The Zugspitze is Germany’s highest mountain. The Bayerische Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn run a railway which allows to ascend and descend in tram-like vehicles. Alternatively, it’s possible to take the cable car option.
Even better, you can combine both – take the railway up, and come down on the cable car. The cable car affords for some marvellous sites, and great photo opportunities if the window in the cabin is open.
The Zugspitsbahn station building.
The tram. The 1936 Winter olympics stadium can be seen in the background.
The tram was very modern and included a useful screen to tell you the progress. There are various stations: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Hausberg, Kreuzeck-Alpspitze, Hammersbach, Grainu, Eibsee, Riffelriß and finally at the summit, Zugspitzplatt.
Eibsee station.
View of Eibsee from the tram.
Soon after Eibsee, the track becomes considerable steeper and the main ascent starts.
By the time you are at Riffelriß station, you are well into the level of the clouds.
Soon after, you enter a tunnel bored into the Zugspitze moutain itself.
After getting out, you can wander around a bit. Despite it being June in the middle of summer, it was snowing quite heavily.
Deutschlands höchster Biergarten – Germany’s highest beer garden.
If you are brave (or perhaps more accurately, foolishly stupid), you can leave the relative safety of complex and climb onto the snow.
Descent in the cable car.
View of the railway track from the cable car.
Passing the ascending cable car.
The Eibsee in the background.
The Eibsee.
Panoramic image of Eibsee.
Getting off the cable car at Eibsee. You can then get back on the tram to go back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
