Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - Garmisch Travel Guide

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (cc)

Garmisch Travel Guide

Introduction

Garmisch, formally Garmisch-Partenkirchen, is one of Germany's most famous ski resorts and easily the most visited of the resort towns in the Bavarian Alps. It enjoys international notoriety as the site of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games and myriad ski competitions besides, including the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1978 and 2011. The resort is actually a fusion of two market towns, Garmisch in the west and Partenkirchen in the east, forced to merge in 1935 by Adolf Hitler, ahead of the 1936 Winter Games. The town itself sits at an elevation of just under 2,400 feet, surrounded by stunning scenery and some of Germany's tallest mountains, among them the highly-recognizable 9,714-foot Zugspitze, offering up what can only be described as the best skiing conditions for miles around, as well as excellent possibilities in the summertime for hiking, mountain biking and other outdoor pursuits.

Location

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is situated 64 miles (102 km) southwest of Munich, or 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Innsbruck, Austria.

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Neighborhoods

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Where to Party

Essential Information

Nearby Destinations

How to Get There

Sightseeing

In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Partenkirchen side holds greater interest, with its frescoed walls and cobblestone streets. Other than that, nearby Ettal has a lovely Baroque monastery, Steingaden has a Rococo church, Wieskirche, and Linderhof has a fabulous palace built by King Ludwig II. Also on a day excursion from Garmisch are Oberammergau, which has a long tradition of woodcarving, and Mittenwald, which has an interesting collection of Alpine houses with painted façades. Schloss Neuschwanstein, too, is easily accessible from here by road.

Main Neighborhoods