"A Tale of Two Villages " a Garmisch-Partenkirchen Travel Page by antistar

For two weeks before I arrived the weather report had been predicting rain, clouds and low temperatures. It was looking so bad I almost cancelled the trip and stayed at home. Then as the long holiday weekend approached the little weather boxes came up suns like the wheels of a fruit machine - ching... ching... ching... ching... jackpot! Every day turned out hot and sunny, with not a spot of rain. Like the weather Garmisch itself turned out to be the perfect holiday destination, with stunning scenery, plenty to do and friendly locals.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GAP) is actually a town made up of two villages that joined together for the Winter Olympics of 1936. From a map its hard to tell them apart, but the two old villages are neatly divided by the Partnach river, with each one having its own clear identity. Garmisch is the dominant member of the partnership, which isn't helped by the fact that the town is often refered to simply as Garmisch, with its neighbour dropped for sake of convenience. Garmisch attracts all the expensive shops and tourist crowds, but Partenkirchen has plenty of attractions. Not least of which are its colorful and decorative Bavarian houses, best exemplified by its Town Hall.

The town's location surrounded on all sides by the mountains of the Alps makes for unforgetable views. On clear sunny days it is a joy for amateur photographers, making every other shot a great one. Just walking the streets is a pleasure in itself, but there are an abundance of natural wonders in the countryside around. I was worried that not being a hiker or a skier would mean that I would be stuck for things to do in GAP, but instead I barely managed to squeeze in the things I most wanted to do. The highlights of the holiday for me were the trips up the mountains of Wank and Zugspitze, but most of all the incredible Partnach Gorge.

Things I Loved

The trips up the Wank and Zugspitze, the Partnach Gorge, the incredible views of the mountains that encircle the town, and the beautiful meadows filled with rickety shacks and yellow flowers.

Disappointments

The museums suck. Just spend your time in the wonderful countryside.