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Things to Do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
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Plan language: EnglishMost popular attractions in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
When considering things to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, start with the Zugspitze, Germany's highest point at 2,962 meters. A cable car whisks you to the top for sweeping Alpine views. Below, the Partnachklamm gorge reveals 80-meter waterfalls cutting through limestone. Nearby Eibsee offers clear swimming waters with perfect mountain reflections.
1. Zugspitze
Stand on Germany's rooftop with 360-degree views across four countries. Ride Europe's highest cogwheel railway to the summit, then step onto the glacier even in summer.
Quick facts: At 2,962 meters, it's Germany's highest point where you can stand without a climbing rope. The summit straddles the German-Austrian border, meaning you can literally have one foot in each country at the same time.
Highlights: The summit houses one of Germany's highest breweries, where the beer ingredients have to be hauled up by cable car and the water comes from melted glacial ice. On a clear day you can see four countries from the panoramic terrace, spotting peaks across Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
2. Partnachklamm
Thunderous waterfalls echo off sheer limestone walls as you walk through a 700-meter-long river gorge. Boardwalks cling to the cliffs, leading past spray that cools your face even on the hottest summer day.
Quick facts: Over 700 meters of footpaths wind through a gorge where the Partnach River has carved 80-meter-deep limestone walls. Winter transforms the waterfalls into enormous icicles, drawing ice climbers from across Europe to scale the frozen formations.
Highlights: During the 1936 Winter Olympics, the gorge served as the backdrop for the ski jumping competition, with spectators packed along the canyon edges. Water sprays from the thundering falls create perpetual rainbows when sunlight hits the mist at the right angle, especially around midday.
3. Eibsee
A glacier-formed lake with water so clear you can see 10 meters down. Walk the 7.3 kilometer shoreline trail past swimming coves, tiny islands, and reflections of Germany's highest peak.
Quick facts: The water changes color throughout the day, shifting from deep emerald to brilliant turquoise as clouds pass over the Zugspitze. Seven small islands dot the lake, though only one is big enough for a single pine tree to claim it as its own.
Highlights: A Roman coin from 200 AD was found at the lake's deepest point, suggesting people have been drawn to these waters for nearly two millennia. Swim out to the tiny island with the lone pine tree and you'll find the water is so clear you can see the coin's resting place 30 meters below.
4. Alpspitze
Scale a legendary Alpine peak with a thrilling via ferrata or a scenic cable car ride. Stand at the summit cross with 360-degree views stretching to four countries.
Quick facts: The distinctive pyramid peak rises 2,628 meters and draws climbers from around the world to its north face via ferrata. Over 500,000 people ride the Alpspitzbahn cable car each year, gaining access to panoramic trails and the dramatic summit cross.
Highlights: The summit cross was originally erected in 1854 and has been replaced six times due to lightning strikes and avalanches, the current one weighing 250 kilograms. From the top, you can see four countries on a clear day: Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
5. Burg Werdenfels
Climb through forest paths to a medieval fortress with a view that sweeps across the entire Werdenfelser Land. Stand among 700-year-old stone walls where knights once guarded the route to Italy.
Quick facts: Perched on a rocky outcrop 230 meters above Garmisch-Partenkirchen, this 13th-century fortress once controlled the trade route into Italy. Its thick walls survived sieges and wars, only to be partially dismantled in the 18th century for building materials.
Highlights: The castle's former prison tower still bears the faded graffiti of inmates who scratched their names into the stone centuries ago. On a clear day, the panorama from the keep stretches across 30 Alpine peaks, including the jagged Zugspitze massif.
6. Pfarrkirche St. Martin
Gaze up at Bavarian Baroque ceiling frescoes that seem to float above you in a swirl of color and gold. You'll stand beneath a 67-meter onion dome that has watched over Garmisch-Partenkirchen for centuries.
Quick facts: The onion-domed tower rises 67 meters above the rooftops and serves as the visual anchor for the entire town center. Inside, ceiling frescoes by local artist Michael Zeno Diemer depict scenes from the life of Saint Martin in vivid 18th-century Bavarian Baroque style.
Highlights: Step inside on a sunny afternoon and watch how the afternoon light streams through the windows, catching the gold-leafed altars and making the ceiling frescoes seem to glow from within. The church organ, built in 1930 by the renowned G. F. Steinmeyer & Co., has 38 registers and fills the entire vaulted space with sound during Sunday mass.
7. Sommerrodelbahn
Race down 1,100 meters of winding track with the Alps as your backdrop. You control the speed, so you can cruise or fly as the mountain air whips past.
Quick facts: The track stretches 1,100 meters down the mountainside with a 200-meter elevation drop. Riders control their own speed with hand brakes, reaching up to 40 km/h on the twisting track.
Highlights: Unlike most alpine coasters that shut down in winter, this one runs year-round even in snow. Flying down the track with snowbanks on either side and views of the Zugspitze creates a completely different experience than summer rides.
8. Wank
Ride the cable car up for jaw-dropping panoramic views across the entire Alpine chain. Hike the summit ridge, feast on käsespätzle at the mountaintop restaurant, and count over 400 peaks from the observation platform.
Quick facts: The summit sits at 1,780 meters and offers sweeping views of Germany's highest peak and the entire Alpine chain. Its unusual name comes from an Old High German word meaning "unstable," a reference to the crumbling limestone that makes the mountain geologically fascinating.
Highlights: The summit restaurant serves traditional Bavarian käsespätzle with what might be the most dramatic backdrop in the region, a 360-degree panorama of the Alps. On crystal-clear days, you can count over 400 individual mountain peaks from the wooden observation platform just steps from your table.
9. Hausberg
Hop the cable car for sweeping alpine views without the crowds of bigger peaks. Ride, hike, or ski your way around a mountain that delivers big scenery in half the time.
Quick facts: The Hausbergbahn cable car whisks visitors from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to 1,350 meters in just under 5 minutes. Skiers and hikers share the mountain with grazing cattle during summer months when the alpine meadows burst with wildflowers.
Highlights: On clear days, the summit panorama stretches across 400 peaks including the Zugspitze, Germany's highest point at 2,962 meters. The mountain restaurant serves homemade Kaiserschmarrn using eggs from local farms while you watch paragliders launch off the ridge.
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Traditional Sweet Dishes
Kaiserschmarrn
This fluffy shredded pancake, dusted with powdered sugar and served with fruit compote, is rumored to have been named after Emperor Franz Joseph I who loved it so much that his chefs would make it specially for him.
Apfelstrudel
Traditional Bavarian apple strudel uses paper-thin strudel dough stretched so thin that bakers traditionally say you should be able to read a love letter through it.
Dampfnudel
These steamed yeast dumplings, often served with vanilla sauce or poppy seeds, get their signature golden-brown bottom from being steamed in a pan with milk and butter rather than baked.
Traditional Savory Dishes
Schweinshaxe
Pork knuckle roasted until the skin is intensely crispy is a beloved Bavarian specialty, and in Garmisch-Partenkirchen it is traditionally paired with a dark beer gravy and a giant potato dumpling.
Weißwurst
This traditional white sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon is famously eaten before noon, as it was made without preservatives in the days before refrigeration and would spoil by afternoon.
Käsespätzle
The Alpine version of mac and cheese uses hand-scraped egg noodles layered with melted mountain cheeses like Emmental and Bergkäse, then topped with crispy fried onions for a perfect post-hike meal.
Traditional Beverages
Hefeweizen
This unfiltered wheat beer, cloudy with yeast, is so prized in Bavaria that it has its own special glass designed to showcase its thick, creamy head and capture its signature banana and clove aromas.
Obstler
This clear fruit brandy, traditionally distilled from apples or pears in the Alpine region, is known as the "digestif of the Alps" and is often served after a heavy Bavarian meal to aid digestion.
Glühwein
At the famous Garmisch-Partenkirchen Christmas market, this spiced mulled wine is simmered with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel and served in collectible souvenir boots that visitors keep as mementos.
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Most popular day trips
Mittenwald
Charming Bavarian village famous for violin making and colorful frescoed houses
Oberammergau
World-renowned for Passion Play and intricate woodcarving tradition
Innsbruck, Austria
Alpine capital with historic old town and stunning mountain backdrop
Neuschwanstein Castle
Fairytale castle perched on a rugged hill, inspiration for Disney
Munich
Bavarian capital with museums, beer gardens and vibrant cultural scene
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Getting there
Train stations
Direct rail from Munich, Innsbruck, and Mittenwald
Local Zugspitze railway and cogwheel train connections
From Munich Airport take S-Bahn to Munich Hbf then direct train to Garmisch (total 2.5 hours). Innsbruck Airport is closer with a 1 hour train ride.
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Comments (10)
Food was solid Bavarian fare but gets repetitive after 3 days. The weisswurst breakfast is a must try at least once.
If you hike the Eckbauer, bring cash. The little hut at the top only takes cash and the apfelstrudel there is legendary.
Skip the restaurants on Ludwigstrasse. Walk to Grainau instead, small village nearby with half the prices and better views.
The town itself is charming but everything closes so early. Like 6pm and it's a ghost town. Bring snacks for evening.
Best part was just walking around the old neighborhoods away from the main drag. Quiet, flowers everywhere, mountain views.