Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.zugspitze.de
)
Views from Germany's rooftop are quite literally breathtaking and, on
good days, extend into four countries. Skiing and hiking are the main activities here. The
trip to the Zugspitze summit via the Zugspitzbahn is as memor able as it is popular; beat
the crowds by starting early in the day and, if possible, skip weekends altogether. In
Garmisch, board the
Zahnradbahn
(cogwheel train) at its own station behind the Haupt-
bahnhof. Trains first chug along the mountain base to the Eibsee, a forest lake, then wind
their way through a mountain tunnel up to the Schneeferner Glacier (2600m). Here, you'll
switch to the
Gletscherbahn
cable car for the final ascent to the summit. When you're
done soaking in the panorama, board the
Eibsee-Seilbahn
, a steep cable car, that sways
and swings its way back down to the Eibsee in about 10 minutes. It's not for vertigo suf-
ferers, but the views surely are tremendous.
Most people come up on the train and take the cable car back down, but it works just as
well the other way around. Either way, the entire trip costs €39/21.50 per adult/child in
winter and €49.50/28 in summer . Winter rates include a day ski pass.
Partnachklamm
(
www.partnachklamm.eu
;
adult/child €3/1.50; 9am-5pm Oct-Easter, 8am-6pm Easter-
Sep)
One of the area's main attractions is the dramatically beautiful Partnachklamm, a
narrow 700m-long gorge with walls rising up to 80m. A circular walk hewn from the rock
takes you through the gorge, which is spectacular in winter when you can walk beneath
curtains of icicles and frozen waterfalls.
GORGE
Jagdschloss Schachen
( 920 30; adult/concession €4.50/3.50; Jun-Oct)
A popular hiking route is to King
Ludwig II's hunting lodge, Jagdschloss Schachen, which can be reached via the Partnach-
klamm in about a four-hour hike. A plain wooden hut from the outside, the interior is sur-
prisingly magnificent; the
Moorish Room
is something straight out of
Arabian Nights.
CASTLE
Activities
Garmisch has two big ski fields: the Zug spitze plateau (2964m) and the Classic Ski Area
(Alpspitze, 2628m; Hausberg, 1340m; Kreuzeck, 1651m; €33/18.50 day pass per adult/
child). Local buses serve all the valley stations. Cross-country ski trails run along the
main valleys, including a long section from Garmisch to Mittenwald; call 797 979 for
a weather or snow report (in German only). If you're a beginner, expect to pay around €60
per day for group ski lessons or €45 per hour for private instruction.
