Zugspitze Guide
Zugspitze towers over the cosy town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and, in fact, over all of Germany.
Being “the highest” perhaps shouldn’t be a big deal – but for some reason, it is. Seeing, visiting or even climbing the highest mountain in Germany just sounds cool.
Even though it’s only 2,962 metres high (which isn’t that high in alpine standards), Zugspitze is awesome.
We went up in the cable car during August 2020 and had a great time at the top.
This is our guide to visiting Zugspitze, including what to expect, how to get up there, what to bring and more.
What to expect
View of Zugspitze from Lake Eibsee
You can’t miss Zugspitze.
If it isn’t cloudy Zugspitze is easily spotted from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and, indeed, even from Munich on clear days.
Visiting Zugspitze is a popular tourist attraction in Bavaria and has been for many years. Who doesn’t want to be able to say they’ve been to the highest point in Germany? And not only that: the view from up there is incredible.
We also visited nearby Alpspitze, and though the view from there was beautiful in its own right, it doesn’t really compare to Zugspitze.
What makes Zugspitze so special is that you have a clear view in all directions – including towards Austria where the mountainous landscapes continue as far as the eye can see.
Fact: Zugspitze sits right on the border between Germany and Austria. The summit belongs to both the state of Bavaria in Germany and Tirol in Austria. Before the Schengen acquis, there was a passport control at the top.
Once you are at the top you have the chance to relax and take it all in, or you can choose to climb up to the peak of the Mountain! (pretty scary but we survived!)
At the top you will also find restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, some great walk ways, and also a chance to do some sledging! (Tom enjoyed himself!)
Some images below taken from the top of Zugspitze:
How to get here
Zugspitze is located roughly 10 kilometres southwest of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and 100 kilometres southwest of Munich, the Bavarian capital.
As the equally famous and stunning Lake Eibsee sits right at the base of Zugspitze, “how to get to Zugspitze” basically has the same answer as “how to get to Eibsee”.
(Except if you plan to visit Zugspitze from the Austrian side of the border, of course. We visited from the German side.)
You’re spoiled with options of how you wish to visit Zugspitze.
HERE’S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HOW TO GET UP THERE:
- Taking the cable car up (“Seilbahn Zugspitze”) is the easiest way to scale Zugspitze.
- The cable car runs from the parking lot at Lake Eibsee.
- Driving there with your own vehicle is the fastest option. It’s only 15-20 minutes away from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and 50 minutes from Reutte, Austria (where we visited from)
- You can also travel by public bus to the cable car.
- Or why not cycle or hike if you feel fit?
- An alternative way up the mountain is the combination of the cogwheel train from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (or several other stops) to the platform at 2,600 metres and then a cable car (“Gletscherbahn aerial cablecar”) to the top.
We drove in our own car from Reutte, Austria to Lake Eibsee, parked and then took the cable car to the top.
Cable car details
Riding the cable car from Lake Eibsee to the top of Zugspitze provides an elevation gain of 1,945 metres over a length of 4.5 kilometres.
The Eibsee valley station is located at 998 metres above sea level and the Zugspitze top station sits at 2,943 metres above sea level.
The cable car opened in 2017 and broke three records: The world’s longest unsupported span at 3,213 metres, the highest steelwork pylon for an aerial tramway at 127 metres and the world’s largest height difference at 1,945 metres.
The two cabins can transport up to 580 passengers per hour.
Cable car opening times
From September to June, the cable car runs from 08:30 to 16:45.
In July and August, it runs from 08:00 to 17:45.
The journey time is just 10 minutes with a run at least every 30 minutes.
Cable car price
One ascent and one descent with the Zugspitze cable car costs 59,50 EUR per person (~ 70 USD or £50).
If you only need an ascent or descent (aka you’re a badass alpinist) it’s just 35 EUR (~ 41 USD or £27).
Visit both Zugspitze as well as Alspitze with the Garmisch-Classic ticket for 71 EUR per person (~ 84 USD or £60).
This is what we did and we can definitely recommend doing the same.
Read more about the Garmisch-Classic ticket here.
Parking
It’s possible to park by the Zugspitze cable car right next to Lake Eibsee.
The parking lot is open from 05:00-22:00. In other words, no overnight parking. There’s a height limit of 2,10 metres.
| Parking times | Prices |
| Earlybird parking from 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | 2.00 euros / £1.70 / $2.50 |
| Parking up to 4 hours (exit after 9:30 a.m.) | 6.00 euros / £5 / $7 |
| Every additional hour up to max. 22:00. | 1.00 euros / £0.80 / $1.50 |
| Parking after 10:00 p.m. is prohibited, surcharge for infringement. | 50.00 euros / £42/ $54 |
Book a guided tour
Arrive by Public Transport
Zugspitze is easily reached by public transport.
You can take the Eibsee bus from Garmisch-Partenkirchen directly to Zugspitze in about 40 minutes.
The last return during summer is at about 20:00. From October to mid-June, the last bus returns to town at 19:10.
From July to September, there’s a bus called the Eibsee-Express-Bus with the trip taking just 20 minutes.
Links: Bus timetable & train timetable.
When to visit Zugspitze
Visiting Zugspitze with the first or last cable car will generally bring the best possible light and fewest crowds.
It will also be the coldest time to visit.
We visited Zugspitze on an early morning in August and it wasn’t too cold at the top. It was 28 degrees C at the bottom though.
Visiting later in winter you have the option of skiing around up there, which sounds amazing.
In summer, there are more people than in the shoulder seasons but you’ll probably also have a warmer experience.
No matter the season or time of day, just get up there. Unless the forecasts say it will be cloudy around the top station, it’s beautiful to see the surrounding peaks even if there are clouds lower down.
It really was a great experience up Zugspitze! Make sure its on your list!
