"Garmisch-Partenkirchen" Top 5 Page for this destination Garmisch-Partenkirchen by MrBill


Garmisch-Partenkirchen Travel Guide: 347 reviews and 991 photos

Oeber Bayern

We have lived in Garmisch on the weekends since 1999 - hiking, biking, skiing, and enjoying the mountains. I am also a Member of the National Ski Patrol in the Garmisch Mountain Patrol.

First of all, let me say that living in GAP is wonderful. We love the place. We love it even more when it snows in the Winter, and is sunny in the Summer. It tends to rain too much in GAP, and the snow can quickly disappear when it gets too warm. Blame it on global warming. However, this past Winter we were lucky and had decent snow for a change right up until Easter.

It is about 1-hour south of Munich on the Austrian border, and about 55-kms from Innsbruck on mostly twisty mountain roads. A life-time of winter driving in Canada, and I put my Audi in the Rhubarb last Winter on this road. So watch the road, not the scenery.

We live in a wonderful, old house called Haus Amsel that was built in 1936. I can only describe it as Landhaus-style. The winow shutters are candy striped red & white. It is three stories high, and we have the apartment under the eaves. We have mountain views out of both sides. They are trememdous.

Weekends are spent in the surrounding mountains - God's Cathederal - doing whatever the season dictates. Main thing is that we are active and out and about in the fresh air.

We often visit the swimming pool in Grainau, just outside of GAP, in the shadow of the Zugspitze, the highest mountain of the German Alps. In the summer you can sit outside and picnic on the grass next to the Olympic sized pool. Inside there are saunas, steam baths, a large jacuzzi, and a play area for children adjacent to the 25-metre pool. After a hard day of sport, relax in the jacuzzi and gaze out the picture windows at the church on the hill against the background of Zugspitze.

General Tip: Buy a trail map and get out of GAP itself. It is a bit of a tourist trap. Although we do like to go to the local Fests in the summertime. All the locals even wear their lederhosen and dirndels, which funnily enough, do not look the least bit out of place in GAP.

My Special View

Bavarian Alps

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:hiking, biking, skiing, close to Munich & only 3-hours from Italy
  • Cons:tends to rain too much
  • In a nutshell:I spend every weekend I can enjoying GAP
  • Last visit to Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Aug 2004
  • Intro Updated Sep 28, 2007
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Reviews (41)

Comments (23)

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  • debtravers's Profile Photo
    debtravers Sep 29, 2006 at 6:24 AM Report Abuse

    Lived in GAP in 1980/81 so yr pages brought back happy memories, of swimming at kainzenbad & riessersee. Love it here too!

  • sourbugger's Profile Photo
    sourbugger May 25, 2006 at 4:05 AM Report Abuse

    never made it there - will make it one day

  • Wild_Orchid's Profile Photo
    Wild_Orchid Feb 26, 2006 at 9:55 PM Report Abuse

    very cool pages. :)

  • keida84's Profile Photo
    keida84 Aug 24, 2005 at 9:06 AM Report Abuse

    Bill, ever thought of writing a book on Garmisch-Partenkirchen? Excellent pages and coverage of things one needs to know. A stellar page and thanks for sharing the extra photos. Kat

  • antistar's Profile Photo
    antistar Apr 14, 2005 at 1:46 PM Report Abuse

    Great tips and pictures!

  • PookieRabbit's Profile Photo
    PookieRabbit Apr 8, 2005 at 6:46 AM Report Abuse

    Another great GaP page. Was thinking of visiting next Winter but now tempted by Summer too!

  • Ciambella Mar 11, 2005 at 10:01 AM Report Abuse

    I vonlunteer hubby. A Canadian born named Charlie who hikes, bikes, loves VW bus, knows Europe, very flexible with time. He refuses to learn French though, but he can speak Spanish and passable Italian.

  • BuickMackane's Profile Photo
    BuickMackane Feb 11, 2005 at 7:52 AM Report Abuse

    To quote Rod Stewart, "Every picture tells a story, don't it? I visited GAP with my mom in 1969 and we stayed at the Hotel Alpenhof. Wonderful memories!

  • pedersdottir's Profile Photo
    pedersdottir Jan 29, 2005 at 8:30 PM Report Abuse

    Despite its proximity to Munich we never quite got up to GAP - will have the Zugspitzbahn to look forward to at some future date. Thanks for breathtaking views!

  • MURRA's Profile Photo
    MURRA Sep 28, 2004 at 9:16 AM Report Abuse

    great fotos of bavarian rural mountains

MrBill Used To Live Here!

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