Mount Zugspitze
Mount Zugspitze
The Zugspitze has an altitude of 2,962 meter (9,718 ft), making it the highest mountain in Germany (http://www.zugspitze.de/). It is located close to Grainau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the Bavarian side in Germany, and close to Ehrwald and Reutte on the Tyrolian side in Austria. It is possible to cross the border between Germany and Austria on the top of the mountain. Previously, there was a border checkpoint on the summit station. Since the “Schengen Treaty”, which guaranties EU citizens free travel within the “Schengen Zone”, the border checkpoint is no longer staffed. You can literally “jump” between the two countries.
The temperature at the Zugspitze varies from approximately -15 to +5 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Hiking from the bottom of the Zugspitze to the summit takes between one and two days. In winter, the Zugspitze is a popular skiing and snowboarding destination. Approximately 350 m below the summit of the Zugspitze, you will find the Zugspitzplatt, a plateau that hosts Germany’s highest ski resort and the only glacier in Germany. Even though there is snow all year, the skiing season ends in May.
On the Austrian side of the Zugspitze, you will find the towns of Ehrwald (www.ehrwald.com) and Lermoos (www.lermoos.at). From Ehrwald you can use the “Tiroler Zugsitzbahn” (http://www.zugspitzbahn.at/zugspitzbahn/en/home.html), a cable car to ascend to the summit from the other side.
If you want to ascend to the peak of the Zugspitze from Germany, two options are available: You may use the cog railway (Zugspitzbahn) or the cable-car (Seilbahn). The cog railway takes longer but brings you through a tunnel directly to the plateau, the Zugsitzplatt. The cable car is faster but brings you directly to the summit station. If you want to go to the plateau from there, you need to take a cable car on the other side of the summit, which brings you down to the plateau. For more information, please use the following link to get an overview:
www.zugspitzbahn.at/zugspitzbahn/en/orientation.html
You can take the cog railway or the cable car from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (www.garmisch-partenkirchen.de) as well as from Eibsee, which is five minutes away from Eibsee-Hotel (http://www.eibsee-hotel.com/).