The thin, cold air of the alpine morning fills your lungs as boots crunch on frost-covered gravel. The distant rumble of the Zugspitze cable car climbing through the clouds echoes across the valley. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the twin towns brought together by Hitler for the 1936 Winter Olympics, is the Bavarian alpine resort par excellence. The painted houses, the Luftlmalerei frescoes depicting biblical scenes and Bavarian baroque motifs, line the streets. The beer halls offer warmth and hearty food. The trails climb into the Wetterstein mountains. This is a place where the mountains are not a backdrop but a religion.

The Zugspitze: Roof of Germany

The Zugspitze stands at 2,962 metres, the highest peak in Germany. The summit cross glints in the thin air. The cable car climbs 1,945 vertical metres in 10 minutes, the gondola swinging gently in the alpine wind. The view from the top takes in the Eibsee below, a lake the colour of glacier mint, with tiny boats the size of pinheads. The Austrian border runs along the ridge and you can stand with one foot in each country. The glacier, the Zugspitzplatt, is Germany’s only year-round ski area. The round trip on the cable car costs 63 euros as of 2026. The cogwheel train from Garmisch takes 75 minutes and offers a more gradual ascent through the alpine landscape. The summit has a restaurant, a panoramic terrace, and a small chapel. On clear days you can see four countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. The summit cross, originally erected in 1851, was replaced in 2016 and stands 5 metres tall.

Partnach Gorge: Walking Through the Earth

The Partnachklamm is the essential short walk in Garmisch. The river Partnach has carved a 700-metre-long, 80-metre-deep chasm through the limestone. The path was cut into the rock wall in 1912. The roar of the water echoes through the gorge. The spray keeps the path cool even in summer. The tunnels take you through the rock itself. The walk takes 30 minutes and costs 6 euros as of 2026. The gorge is open year round except during heavy rain or snowmelt when it becomes impassable. In winter, the waterfall freezes into a column of ice 80 metres high and climbers ascend the frozen cascade. The gorge was used as a filming location for the 2008 film The Dark Knight and is one of the most dramatic natural sights in Bavaria.

Hollentalklamm: The Hell Valley Gorge

For those seeking a more demanding hike, the Hollentalklamm, the Hell Valley Gorge, is the advanced version of the Partnach experience. The round trip takes 3 to 4 hours. The path uses steel ladders and bridges that cling to the cliff face. The water thunders through the narrowest sections at 1,000 litres per second. The gorge was first opened to visitors in 1902. The entrance fee is 5 euros. The walk is not suitable for anyone with a fear of heights or in wet weather when the ladders become slippery. The reward at the top is the Hollentalangerhutte, a mountain hut at 1,387 metres serving Kaiserschmarrn, the shredded pancake with plum compote that is the essential alpine lunch, and views of the Zugspitze that few visitors ever see.

Summer in Garmisch: Hiking and Alpine Meadows

The Eckbauer is the gentle option for summer visitors. Take the cable car up, walk the plateau with views of the Zugspitze and the Alpspitze, and eat lunch at the mountain restaurant. The Kaiserschmarrn here is excellent. The Wank, at 1,780 metres, is the local mountain of Garmisch. The cable car takes 10 minutes and the summit offers a 360-degree view of the entire region. The hiking trails around Garmisch total 300 kilometres, ranging from easy valley walks to multi-day hut-to-hut treks in the Wetterstein mountains. The Alpenwelt Karwendel, just across the Austrian border, has 400 kilometres of marked trails through the Karwendel Nature Park. The summer season runs from June to September when the alpine meadows are carpeted with wildflowers and the mountain huts are open for business.

Winter Sports: World-Class Skiing

Garmisch-Classic is the main ski area with 40 kilometres of pistes. The World Cup downhill course, the Kandahar, is the most challenging downhill in Germany. The piste drops 920 metres in 3.3 kilometres. The ice, the speed, and the professionals making it look easy are all part of the spectacle during the annual World Cup races in January. The Zugspitze glacier offers reliable snow from November to May. The run down to Ehrwald on the Austrian side crosses the border with a single lift pass. The cross-country skiing trails cover 50 kilometres through the Loisach valley. The winter season runs from December to March. Accommodation ranges from traditional Bavarian guesthouses, the Gasthof, at 80 to 120 euros per night for a double, to hotels at 150 to 300 euros.

Bavarian Food and Drink in the Mountains

The mountain huts serve the best food in the region. Kaiserschmarrn is the essential alpine lunch. The Weisswurst, the white veal sausage, is served with sweet mustard and a pretzel until 11am. You can ask for the time of day but not for the sausage after midday. It is the Bavarian breakfast of champions. The Schweinshaxe, roasted pork knuckle with crispy skin and tender meat, is the classic dinner. The beer in Garmisch comes from local breweries including the Grainau brewery and the Garmischer brewery. The wheat beer, the Weissbier, is cloudy, yeasty, and perfect after a long hike. The local schnapps, Obstler, a fruit brandy made from apples and pears, is served as a digestif in every mountain hut.

Have you stood on a high summit, the Zugspitze or another, and felt the air change, the world shrink, the sense of being above it all?

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