Zugspitze, Bavaria, Germany

The Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany, rising to 2,962 metres on the country’s southern border with Austria, at the western end of the Wetterstein range above Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Its summit — marked by a gleaming golden cross that has stood there since the 19th century — is one of the great Alpine viewpoints, taking in more than 400 peaks across four countries: Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Just below lies the Zugspitzplatt, a high sunlit plateau that holds one of Germany’s last few glaciers and the country’s highest ski slopes. Thanks to a remarkable set of mountain railways and cable cars, this rooftop of Germany is accessible to almost anyone, whatever the season.

What to See

The summit itself is the attraction: broad viewing terraces look out over a sea of mountains, with the golden cross perched on the true peak — reached by a short scramble — and, on a clear day, a horizon that stretches from the Dolomites to the Swiss Alps. There are restaurants and a small museum on the history of the mountain, and you can even stroll across the frontier for a coffee on the Austrian side. Below the top, the Zugspitzplatt glacier plateau offers gentle walks in summer and skiing and tobogganing in winter, and is home to an environmental research station. Getting there is half the experience: from Lake Eibsee, the modern Eibsee cable car climbs to the summit in a single breathtaking span — when it opened it set world records for its height and its enormous support pillar — while the historic cog railway takes a slower, scenic route up through a long tunnel inside the mountain to the plateau, where a short glacier cable car completes the journey.

How to Get There and Practical Information

The Zugspitze is reached from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, about 90 kilometres south-west of Munich and connected to the city by direct regional trains. From the valley there are two classic routes to the top, both operated by the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway: the rack railway (Zugspitzbahn) from Garmisch via Grainau and Lake Eibsee, and the spectacular Eibsee cable car from the lake itself; a popular round trip goes up by one and down by the other. A single day ticket covers the mountain railways, though it is not cheap, and the summit can also be reached by cable car from the Austrian side. Because the peak is nearly 3,000 metres high it is much colder up top and can be snowy even in midsummer, so warm clothing is essential, and it is worth choosing a clear day and starting early both for the views and to beat the crowds.