Nov 21, 2016

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany



A four day weekend took us to the Bavarian Region of Germany to unwind from our hectic life and reconnect as a family. The Bavarian Region is home to some wildly beautiful scenery and its mountainous terrain is comparable to that of Colorado. Which, of course, still feels like home to us and a place that we sincerely miss. The destination we were basing ourselves out of was Garmisch-Partenkirchen, an idyllic town nestled at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.

Our weekend was going to be one of outdoor adventure mixed with naps. We had six specific points of interest we hoped to see, 1. Fairytale and animal park for Brecken's enjoyment 2. Ettal Abbey 3. Zugspitze 4. Lake Eibsee 5. Partnach Gorge 6. Oberammergau Alpine Coaster. Upon entering the fairytale land, it felt as if we were launched into the past. Children rode ponies and a miniature train, viewed animals ranging from peacocks and sheep to bunnies and turtles, peeked into fairytale displays, scaled wooden playground sets, and drove bumper cars. It was simple and sweet. As we left the park, we decided to drive directly to the Ettal Abbey, an active monastery with beautiful Baroque style art and architecture. This monastery is unique in the fact that the monks operate their own brewery and distillery. Shocking right? These monks know what they are doing because they've been successfully brewing beer for the last 400 years!

The next day we purchased tickets for the Zugspitze at our hotel and departed early to beat the crowds. A cable car took us from the base to the top of the mountain. Once at the top, we gazed at mountain peaks from four different countries with a panoramic view like no other. Another short cable car ride gained us access to the glacier area where Brecken and Alex took a ride on a little sled. My shoes had zero tread so I didn't even attempt sledding down for fear I wouldn't be able to walk back up the hill! We shared hot chocolate and soft pretzels at a picnic table in the sun while we waited for the train to transport us down the hill to Lake Eibsee. Once at the Eibsee, we ate a German lunch on a patio overlooking the water and took a walk around the shoreline. The water sparkled various shades of green and blue as sun rays beamed down on its surface. Our nature lovers day ended at the Partnach Gorge. We walked an elevated path along the water, secured by a double rope railing. The narrow path weaved in and out of dark, wet caves, making us duck and dodge along the way. The water roared loudly as it made its way through the canyon. Waterfalls cascaded down the mountainside and the mist blew on our faces. Brecken reached his hands up in the air to catch the droplets of water dripping from the rocks and chuckled each time one landed on his hands.

The final must-do on our trip to this region was riding an Alpine coaster. Children under the age of three are not permitted to ride the coasters. Now, let me tell you, I don't enjoy lying and I am not good at it. It pains me to do so and can be seen written all over my face. I desperately wanted B to ride the coaster with us so we didn't have to take turns. I knew safety wise he would be ok since he would be on a seat between Alex and secured with a belt. With that being said, I fibbed to the lady at the desk and told her I needed a ticket for two adults and one child. She spoke to me in German telling me that she didn't think he appeared to be three. I quickly responded saying he definitely was and that he's just small for his age. The blankie and thumb sucking don't help him. She gave me the tickets and off we went. As we rode the ski lift to the top, my conscience kept nagging at me. Alex could tell I felt anxious and told me the polizei were probably waiting for us at the top to escort my lying ass back to the parking lot. The coasters were SO much fun, albeit the woman ahead of me was riding her brake too much, causing us all to forgo a wild ride with more speed. Brecken loved riding the coaster with Alex and seeing his excitement made me happy that I was able to weasel his way onto the ride!

Travel Notes

Accommodations

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort This is an American resort located on the military base in Garmisch and available to military members stationed or TDY in Europe. On our previous trip to Garmisch, Alex and I stayed at a great German hotel downtown. We decided to try out this resort since the rates were cheaper than those on the economy during the month of August. The resort was great in every aspect and we really loved eating pizza, wings, nachos, and onion rings while watching the Olympics on big screen tv's in the restaurant pub.

Children's Fairytale Park
Shongauer Animal and Fairytale Park

Ettal Abbey
Abbey website

Zugspitze

Zugspitze website
Access this website to find information regarding your visit to the Zugspitze and purchase tickets.

Partnach Gorge

Summer hours: 8:00-18:00
Winter hours: 9:00-17:00
Fees: Adults - 4 EUR, Children and Adolescents- 2.50 EUR
Strollers are not permitted for safety purposes. Note to mamas and papas: bring a carrier!
To find the Gorge, input Olympia-Skistadion (Olympic Ski Stadium) into your GPS. Parking is available at the stadium and from there you will walk 25 minutes on flat pavement before reaching the gorge entrance. You can also take a horse drawn carriage from the parking lot to the gorge.

Alpine Coaster

Kolbensattel Alpine Coaster
Check out this website to view videos of the coasters and find information on pricing and hours of operation. This location also has mountain biking, hiking, and playgrounds.


Itinerary- 4 days and 3 nights

  • Day 1
    • Depart Stuttgart by 9:00am and arrive at Shongauer Animal and Fairytale Park by 11:30am
    • Playtime at park for 1.5 hours 
    • Drive to Ettal Abbey (30 minute drive) 
    • Tour Abbey and purchase items at gift store 
    • Drive to Garmisch (20 minutes) 
    • Check-in at resort and relax
    • Dinner at resort 
  • Day 2
    • Breakfast at resort 
    • Drive to Zugspitze (20 minutes) 
    • Take Funicular up to the peak
    • Sled on the glacier 
    • Train ride down the mountain
    • Walk to Lake Eibsee ( 5 minute walk from parking lot) 
    • Lunch at Lake Eibsee Pavillon (really great food!)
    • Walk around the lake
    • Drive to Partnach Gorge (30 minutes) 
    • Hike through the Gorge 
    • Drive back to resort
    • Dinner at resort 
  • Day 3
    • Breakfast at resort 
    • Drive to Oberammergau (25 minutes) 
    • Ride Kolben chair lift to summit
    • Biergarten and Playground
    • Ride the Alpine Coaster
    • Roam around downtown Garmisch
    • Dinner at the Resort (Couldn't resist the American bar food for the third night)
  • Day 4 
    • Check-out and travel day
























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