Garmisch Partenkirchen

 

Two ski resorts Garmisch Classic and Zugspitze boasts over 60 kilometers of ski slopes of varying difficulty, iperfectly groomed trails, state-of-the-art lifts - from December to April.

Garmisch-Classic ski area
The Garmisch-Classic ski area has a total of 40 kilometres of ski runs. The ski runs in the Garmisch-Classic ski area are located along the slopes of three mountains: Alpspitze (2,628 m), Hausberg (1,310 m) and Kreuzeck (1,651 m).
The Hausberg cable car is the closest to the town and to most accommodation. Those with the option may prefer to travel a little further and to start with either the Kreuzeck or the Alpspitz cable cars. The Alpspitz leads up to the highest runs on the "town" slopes at 2050m.

From the Alpsitze cable car station at 2,050 meters, skiers have access to the spacious, well-groomed slopes of Osterfelder and Längenfelder, and eventually Kreuzeck on gondolas. The Kreuzeck slopes are mainly for experienced skiers.

Zugspitze ski area - Winter sports on the glacier.
The ski runs at the Zugspitze ski area are located on the slopes of three mountains: Schneefernerkopf (2,874 m), Wetterwandeck (2,698 m) and Zugspitze or Zugspitze plateau (2,600 m).

The train to the Zugspitze leaves from just behind the main railway station and calls at the base of the other ski areas and the village of Grainau before the Eibsee lake. The cogs then engage for the steeper parts of the journey up inside the mountain. The alternate way to the top is to drive (or take the bus/car) to the Eibsee and take the cable car to the Zugspitze top station. There are no ski runs that descend directly from the Zugspitze summit down to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, as the Zugspitze's terrain and glacier area are distinct from the lower-altitude slopes around the town.

 

With the "Twin Ticket" you have access to the Classic ski area and the Zugspitze, i.e. a total of 60 km of piste.
With the "Top Snow Card" you have access to 87 lifts and 214 kilometres of piste between 732 - 2,720 m in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald and the Austrian side of the Tyrolean Zugspitz region.

 

 

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is known for its steep World Cup runs. However, beginner skiers will not be easily bored. Both the Classic and Zugspitze areas offer novice pistes, but the Zugspitze ski area is more suited to strong novices. 

 

Despite its reputation as a resort for intermediate skiers, Garmisch-Partenkirchen has an array of gentle slopes and wide runs suitable for beginners. The excellent snow conditions are great for learners, and there are two main nursery slopes on the Hausberg. The Hausberg is perfect for children. Little guests interested in trying their hands at skiing for the first time would have a blast at Kinderland next to the top station of the Hausbergbahn cable car, under the watchful eyes of instructors.

Once you advance from the nursery slopes, beginners can explore specially designated areas such as the Eckbauer and the Kreuzeck area.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a superb resort for intermediate skiers looking to push their boundaries and improve their skills. With an abundance of blue and red runs to explore, intermediate skiers have a wide variety of options.

The Classic area has the longest and most impressive array of intermediate runs. It is possible to ski1300 m from the top of the Alpspitzbahn down to the base. Three former downhill runs (Olympia, Kochelberg, and Standard-Tonihutte) fall over 600m uninterrupted. The Olypmia run hosted the 1936 Olympic downhill. The Kreuzeck area is a fantastic spot with plenty of wide, rolling blues to glide along.

The Zugspitze area is an intermediate’s paradise. The glacier has 15km or so of relaxed wide-open skiing, all above the treeline. The runs are a bit on the easier end of the red spectrum and strong beginners will find many of them within reach.

With 13% of its runs being black, there is a variety of challenging terrain to explore. The most renowned run is the Kandahar-Abfahrt, a World Cup downhill course that is considered one of the most demanding in the world. The legendary Kandahar has been part of the World Cup courses since 2009 and has the steepest section of all World Cup descents: With up to an incredible 92 percent gradient, the ski racing pros have to get back to work shortly before the finish. Other sections are also very tough: on the Trög slope there is a 63 percent gradient, which allows accelerations of up to 140 km/h shortly after the start.

Zugspitze ski area does not have black (expert-level) slopes.

 

The two runs down to the town - the Kochelberg (red) and the Horn (black) are again attractive and varied tree-lined descents with excellent views of the town below.

 

 

As the name implies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was originally two towns: Garmisch in the west and Partenkirchen in the east. Interestingly, these two bordering towns were united by Hitler in the anticipation of the Winter Olympics of 1936. Well, today it is a single township and more commonly referred to as Garmisch to the utter dismay of the older Partenkirchen inhabitants. Well, I would love to refer to it as Garmisch-Partenkirchen or as Ga-Pa, as both of these, though a single town now, is totally different from each other.

Nowadays there are nearly 9,000 beds and around 1,2 million overnight stays and the town markets the winter sports opportunities and ski slopes as 'Garmisch Classic' ski resort.

 

Ga-Pa is a town with an awful lot going on. Apart from the 100 restaurants, most with their own bars too choose from, there are a further 30 or so bars, and half a dozen dedicated discothèques to visit through to the early hours. Traditional beer gardens, halls and restaurants will show you how Bavaria earned its reputation for warm hospitality. The local friendly attitude to visitors is known as the "Gemütlichkeit."  Other evening entertainments include two cinemas, regular classical music concerts and guest appearances by famous performers at the Kleines Kurtheatre. Ice shows and hockey matches are open to spectators at the Olympic rink.

 

Those taking a ski vacation at this German ski resort should not be surprised to hear plenty of American English being spoken! The town of around 30,000 inhabitants is also host to a US Army Recreation Area, with dedicated hotel accommodation, facilities and sports instruction for skiers and kayakers.