Winter Wonderland.
Outdoorsman's dream destination.
Paradise.
All of these words can be used to describe Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but paradise is the one that best sums it up. It's not a sunny beach location, like VFC loves, but because of what the town has to offer in the way of recreational activities, entertainment and sheer, natural beauty, it is one of the truly magnificent places that I've visited.
Until Hitler combined the two just before they hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics, Garmisch and Partenkirchen where two separate townships. Today, the towns are so united that you would never notice that you've passed from Garmisch into Partenkirchen without someone telling you that you'd done so. The
ski stadium built for the 1936 Olympics still stands on the outskirts of town and often hosts ski jumping competitions.
Being located in the Bavaria region of Southern Germany, and not too far from the Austrian border, makes Garmisch the perfect destination for the avid (or casual) skier. There are peaks and slopes dotted all around the city, but probably most famous of them is the
Zugspitze.
The Zugspitze is Germany's highest peak and a river that runs from the mountains has carved a fabulous gorge in the valley below. The gorge is closed in the winter due to the constant threat of avalanche, but it's definitely worth the walk in the summer.
However, the Partnach gorge, located on the other end of town, is open year-round and is especially fabulous in the winter as ice columns form from the top of the cliffs above to the bottom of the gorge below. Truly a magnificent sight.
From Garmisch, which has an efficient public transportation system, you have easy access to all of the local skiing hotspots. The Zugspitzbahn departs from the city center and carries skiers and tourists alike to the peak of the monstrous Zugspitz; with just a quick stopover in
Grainau. All the public transportation is equipped to lug ski equipment along with the passengers.
Aside from skiing, Garmisch has many other recreational activities to offer. There's hiking, snowboarding, sledding and even polar bear swimming. Actually, the polar bear swimming is up to the individual; the water is freezing, but some are crazy enough to jump in, but I don't reccommend it for the weak-hearted. That water is COLD.
Not to be considered just a winter destination, Garmisch boasts a host of summer activities, too. The mountains that are perfect for skiing in the winter are just as perfect for hiking in the summer. There's miles of path that will lead you through forest and up peaks and offer some of the most spectacular scenery you could imagine. But, if hiking is not your game, cable cars will carry you to the top any time you want, for just a small fee. On top of all that, para-sailing is a popular activity throughout the year and at any time of day you can see the colorful sails dotting the sky high above the city.
The Lake Eibsee, a year-round lake resort located at the base of the Zugspitz, is just a few kilometers down the road. There visitors can hike, boat, water-ski among a host of other things.
Enough about all the recreation ideas, the point is this- if you like the outdoors, you'll love Garmisch.
Garmisch is one of those cities that must have been made just for postcards. The houses are like pictures in books, with smoke rising from the chimneys and mountains soaring into the air behind them.
The people are friendly and, especially in the winter, they bundle up tight in their wooly jackets and take full advantage of the thick German Weiss beer to keep the cold away. The Gluwine works pretty well, too.
In the summer the fields are covered in grass that is the greenest green you've ever seen, with small huts scattered around the landscape to hold wood for the fire and hay for the horses. Every step you take in this town it's like turning the page in a picture book.
Now for the best part. The food options in this perfect holiday destination are amzing. Garmisch has it all: Chinese, Thai, Italian, Greek, Serbian, Croatian, Russian, French, Irish...whatever you want, you're sure to find it Garmisch. A fine, fine, FINE selection of food, for sure.
For those that like the nightlife, there's plenty of that here, too. There's nightclubs, pubs and everything in between. The nightclubs, for the most part, play the newest and latest from the Euro-techno scene, but for a mellow evening try one of the many local establishments- sometimes the best ones are ones that only the locals patron. For the English-speaking, there is an Irish bar in Partenkirchen and on the other side of town in Garmisch, on the way out to the Eibsee, stands the 'Local Cure', a homey little place that is owned and run by an Irishman. The starting point for a night out, for foreigners and locals alike, seems to be 'Peaches'; located right in the town center in the Marienplatz. Just walk around the town and you're sure to find something that suits your liking.
Onto shopping. The Garmisch commercial district is spectacular for those that enjoy shopping, but devastation for the credit cards (and husbands) of those shoppers. Anything you need, you'll find- from high end items to low cost generics, but it all comes for a price- a hefty one at that.
Garmisch is not cheap. There's a lot of money in the town and a lot of class, so if you're a mingebag, you may be best passing on this one. That's not to say that you can't make Garmisch an affordable vacation, but be prepared to spend a bit more if you want live the good life. But whatever you spend, it's all well worth it.
VFC likes to say that you only live once, and there's no life like the good life. Whether you're standing on the peak of one of the numerous mountains, staring up from the depths of one of the gorges or mingling with the locals over a Weiss beer, one thing is for certain-
Garmisch is one of those places were you know that you're living the good life.
