Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Proceed to track No. 1 by turning to the left at the bottom of the stairs leading
from the arriving train platform. DER is visible from the rail-station lobby. Most tours
are conducted daily.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (actually two villages that united in 1935) hosted the
1936 Winter Olympics and the World Alpine-Ski Championship in 1978. Just visit-
ing the Olympic facilities can consume an entire day. A downtown shopping spree
can do the same, but with more injury to pocketbooks. In wintertime the Winter
Olympics ski jump provides spills and chills, and the Olympic Ice Stadium is open
year-round.
The alpine ski runs extend 68 miles in length, and there are 93 miles of tracks
for cross-country skiing. Two of the most popular alpine cable-car runs in summer
are the Eibsee-Zugspitze system (9,678 feet) and the Wank Bahn, which takes
you to the promontory of the Wank Alp (5,874 feet). There are others as well. One
that is particularly convenient starts at the Olympic Ski Stadium on the fringe of
Garmisch-Partenkirchen and scales the Eckbauer Alp to a height of 4,127 feet.
From any of these points on a clear day, the view is extraordinary.
Near the Ski Stadium, you can hike through the Partnachklamm gorge, which
has a trail cut into the rock. The trail follows the course of the Partnach Stream for
more spectacular views. There's also the Hollentalklamm. Begin your hike at Ham-
mersbach, about 3 kilometers west of Garmisch, a stop on the Zugspitzbahn. Hike
a couple of kilometers up the mountain to the beginning of the gorge. The trail con-
tinues to the top of the Zugspitze. The tourist office can fill you in on all the details.
The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany—9,718 feet, to be exact. A
cog railway was completed in 1931 to the Zugspitzplatt, along with a cable car that
scaled the last 2,000 feet to the top. Another cable car running from Eibsee, a sta-
tion stop on the cog railway at the 3,500-foot level, was placed in operation during
1963. This system lifts passengers directly to the peak in a spectacular 10-minute
ride.
These two systems make a circuitous routing possible—up one way and down
another. The round-trip fare from Garmisch is €41.50 adults, €32 youth, and €22.50
children (discount for German Railpass and Eurail pass holders). The ticket en-
titles you to ride on any part of the total system. When you arrive in the Garmisch-
Partenkirchen Station, walk about 100 yards to the cog-railway station on your
right. The cog railway stops in Eibsee about 30 minutes after departing Garmisch.
Transfer at this point to the Eibsee cable car.
The cable-car trip from Eibsee to the top of the Zugspitze takes about 10 breath-
taking minutes. If you are in a hurry to return to Garmisch, you could retrace your
trip by returning to Eibsee on the cable car, but we recommend that you proceed
to the Sonn Alpin Glacier Restaurant via the “Gletscherbahn” cable car. At the
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