Zugspitze Tour

In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Zugspitze Trail starts next to the famous ski ramp. From this point, you will walk steadily uphill on a wide path until you are left at the entrance to the Partnach Gorge after 1.8 kilometers (1,1 miles). This passage (for a fee) leads you between two gigantic rock formations with the Partnach river on your right and this forms one of the most beautiful highlights of the trail. After this, you walk further up via the Reintal valley, past the Bockhütte and an impressive waterfall. At the end of the day, you will arrive at the Reintalangerhütte. Here you can fully enjoy the surrounding scenery as the Partnach flows past.

Today is all about the highlight of this tour, summiting the Zugspitze. Before you can start the climb to the summit, you will first walk up steeply for 3.5 kilometers (2,2 miles) until you arrive at the Knorrhütte. This is also where you will spend the night, but for now you can leave some belongings there and continue your trek to the Zugspitze with a lighter daypack. From the Knorrhütte, the steep climb continues in a stony landscape. After covering another 3 kilometers (1,9 miles), you will be at the foot of the tough climb to the summit. Using steel cables, you climb and scramble over the ridge. This makes for panoramic views and in the distance you can see the Zugspitze slowly looming up. Once you reach the top, you will find the Münchner Haus and the memorable golden cross; welcome to Germany's highest point. When you've had enough of the stunning views, turn around and walk back to the Knorrhütte via the same challenging rock faces. Here it's time to celebrate your victory with a cold beer and the other hikers.

Today you will wake up in the Knorrhütte and after a good breakfast your trek towards the Austrian border will begin. You start quietly on a path without too many altitude differences and slowly you will pass through the same stony landscape of yesterday. After more than 2 kilometers (1,3 miles), you arrive at the border where you can still find the old transition signs. Shortly after you take your first steps on Austrian soil, the path starts to descend sharply. You then continue downhill on a well-trodden path until you pass the cozy Hochfellner Alm. Take a short break here if necessary and enjoy an Austrian apple strudel. Not hungry yet, walk on to the Ehrwalder Alm which is 2 kilometers (1,3 miles) away. From here you can also take the cable car down and skip 2.5 kilometers (1,6 miles) and 380 altitude meters (1.246 ft). The end point for today's stage is in Ehrwald and from here you can be back in Garmisch-Partenkirchen within half an hour by public transport. Here your Zugspitze trek is over and you can proudly say that you stood on the highest point in Germany. Gut gemacht!