Discover the region around Mount Zugspitze on numerous cross-country, skimo and snowshoe tours - as well as on foot.
Cross-Country Skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Area
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is internationally recognized for its biathletes – Magdalena Neuner, Laura Dahlmeier and many others, who have reached a perfect shape due to intensive training and ideal training environment. Top quality cross country runs have contributed to their success to a great extent. In Grainau, Oberammergau, along the Graswang Valley, near Krün and Wallgau, in Kaltenbach and Klais, as well as between Farchant and Eschenlohe - everywhere you would find carefully laid out and groomed trails for both classic and skate-skiing. Here you can enroll to learn cross-country skiing professionally or take part in a ski race - Germany's biggest cross-country event, the renowned König-Ludwig-Lauf, takes place in Ettal / Oberammergau every winter.
By the way, the 'Krepbach' run in Grainau is equipped with light poles, so you can run a few rounds later in the evening as well.
You can rent cross-country ski equipment or book a course at the Skischule Zugspitze-Grainau.
During the Winter Aktive Weeks that take place every year in January to February you can book a trial cross-country run at the Grainau Tourist Office.
Tips & Infos:
- König-Ludwig-Lauf
- Cross-country runs in Grainau
- Cross-country runs in Zugspitz Area
- Cross-country run Oberau - Eschenlohe (in German)
- From Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Hammersbach
- Cross-country in Kaltenbrunn (in German)
- Cross-country runs in Mittenwald, Krün & Wallgau (in German)
- Cross-country in the Ammergau Alps
Skimo Tours & Snowshoeing
The Bavarian Alps are simply terrific in winter! Within and outside the 'Garmisch-Classic' Ski Area, in the Ammergau Alps as well as in the Ester Mountains you will discover hundreds of skimo and snowshoe tours for every weather, difficulty level or personal preferences. 'Garmisch-Classic' allows you to use a dedicated ascent track that runs along a prepared slope. Be careful, take care of sufficient equipment and consider the avalanche situation!
During the Winter Aktive Weeks that take place every year in January to February the Tourist Office in Grainau offers guided snowshoe tours.
Tips & Infos:
- Bavarian Avalanche Service (in German)
- Guided snowshoe tours on Mount Wank (in German)
- Skimo tours in Garmisch-Classic Ski Area
- Skimo tours in Zugspitze Area
- Skimo Tours in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Outdooractive
- 10 Rules for Ski Tours on the Pistes by the German Alpine Association
- Guided Ski Tours by Thomas Sprenzel Ski School
- Ski Tour Course by Garmisch Alpine School (in German)
K2 Ski Tour Evenings at Mount Hausberg
The unforgettable atmosphere of a cosy alpine chalet evening is known to everyone who has once ventured a moonlight tour in the Alps. In our neighborhood two chalets in the 'Garmisch-Classic' Ski Area open their doors for a ski tour evening twice a week during the ski season: the Drehmöser-9 at Hausberg and the Kreuzalm at Kreuzeck.
Tips & Infos:
Winter Hiking & Chalets
The Zugspitze area is a real paradise for hikers - and not just from spring to late autumn. Even in snowy weather you can spring into the winter nature by hiking one of the prepared routes - those are regularly cleared from snow and treated with natural strew materials like crushed gravel or sawdust to prevent slipping. However, take care for the right shoes, as the surface might quickly get icy due to the difference between the day and night temperatures.
A special highlight in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in winter is a hike through the Partnachklamm. The rocky gorge amazes visitors with its wintertale landscape and fancy ice formations.
Tours (all links are in German):
- Badersee round tour
- Winter hike around the Eibsee
- Höhenrainweg over Grainau
- From Badersee to the Neuner-Alm
- A perfect day in Grainau: Winter hike through the Partnach Gorge in the Badersee-Blog
- A perfect day in Grainau: Kramerplateauweg in the Badersee-Blog
- Hammersbacher Fußweg - from Grainau to Garmisch
- Philosophenweg - from Farchant to Partenkirchen
- From Partenkirchen to the Tannenhütte Chalet
- Wank summit round tour
- Hiking Kranzberg, Lautersee & Ferchensee in winter from Mittenwald
- Geroldsee, Barmsee & Grubsee in Klais
- Hiking the Murnauer Moos in winter
Open chalets in winter (most links are in German):
- Neuner-Alm in Grainau 910 m (easy)
- Berggaststätte Gschwandtnerbauer in Partenkirchen 1.020 m (easy)
- Berggasthof Almhütte in Garmisch 800 m (easy)
- Berggasthof Pflegersee on Mount Kramer 845 m (easy)
- Werdenfelser Hütte with Werdenfels Castle Ruin in Garmisch / Burgrain 770 m (easy)
- Kochelbergalm on Hausberg 850 m (easy)
- Partnachalm on Hausberg 995 m (easy)
- Tannenhütte (old name 'Gamshütte') on Mount Wank 1.000 m (easy / cablecar)
- St. Martinshütte am Grasberg on Mount Kramer 1.040 m (easy)
- Kaiserschmarrn-Alm am Graseck (old name 'Wettersteinhütte') in Partenkirchen 910 m (easy / cablecar)
- Maxhütte in Wallgau 1.022 m (easy)
- Korbinianhütte am Kranzberg in Mittenwald 1.200 m (in ski area / easy / cablecar)
- Kolbensattelhütte in Oberammergau 1.270 m (in ski area / easy / cablecar)
- Berggasthaus Gletscherschliff in Mittenwald 1.020 m (easy)
- Gamsalm in Ehrwald, Austria 1.278 m (in ski area / easy)
- Bayernhaus am Hausberg 1.280 m (in ski area / easy to medium / cablecar)
- Drehmöser 9 on Hausberg 1.340 m (in ski area / medium / cablecar)
- Wankhaus (Alois-Huber-Haus) on Mount Wank 1.780 m (medium to difficult / cablecar)
- Kreuzalm im Osterfelder at Kreuzeck 1.600 m (in ski area / medium / cablecar)
- Esterbergalm in Farchant / Partenkirchen 1.262 m (medium)
- Brunnsteinhütte in Mittenwald 1.400 m (medium)
During the Winter Aktive Weeks that take place every year in January to February the Tourist Office in Grainau offers guided winter hikes.
Winter Fun for the Whole Family
Be it skiing, tobogganing, skating, hiking to a cosy chalet or to the Werdenfels Castle ruins, or just enjoying the unforgettable moments out in the snow with your kids - the Zugspitze area is the right destination to make your family winter holiday an outstanding experience. In cold weather smaller ski areas in the valley like Farchant and Oberau open their slopes as well – a perfect opportunity to learn alpine skiing from scratch or toboggan with the whole family and then enjoy a 'Glühwein' with your beloved one aside the slope. A family tour to a toboggan chalet will be something to remember as well, possible options being the Neuneralm in Grainau, the Gschwandtnerbauer or the Tannenhütte in Partenkirchen, or a bit longer yet extremely enjoyable hike to the Hämmermoosalm in Leutasch.
Tips & Infos:
- Neuner-Alm Chalet in Grainau (in German)
- Tobogganing in Garmisch below the Kramerplateauweg (in German)
- Kochelberg-Alm Chalet (in German)
- Tannenhütte Chalet (formerly Gamshütte) (in German)
- Berggaststätte Gschwandtnerbauer Chalet (in German)
- Family Ski Paradise Kolbensattel
- 'Am Ried' Ski Area in Farchant
- Tobogganing in Farchant - 'Am Ried'
- Rabenkopf Ski Lift in Oberau (in German)
- Toboggan Chalet Hämmermoosalm in Leutasch (in German)
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