Ski in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - German Ski Resort in Bavarian Alps (700m to 2830m)

Germany's best known ski resort is the site of the famous annual ski jumping each year and World Cup Races. A large traditional Bavarian town with incredible facilities and a population of 30,000 it is located beneath Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ski Facts

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ski Facts

		Expert Skiers
		Intermediate Skiers
		Beginners
		Snowboarding
		Snow
		Apres-Ski
	4	Black Pistes
	25	Red Pistes
	10	Blue Pistes
	3	Green Pistes
39km		Cross Country Pistes
38		Ski Lifts
2130m		Max Vertical
2830m		Highest Lift
720m		Resort Altitude
700m		Lowest Piste

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The German ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen has direct access to 43 individual pistes, served by 38 ski lifts.

With pistes above 2500 metres, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season.

Snowmaking :- Garmisch-Partenkirchen is able to augment natural snow, on 16km of ski runs, with 25 Snow Cannons.

Ski Lift Capacity :- The 38 Ski Lifts of Garmisch-Partenkirchen are able to uplift 50,000 skiers / snowboarders per hour.

There are four Airports within two hours drive, so ski weekends, snowboard breaks and short ski holidays to Garmisch-Partenkirchen are perfectly feasible. Innsbruck Airport and Munich Airport are just one hours drive away, in good driving conditions, so you can be on the piste quickly.

Skiing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch - Partenkirchen's skiing is spread around in over a dozen separate areas, some over the border in Austria and all available on the single 'Top Snow Card' pass. Together they represent over 280km ( 175 miles ) of trails and more than 30 lifts. There are however few extensive ski areas, rather a large number of moderately sized areas, and many of the lifts are surface drags. That being said the Zugspitze represents the highest skiing in Germany and Germany's only glacier skiing, with trails up to 2600 metres ( 8,530 feet ) although the new Zugspitzbahn goes higher, up an incredible face of sheer rock from 1000 to 2950 metres ( 3280 - 9680 feet), but it's not possible to ski the upper section.

The eight surface lifts and one six-person chair up here, serving mostly intermediate level terrain, are also accessed by the older funicular railway which passes through a long tunnel through the mountain, a remarkable feat of engineering, before emerging at the snowfield. This is also the train many take from Garmisch - Partenkirchen to the base of the Zugspitze cable car.

Closer to Garmisch - Partenkirchen itself, and also reached by the funicular before taking the relevant cable-car up the mountain, are the ski slopes of the Alpspitz (top lift 2050 metres / 6730 feet) and the just lift-linked Kreuzeck as well as the Hausberg skiing area. These three mountains are connected and form one skiing area with 40 km of groomed and safeguarded slopes, served by four cabin cable cars, a further four chairlift and 7 T-bar lifts.

Keuzeck starts where the snow line ends, just at the base of the Alpspitz area and just lift linked to it. From there it is possible to ski back down through the forest to the base station at 750 metres ( 2460 feet) - the longest descent in the area. The potentially patchy snow cover at the lower levels are backed up by snow making on this run. Most trails will again appeal to intermediates.

The fourth area at Eckbauer above the famous ski jumps is linked by a ski touring route and both offer skiing within the tree line accessed by lifts from the outskirts of the town. These have a number of blues suitable for beginners although the highest lifts are at 21780 metres (5850 feet) at Wank. Of the dozen other choices on the Happy Ski card, the best options include Mittenwald in Germany, the elite Austrian resort of Seefeld and also in the Tyrol, the big verticals at Ehrwald and Lermoos.

Snowboarding in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

There's plenty of terrain for 'boarders to enjoy and although many of the ski area lifts are drags, the big lifts that cover the serious chunks of vertical are all boarder friendly cable cars and funiculars. There's a snowsure fun park with and rails on the Zugspitze plateau.

Other created features are to be found at the Ehrwalder Alm (above Ehrwald, on the area pass), and at Seefeld and Lermoos. There's a Funbox, wave ride and half pipe at Kranzberg by Mittenwald and a half pipe and quarter pipe at Karwendel. Erwin Gruber's dedicated snowboard school in Garmisch - Partenkirchen publishes a brochure featuring pictures of 'boarders with aircraft turbo-props strapped to their backs for added oomph - an experience not to be missed by the dedicated pro.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Aprés Ski

Garmisch - Partenkirchen is a town with an awful lot going on. Apart from the 100 restaurants, most with their own bars too choose from, there are a further 30 or so bars, and half a dozen dedicated discothèques to visit through to the early hours. The local friendly attitude to visitors is known as the Gemütlichkeit. Many people are attracted to the casino, although you don't have to wait until après ski if you want to gamble as it opens at 1pm daily, the building was extended in 1997 and now houses 115 slot machines as well as traditional gaming tables.

Other evening entertainments include two cinemas, regular classical music concerts and guest appearances by famous performers at the Kleines Kurtheatre. Or there is comedy and folklore performances at the Peasant's Theatre or the Bayernhalle. Ice shows and hockey matches are open to spectators at the Olympic rink.

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Garmisch-Partenkirchen in brief

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ski Resort is:
Very good for Expert Skiers.
Good for Intermediate Skiers.
Ok for Beginners.
Good for Snowboarding.
Opened : December 1, 2012
Closed : April 21, 2013
Opening Subject To Snow Conditions.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Snow Forecast

Map of Garmisch-Partenkirchen