April
2005
Destination ~ Top of the Zugspitze!
Elevation:
2,962 metres (9,718 feet)
Click
image to enlarge.
The
Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany.
It is located at the Austrian border in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen,
Bavaria.
Click
image to enlarge.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
|
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
is both a world-class ski resort and a summer vacation playground.
The
1936 Olympic Games were held here and ski jumping still takes
place at the Olympic Ski Stadium on the edge of town.
When the skiing finally stops in early May, the town has just
over a month to prepare itself for a summer onslaught of hikers,
mountain-climbers, cyclists, spa aficionados, folklore enthusiasts,
and high-altitude sunseekers.
|
Click
images to enlarge.
Click
images to enlarge.
|
In
winter, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen valley area beneath the mountains
offers cross-country skiing on more than 100 km of prepared
tracks
and
more than 100 km (63 miles) of plowed paths for hikers and horses.
|
Even...
Click
images to enlarge.
|
A
cog railway leads from the resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen
to the peak of the Zugspitze. There are also two cable cars
that go to the peak from the base:
one ascends from the German side of the mountain at the Eibsee,
and the other ascends from Austria. After a short train ride
from Garmisch, we took the cable car at the Eibsee.
|
Click
images to enlarge.
Click
images to enlarge.
Eibsee
Hotel
Click
images to enlarge.
The Eibsee Hotel is situated at 1000 meters, directly on the crystal
clear lake "Eibsee,"
in the middle of the alpine panorama surrounding the "Zugspitze".
I
fist discovered the hotel in 1967,
when Jim and I stayed there for a week of ski lessons atop the Zugspitze
in the middle of our first trip to Europe.
In fact, Page Kelly was conceived in this hotel!
Later, while living in Bonn, we took the kids and stayed there again
in 1969.
The
gondola climb is 1,960 meters up from the Eibsee.
Click
images to enlarge.
The
ride offers a spectacular view of the valley beneath the Zugspitze
during the 10-minute trip from Eibsee to the mountain's summit ridge.
The photo below is the Austrian side, but gives you the idea.
Click
image to enlarge.
Click
image to enlarge.
Click
images to enlarge.
Click
image to enlarge.
Click
images to enlarge.
|
At
the top of the summit one enters the Bergstation atop the Zugspitze.
In addition to a large viewing platform, the summit complex
includes the meteorological observatory which opened in 1900,
the Münchner Haus of the German Alpine Association, a modern
restaurant, two cablecar stations, an art gallery, and public
Internet terminals.
|
Click
images to enlarge.
And
what a VIEW from the top!!!!
Click
image to enlarge.
Continued....
Click
here
|
