Germany’s highest peak rises 2,962 meters about sea level and provides breath-taking views of snow capped mountains. It is a major attraction all year round for it’s 360 degree views over four countries. Experiences at the top include: skiing (of course), two toboggan runs, Germany’s highest church, an ingloo village and a couple of nice restaurants. To get to the top, you can either take a cable car or a cog train.
There are also opportunities to hike trails up and around the tops of these mountains. Estimates start from about 8 hours to hike from the bottom, depending on weather and your personal fitness, of course. However you get to the top, you will be rewarded with some spectacular views and a sense of personal accomplishment. Take some time to admire the mountain you have conquered, purchase a bite to eat at the Panorama restaurant, and then take a snooze in one of the lounge seats overlooking the glacier.
No matter where your journey begins, an easy path to follow starts at the Bahnhof (train station) in Garmisch. You can easily park your car around there. Purchase a roundtrip ticket ahead of time from the Zugspitze website. This will cover you from the Garmisch Bahnhof to Eibsee and then up the mountain and back; all for one price.
Additional activites to enjoy:
- Relax in the lounge chairs on the outdoor terrace.
- Take a selfie using the Zugspitze PhotoStop camera overlooking the terrace.
- Visit the “Maria Heimsuchung” chapel
- Check out the collection of about 20 igloos in the Igloo Village
- Venture out 25 meters onto a platform floating 1,000 meters above the “Höllental” (Hell valley). The AlpspiX viewing platform literally lets you stand between heaven and hell.
- Enjoy some extraordinary hiking trails. Be sure to check if the lifts are open before going. Check the hiking map and open lift list.
This post contains a lot of links to third-party sites to make it easier for you to find the information to plan your trip. If you notice any failed links from sites that have changed, please let me know.
Why go?
- This is truly a beautiful place!
- If you enjoy nature, or you just want to breath in some fresh air, look no further.
- In the winter, bring your skis or snowboard. The ski map shows the many runs available to you. If you add in the Alpspitze, you can spend a long weekend and never ski the same path twice.
What you need to know:
- I usually take the cog train up and the cable car down. Either way, I recommend you use each to experience both.
- Eating at one of the restaurants at the top is pricey (a pair of wursts, french fries and coke was 14 Euros), but it’s a nice experience.
- Bring warm clothes. It can get very cold at the top even in the middle of summer, and you don’t want to limit yourself from going out onto the many viewing platforms.
- You can walk the path from the Zugspitze platform to the “golden” cross at the very top. However, check for the availability. It is only open in summer after the ice has been chipped away. It was not available this last time when I was there in mid May.
- Check the train schedule (in English).
- More information is available on the offical website of the mountain (available in English): https://zugspitze.de/en/summer/mountain