My GaPa: glorious alpine beaut
Above/featured: Garmisch-Partenkirchen train station, with the characteristic red of Deutsche Bahn’s regional trains – 27 Feb 2017 (HL, 6D1).
I’m pleased to present one of my favourite spots to visit in Germany. Located in southern Bavaria near the international border with Austria, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GAP)* provides ample opportunities for year-round exploration with ample hiking in summer and skiing in winter. GAP also provides a convenient base to visit the Mittenwald area, Oberammergau, and Tirol across the border in Austria.
I’ve stayed in GAP four times: 2002, 2011, 2017, and 2018; I’m kinda fond of Biohotel Bavaria. Next are 10 spots in and around the GAP.
10 spots in and around GAP
- Alpspitz (AlpspiX)
- Garmisch (Mohrenplatz)
- Hammersbacher Fussweg
- Hausberg
- Maschkera-Radl-Rennen
- Obergrainau
- Partenkirchen (Ludwigstrasse at night)
- Wank^
- Zugspitzbahn
- Zugspitze
Alpspitz (AlpspiX)
From AlpspiX platform near Alpspitz: the visitor points northwest to the Loisach river valley with Grainau (lower-left), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (centre-right), and Wank (upper-right) – 8 Mar 2017 (HL, 6D1); IG.
Garmisch
Mohrenplatz – 8 Oct 2011 (HL, 450D); more here.
Hammersbacher Fussweg
Southwest to Waxenstein mountains, from the Hammersbach footpath – 24 Feb 2017 (HL, 6D1); more here.
Hausberg
Bovines, meadows, and Alps: near Hausberg station – 9 Oct 2011 (HL, 450D); more here.
Maschkera-Radl-Rennen
The trio of Bacardi, Tequila, and Whiskey are set and ready to go. For the pre-Lent festival of Maschkera or Fasching, people dress up in wildly colourful costumes, and there’s a playful bicycle race in Partenkirchen on Carnival Sunday – 26 Feb 2017 (HL, 6D1); more here.
Obergrainau
Obergainau’s St. John the Baptist church (Kirche St. Johannes der Täufer), with the Waxenstein mountains above and behind the onion dome in morning light; Zugspitze in the background at upper right – 28 May 2018 (HL, X70); more here.
Partenkirchen
Ludwigstrasse at night – 8 Oct 2011 (HL, 450D); more here.
Wank
From Wank summit, view south towards Karwendel and Mittenwald – 28 May 2018 (HL, X70); more here.
Zugspitzbahn
On a bright winter morning, the Zugspitzbahn cogwheel railway arrives for the 1st service of the day – 25 Feb 2017 (HL, 6D1).
Zugspitze
From Zugspitze summit at elevation 2962 metres (9718 feet): view north-northeast to Garmisch-Partenkirchen – 25 Feb 2017 (HL, 6D1); more here.
* All automobile license plates in Germany begin with one to three letters denoting place of registration. In the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area, plates begin with three letters: “GAP“.
^ The German Wiki entry says that “Wank” is derived from an older German word “Hang” (mountain-side or -slope), and that an earlier name for the mountain was “Eckenberg” (corner peak).
I made all pictures above in 2011, 2017, and 2018 with a Canon EOS450D/Rebel XSi (450D), a Canon 6D mark1 (6D1), and a Fujifilm X70 (X70). Alle Fotoaufnahmen sind mit Wasserzeichen versehen worden. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-eyA.
LAPC or Lens Artists Photo Challenge celebrated its one-year anniversary in July 2019.
For LAPC no.53 (6-12 Jul 2019), I acknowledge LAPC’s coordinating quartet of Amy, Ann-Christine, Patti, and Tina.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
23 Responses to “My GaPa: glorious alpine beaut”
Beautiful photos of the places you have visited. The photo of HAMMERSBACHER FUSSWEG reminds me the Dolomites. 🙂
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Hi and thanks, Amy. That’s a good point: although I’ve not visited northeast Italy, there was something about the mountains around Garmisch-Partenkirchen that looked familiar, at least to pictures I’d seen before. Thanks for your comment and for stopping by!
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Lovely photos. That photo from the Hammerbacher path is lovely, and I’m really mesmerized by the light in your photo of the Zugspitzbahn.
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Hi and thanks, I.J. I was waiting for the first train of the Zugspitzbahn to go up, and it was a cold foggy winter morning. The sun had just come over the local hills and the heat was slowly burning the fog. The patchy fog, the white patches of snow, the steam emanating from the adjacent Olympic winter sports facility, the low angle of the sun all made for a good setting. I *saw* that beautiful light, and I recognized it. Trick was how best I could get some images before I had to catch that first train. Thanks again for your comment and for stopping by!
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The photo came out well. I hope you mananged to catch the train too.
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Thanks! I did catch that first ascending train. 😊
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Many thanks for the acknowledgment Henry. The images are beautiful but Obergrainau is my favorite in this one. It’s picture perfect and exactly as I imagine your bucolic country scenes to be!
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Hi and thank you, Tina. RE: Obergrainau. I had seen other pictures made at the town’s church, and I knew I wanted to get one of my own in equally good light. At the time of year I was visiting, I had luck on my side with beautiful conditions. I got myself to the location at around 7 in the morning with few residents out and about; the only sounds accompanying my effort were a few birds chirping, some cows mooing, and an occasional rooster crowing. 😅
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Beautiful, beautiful. I have been up the Zugspitze. Never forget it, or the tram ride!
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Hi, John. Now that there’s a 2017 replacement for the aerial tramway between Eibsee and the Zugspitze summit, I’d like to go back (of course) and try that new cable car system. Because I’m looking for any excuse to go back 😉 Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!
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Henry, your most beautiful post just hit my heart. I know all those places so very well, since I have family living in Burgrain, as my aunt of 104 years old used to live there, the twin sister of my father , 28 years ago my father who passed there with the view of the Zugspitze.
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Thank you Henry , for such a beautiful post, it contains so many memories for me, since I have family living in Burgrain and I know all those places so very well, my aunt of 104 years lives there, the twin sister of my father, who had died 28 years ago with the view of the Zugspitze.
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Hi, Cornelia. I’m very glad I could provide some great memories for you. I must admit I haven’t spent much time in Oberau, Farchant, Burgrain, and Sonnenbichl, but I’ve often thought about what it would be like to spend more than one week (preferably spring to autumn) in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area. And oh my, your 104-year old aunt is still in Burgrain: when was the last time you visited her there? I hope you can get back there soon, and oh, by the way, 2020 is the year of the Passionsspiele Oberammergau. 😊
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Thank you Henry, for your kind reply. It seems throughout your posts, that you got to know the area pretty well. Oh, my aunt passed, four years ago, she had a quite interesting life, yet I get I get see, her daughter, my cousin, each time I go to Germany. I was there like 3 years ago , going sled sliding with my cousin in winter am Kramer Berg.
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Hi, Cornelia. I know some parts of the area fairly decently, but I’d like to know the area more. For me, that sentiment applies to many other places in Germany, too. I’m sorry for the loss of your father and your aunt: are they both buried in Garmisch-Partenkirchen?
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Thank you Henry, I understand that you like to explore more places here and there in Germany. Thank you for your thoughts about the losses, my aunt is buried in Garmisch, and my father who passed 28 years ago is buried in Munich/ Westfriedhof , in Nymphenburg. Have a great weekend
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Talk about idyllic and picture-perfect! A beautiful gallery, Henry. I keep returning to your shot in Hausberg. Gorgeous! And thank you too for joining us this year. Your beautiful images and thoughtful comments are always a treat.
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Hi and thanks, Patti. One thing I’ve always enjoyed about the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area is that any number of walks will take you right up to pastures, meadows, and farms where cows are quietly doing their thing: dozing, grazing, mooing. And if that image from Hausberg can capture and translate a tiny piece of that atmosphere, then it was very much worth the effort. 😊 Thanks again for stopping by and for your kind comment!
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Thank you for a perfect gallery, Henry! As always, great images and interesting text. This area is made for photography really – my favorite is Zugspitzbahn. A bit biased as I have been there myself. Thank you for lovely support!
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Hi and thanks, Ann-Christine. So far, my visits to Zugspitze have been when the summit has been covered in snow. I would be very interested to walk around the area when there’s less snow cover, although there is an alpine glacier and all-season skiing for the time being. Thank you for stopping by and for your comment!
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My pleasure, Henry.
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[…] Land” within Landkreis (county) Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The town lies conveniently between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck (Austria); the Mittenwald railway provides a vital connection to all three places. […]
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[…] previously described southern Bavaria’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GaPa) and the natural beauty on offer around town. I’ve also made the ascent to Zugspitze a […]
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