Zugspitze is Germany's highest point. The only place in the country where you can ski all year round. Enterprising builders even managed to build a church on the top of the church to be closer to the god.
From the top of Zugspitze a wonderful panorama opens immediately to four countries: Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Tourists on the mountain are delivered by cable car, and this is another entertainment. You rush at a speed of 10 meters per second, in the booth is a woman's screech, and under you float mountains and lake Aybsee. Beauty!
How to get here
The best way to visit the mountain is to start from the ski resort of Garmisch- Partenkirchen. From here it is easier to reach the destination by rail through Grainau and Aybsee. The road goes along steep slopes, tunnels and gorges. The terminal station is Zugspitzplat. From her on the cable car you will be taken to the mountain.
Another route - through a small town Aybsee, which is located at the foot of the mountain. You will be taken by cable car in about 10 minutes. And the first half of the way you climb smoothly, diagonally, and the second - almost vertically.
Search for tickets to the city of Munich (the nearest airport to Zugspitze)
Trails
At Zugspitze - crowds of skiers and snowboarders. Most tourists come here from November to March, when the very peak of the "pokatusha". But in other months, there are enough extremals. Benefits of the route allow it to be used continuously
The total length of all routes and descents is 22 kilometers. Trails for every taste: for beginners and professionals. For those who first got on skis, there are schools of instructors. It is best to contact them, so as not to waste time trying fruitlessly to drive three meters and to keep your nerves.
The main place for skiing in Zugspitze is almost at the very top - it's about 3 thousand meters above sea level. These routes for the burnt fighters.
Cuisine and restaurants
There are two types of tourists coming to Zugspitze: the first want to go for a long drive, the second ones - just to wander around on the mountain, see the sights and relax in the local bars and restaurants. There are more than 20 of them here, by the way. Stand along the ski slopes and beckon delicious smells. As you know, in the open air the appetite is brutal, which is what the owners of the establishments use.
At the very top are two good institutions - Panorama-Bistro and Gipfelstuberl restaurant. Here you can taste authentic Bavarian cuisine. And, of course, scorching invigorating mulled wine.
Stores
There are several shops on the mountain where you can buy souvenirs - with the symbols of Zugspitze, Bavarian land. Basically, some trifles like trinkets and mugs and things necessary for skiers. It is better not to buy large souvenirs, because then it is inconvenient for them to walk or climb to the top.
Hotels Zugspitze
If you want to get a better look at Zugspitze, then you need to spend the night. The most convenient accommodation option is in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Here, simple, good-quality hotels, such a classic European option. There are more sophisticated options - for example, hotels located in old buildings like castles.
Accommodation at a hotel of 2-3 star level will cost from 45 EUR, 4 stars from 70 EUR per night
- Climb to the peak of the mountain - it is marked by a golden cross. To him from the main observation platform leads a path. Tourists climb back and forth like ants. It looks funny until you find yourself on this path. The risk of falling is small, but there is. It is important to choose the right shoes. Here you can really overcome the fear of heights. Climbed to the peak - already a hero.
- Feed the birds - if you do not feed the birds, they will take food from you. Birds circumnavigate around the tourists who dine in the restaurant on the terrace or stand on the observation deck. Better not to be angry with them and give them food.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions Zugspitze
At the top of the mountain, as well as at its foot, there are sights worth seeing for the sake of completeness - what is the Zugspitze.
Gorge Partner
On the high plateau of the mountain there is the glacier Schneiferner. Its melted water gave rise to the Partnern River. Water intricately runs along the rocks and leaves under the ground. For several millennia, the streams were able to lay the channel, and the resulting gorge was given the name of Partnakhklamm.
The gorge is long - 700 meters, with elevations of up to 80 meters. Framing rocks go skyward 90 meters. Sometimes there are original cornices - places cut in the gorge wall. Sometimes there are tunnels. Walking along them is difficult, they do not reach a width of one meter in width.
In the gorge, it is best to climb in winter, when large ice figures appear here as if from a fairy tale. In the spring, the river spills into the partners, you can see the elements of the river in full force.
Sighting platform
The observation deck on the mountain looks like a big spaceship. It offers a wonderful view of Lake Aybsee. Nearby is the very cross that is crowned by the peak of Zugspitze
Lake Aybsee
This lake is located 10 kilometers from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Aibsee lies at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. It has an unusual color, the water surface is covered with islets, and mountain streams run down to it. From here you can see the panorama of the Zugspitze mountain.
There is a bicycle road around the lake, where you can ride at any time of the year. On the banks of Aybsee - small beaches. Even in the heat, swimming in the lake is cool, because it feeds on thawed snow from the Alps. But to ride a catamaran can not only brave.
Also on the beach are restaurants with Bavarian cuisine and a cafe with fast food. Near the lake there is a railway station, from which you can go to Zugspitze.