the bus and after a short walk across the parking lot, we arrived at the Seilbahn (cablecar) Zugspitze station in Eibsee. Here you can purchase your roundtrip tickets if you haven’t pre ordered online. Other than hiking, there are two other options to get you to the summit. You can take the cogwheel railway through some very scenic woodlands and a 4 km long tunnel to the glacial plateau located at 2600 meters asl, then board a smaller cable car the rest of the way. The other option, which we took, is to ride the aerial tram first and return by railway.

The ride to the top takes about seven minutes and the views are already stunning. The elevation gained was about 1942 meters (6370 feet.) With faces pressed against the windows of the tram, there was a sense of excitement of what was to come.

On arrival at the top, the temperature was 7 degrees Celsius (44.6 F) Dressing for this activity depends on the season. We visited in May when it was quite warm but wore layers as it was cold and windy at the top. Once at the viewing areas, we got to see in addition to the Bavarian Alps, with its many beautiful peaks, lakes and valleys, the countries of Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The true summit is marked by a golden cross and to reach it, you can do a short but treacherous hike with the aid of a ladder and safety cables. Clipping into those cables is strongly recommended as one slip, and you can say “auf wiedersehen.” We were happy to just enjoy the views.

The Zugspitze straddles the border between Germany and Austria, making it easy to visit both countries in one trip. Crossing over to Austria from the German side at the Zugspitze is a unique and memorable experience. A short walk across a narrow, enclosed walkway, which was once a border control station, and we’re on the viewing terrace in Austria. There was a giant pile of snow on the terrace, and everyone took turns climbing it, lots of fun.

The Zugspitze is also home to the highest weather station in Germany. Playing a crucial role in monitoring and recording weather conditions in the Bavarian Alps, the station provides valuable data on temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and other meteorological information, which are essential for weather forecasting and climate research.

After crossing back over from the Austrian side, we stopped for lunch at Münchner Haus, Germany’s highest Biergarten where they offered traditional biergarten food like pretzels, sausages and assortment of strudels. By this time, the weather was getting warmer, and we could lose some layers. The sun felt very good on our faces as we sat and enjoyed our meal and the views, we even got a visit from a very inquisitive crow who wanted to share in our meal.

For the ride back, we exercised our option of taking a different cable car, the Gletscherbahn down to the glacial plateau. There we connected to the cog wheel train for the remainder of the journey to Eibsee station. We chose the train just to have a different experience. The ride took us through some tunnels and the beautiful, verdant pine forest.

After we exited the train, we headed to the bus stop. There was still some time before the next scheduled bus would arrive, so I took a short walk around to check out the nearby Lake Eibsee. The water is crystal clear and clean and has a blueish green hue. Besides the Zugspitze, there are many other activities available in this vast recreational area like skiing, paragliding, hiking, kayaking and other water sports. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would highly recommend this attraction. All of this is only two-hour trip from Munich where there are many day tours available, or you could easily do it on your own like we did. Summer tickets are €72 per adult, which includes one ascent and one descent, as well as unlimited rides on the Gletscherbahn cable car on the day of your visit. The Gletscherbahn cable car makes return trips from the glacial plateau to the summit and does not go to the parking lot. Winter rates are €57 per adult with similar inclusions as the summer tickets.

Next up, we visit the Partnachlamm Gorge which is only a 25 minute drive away and will be detailed in a subsequent post.