Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; Bavarian: ''Garmasch-Partakurch''), nicknamed Ga-Pa, is an Alpine ski town in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, southern

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the

Oberbayern Upper Bavaria (german: Oberbayern, ; ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat o ...

region, which borders

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Nearby is Germany's highest mountain,

Zugspitze The Zugspitze (), at above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Austria–Germany border runs over its western su ...

, at above sea level. The town is known as the site of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games, the first to include alpine skiing, and hosts a variety of

winter sports Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold are ...

competitions.

History

Garmisch (in the west) and Partenkirchen (in the east) were separate towns for many centuries, and still maintain quite separate identities. Partenkirchen originated as the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

town of ''Partanum'' on the trade route from

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ...

and is first mentioned in the year A.D. 15. Its main street, Ludwigsstrasse, follows the original Roman road. Garmisch was first mentioned some 800 years later as ''Germaneskau'' ("German District"), suggesting that at some point a Teutonic tribe took up settlement in the western end of the valley. During the late 13th century, the valley, as part of the

County of Werdenfels The County of Werdenfels (German: ''Grafschaft Werdenfels'') in the present-day Werdenfelser Land in South Germany was a county that enjoyed imperial immediacy that belonged to the Bishopric of Freising from the late 13th century until the secularis ...

, came under the rule of the prince-bishops of Freising and was to remain so until the mediatization of 1803. The area was governed by a prince-bishop's representative known as a ''Pfleger'' (caretaker or warden) from

Werdenfels Castle The ruins of Werdenfels Castle (german: Burg Werdenfels) stand about 80 metres above the Loisach valley between Garmisch and Farchant in the county of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Upper Bavaria. The spur castle was used until 1632 as the administr ...

situated on a crag north of Garmisch. The Europeans' discovery of America at the turn of the 15th century led to a boom in shipping and a sharp decline in overland trade, which plunged the region into a centuries-long economic depression. The valley floor was swampy and difficult to farm. Bears, wolves and lynxes were a constant threat to livestock. The population suffered from periodic epidemics, including several serious outbreaks of bubonic plague. Adverse fortunes from disease and crop failure occasionally led to a

witch hunt A witch-hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. The classical period of witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America took place in the Early Modern perio ...

. Most notable of these were the trials and executions of 1589–1596, in which 63 people — more than 10 percent of the population at the time — were burned at the stake or garroted.

, where the accused were held, tried and executed, became an object of superstitious terror and was abandoned in the 17th century. It was largely torn down in the 1750s and its stones used to build the baroque ''Neue Kirche'' (New Church) on Marienplatz, which was completed in 1752. It replaced the nearby Gothic ''Alte Kirche'' (Old Church), parts of which predated Christianity and may originally have been a pagan temple. Used as a storehouse, armory and haybarn for many years, it has since been re-consecrated. Some of its medieval frescoes are still visible. Garmisch and Partenkirchen remained separate until their respective mayors were forced by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

to combine the two market towns on 1 January 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games. Today, the united town is casually (but incorrectly) referred to as Garmisch, much to the dismay of Partenkirchen's residents. Most visitors will notice the slightly more modern feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled, cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen have a generally more historic appearance. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was a major hospital center for the German military.

Climate

Garmisch-Partenkirchen leans towards an oceanic climate, and its winters are colder than the rest of Bavaria. Due to its higher

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

, it is very close to the winters associated with

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' ( ...

climates; it has a relatively wet and snowy climate, with high precipitation year-round.

Transport

The town is served by the B 2 as a continuation of the A 95 motorway, which ends at Eschenlohe 16 km north of the town. Garmisch-Partenkirchen station is on the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen line and the Mittenwald Railway (Garmisch–

Mittenwald Mittenwald is a German municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria. Geography Mittenwald is located approximately 16 kilometres to the south-east of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the River Isar, ...

– Innsbruck). Regional services run every hour to Munich Central Station (''München Hauptbahnhof'') and Mittenwald and every two hours to

Innsbruck Central Station Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof (German for ''Innsbruck Main Station or'' ''Central Station'') is the main railway station in Innsbruck, the capital city of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. Opened in 1853, the station is a major hub for western and c ...

(''Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof'') and

Reutte Reutte (; Swabian: ) is a market town in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative center of the Reutte district (''Districts of Austria''). Reutte is located on the Lech, and has a population of 6704 (as of 2018). Neighbouring muni ...

. In addition there are special seasonal long-distance services, including ICEs, to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, Dortmund, Bremen and Innsbruck. It is the terminus of the Außerfern Railway to Reutte in Tirol /

Kempten im Allgäu Kempten (, (Swabian German: )) is the largest town of Allgäu, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The population was about 68,000 in 2016. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later taken over by the Romans, who called the town ' ...

and the

Bavarian Zugspitze Railway The Bavarian Zugspitze Railway (german: Bayerische Zugspitzbahn) is one of four rack railways still working in Germany, along with the Wendelstein Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Stuttgart Rack Railway. The metre gauge line runs from Ga ...

(with sections of

rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with th ...

) to the

, the highest mountain in Germany. There are several accessible high and low-level hiking trails from the town that have especially good views.

Sports

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a favoured holiday spot for

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

, snowboarding, and

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, having some of the best skiing areas (

Garmisch Classic Garmisch Classic is an alpine ski area in the Bavarian Alps of southern Germany, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria. Its maximum elevation is above sea level at Osterfelderkopf, with a vertical drop of . Other peaks of ski area are th ...

and

) in Germany. It was the site of the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (german: IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 ( bar, Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 ...

, the first to feature alpine skiing. It later replaced Sapporo, Japan as the host of the 1940 Winter Olympics, but were cancelled due to World War II. Including the two cancelled cities in 1940, it is the only host city chosen during the World Wars that did not host a subsequent Olympics. A variety of Nordic and alpine World Cup ski races are held here, usually on the Kandahar Track outside town. Traditionally, a

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fina ...

contest is held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on New Year's Day, as a part of the

Four Hills Tournament The Four Hills Tournament (german: link=no, Vierschanzentournee) or the German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week (german: link=no, Deutsch-Österreichische Skisprung-Woche) is a ski jumping event composed of four World Cup events and has taken place in ...

(''Vierschanzen-Tournee''). The World Alpine Ski Championships were held in

Garmisch Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; Bavarian: ''Garmasch-Partakurch''), nicknamed Ga-Pa, is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the Ob ...

in 1978 and 2011. Garmisch-Partenkirchen was a partner in the city of

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics but the IOC vote held on 6 July 2011 awarded the Games to Pyeongchang. The Winter Olympics were last held in the German-speaking Alps in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

in nearby Innsbruck, Austria. In team sports, the professional former 10-time German champion

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

team SC Riessersee play at the

Garmisch Olympia Stadium Garmisch Olympia Stadium is an arena in Garmisch, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey, and is the home arena of the SC Riessersee of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Garmisch Olympia Stadium opened in 1935 and holds 6,929 people. It also ...

. The local

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team is 1.FC Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Event highlights

* 1 January – New Year's Ski Jump * 6 January – "Hornschlittenrennen" * January / February –

FIS Alpine Ski World Cup The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France ...

* February – Historic bob-race on the olympic track at Riessersee * 30.04. – "Georgimarkt" Partenkirchen * May–October – "Musik im Park" * 16.06.–18.06. – Zugspitz Ultratrail * June - Richard-Strauss-Festival * The first weekend in July – BMW Motorbike Days * 15.07. - White night * July / August "Festwoche" Festival in Garmisch and Partenkirchen * 04.08.–06.08. – "Alpentestival" * August/September – Straßen.Kunst.Festival (Streetart-Festival) * 12.11. – "Martinimarkt" Garmisch

Public institutions

The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies is also located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Marshall Center is an internationally funded and mostly

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

-staffed learning and conference centre for governments from around the world, but primarily from the former

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

and

Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

countries. It was established in June 1993, replacing the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Russian Institute. Near the Marshall Center is the American Armed Forces Recreation Centers (

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort Edelweiss Lodge and Resort is a U.S. Department of Defense owned recreation hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Located in the Bavarian Alps near the Austrian border, the facility opened in September 2004 at a cost of $80 million. Due to i ...

) in Garmisch that serves U.S. and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

military and their families. A number of U.S. troops and civilians are stationed in the town to provide logistical support to the Marshall Center and Edelweiss Recreation Center. The

German Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology The German Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (also called the 'Kinderrheumaklinik', i.e. the Pediatric Rheumatology Hospital) is the largest specialized center for the treatment of children and adolescent ...

, the largest specialized centre for the treatment of children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases in Europe, has been active in Garmisch-Partenkirchen since 1952.

Twin towns – sister cities

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is twinned with: *

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (Chin ...

, United States *

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

, France *

Lahti Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...

, Finland

Notable people

Hermann Levi Hermann Levi (7 November 1839 – 13 May 1900) was a German Jewish orchestral conductor. Levi was born in Giessen, Germany, the son of a rabbi. He was educated at Giessen and Mannheim, and came to Vinzenz Lachner's notice. From 1855 to 1858 ...

(1839–1900), Jewish orchestral conductor * Richard Strauss (1864–1949), leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. *

Ludwig Thoma Ludwig Thoma (; 21 January 1867 in Oberammergau – 26 August 1921 in Tegernsee) was a German author, publisher and editor, who gained popularity through his partially exaggerated description of everyday Bavarian life. After graduation from ...

(1867–1921), author, publisher and editor, who gained popularity through his partially exaggerated description of everyday Bavarian life * Alfred Gerstenberg (1893–1959), Luftwaffe general * Sir Karl Popper CH FBA FRS (1902–1994), Austrian-British philosopher and professor, regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the 20th century *

Franz Klarwein Franz Klarwein (8 March 1914 – 16 December 1991) was a German operatic lyric tenor and later character tenor. He was a member of the Bavarian State Opera from 1942 to 1977 and also appeared at international opera houses and festivals, esp ...

(1914–1991), operatic tenor, husband of Sári Barabás * Christoph Hermann Probst (1918–1943), student of medicine and member of the

White Rose The White Rose (german: Weiße Rose, ) was a Nonviolence, non-violent, intellectual German resistance to Nazism, resistance group in Nazi Germany which was led by five students (and one professor) at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, ...

(Weiße Rose) resistance group *

Michael Ende Michael Andreas Helmuth Ende (12 November 1929 – 28 August 1995) was a German writer of fantasy and children's fiction. He is known for his epic fantasy ''The Neverending Story'' (with its 1980s film adaptation and a 1995 animated television ...

(1929–1995), writer of fantasy and children's fiction, best known for

The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' (german: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several ...

* Hank Smith (1934–2002), Canadian country music singer * Wolfgang Seiler (born 1940), biogeochemist and climatologist; after he retired, he was environmental officer (voluntary) for the town *

Ulla Mitzdorf Ulla Mitzdorf (15 March 1944 – 19 July 2013) was a German scientist. She contributed to diverse areas including physics, chemistry, psychology, physiology, medicine and gender studies. Life and Scientific Work Mitzdorf gained her doctora ...

(1944–2013), scientist, substantially contributed to diverse areas including physics, chemistry, psychology, physiology, medicine and gender studies * Robert Rosner (born 1947), astrophysicist and founding director of the Energy Policy Institute at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

* Hans Peter Blochwitz (born 1949), lyric tenor, sings parts in Mozart operas * Michaela Steiger (born 1964), actress for theatre, film, television *

Marina Anna Eich Marina Anna Eich (born 17 December 1976) is a German film actress and producer. Life and career Eich was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany. After school she studied Spanish, English, and French in Ecuador, Canada, and France respectiv ...

(born 1976), film actress and producerIMDb Database
retrieved December 2017

Notable people in sports

* Thaddäus Robl (1877–1910), cyclist *

Hanns Kilian Hans Kilian (alternate listings: Hanns Kilian, Hans Killian, or Hanns Killian (2 May 1905 – 17 April 1981) was a German bobsledder who competed from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. Competing in three Winter Olympics, he won ...

(1905–1981), bobsledder * Matthias Wörndle (1909–1942), cross-country skier *

Roman Wörndle Roman Wörndle (4 October 1913 – 2 February 1942) was a German alpine skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics. He was born in Partenkirchen, where he was member of the ''Skiclub Partenkirchen'' (SCP).Käthe Grasegger Käthe Grasegger, later Deuschl (19 June 1917 – 28 August 2001) was a German alpine skier Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other ...

(1917–2001), alpine skier * Michael Pössinger (1919–2003), bobsledder *

Pepi Bader Pepi is the name of: People ;Regnal name * Pepi I Meryre, the third pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt (2332–2282 BC) * Pepi II Neferkare, the fifth pharaoh of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt (2284–2184 BC) * Pepi III Seneferankhre, a pharaoh of ...

(born 1941), bobsledder * Stefan Gaisreiter (born 1947), bobsledder * Reinhard E. Ketterer (born 1948), figure skater *

Christian Neureuther Christian Neureuther (born 28 April 1949) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Germany. Racing career Born and raised in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Neureuther specialized in the slalom and won six World Cup races and attained twe ...

(born 1949), alpine ski racer *

Rosi Mittermaier Rosa Anna Katharina Mittermaier-Neureuther (; 5 August 1950 – 4 January 2023) was a German alpine skier. She was the overall World Cup champion in 1976 and a double gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Mittermaier competed in alpine ...

(born 1950), alpine ski racer, double Olympic gold medalist * Hans-Joachim Stuck (born 1951), racing driver * Armin Bittner (born 1964), alpine skier *

Andrea Schöpp Andrea Schöpp (born 27 February 1965) is a German curler from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She lectures part-time in statistics at the University of Munich. Career Schöpp is a two-time World champion ( and ), seven-time European champion (, , , ...

(born 1965), curler *

Monika Wagner Monika Wagner (born 28 February 1965 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany) is a German curler. She currently plays third for Andrea Schöpp, who was born eight hours before her in the same hospital. Wagner has played with Schöpp for most ...

(born 1965), curler * Martina Beck (née Glagow) (born 1979), biathlete * Maria Höfl-Riesch (born 1984), alpine skier * Felix Neureuther (born 1984), alpine skier * Susanne Riesch (born 1987), alpine skier *

Magdalena Neuner Magdalena "Lena" Neuner (; since her 2014 marriage legally Magdalena Holzer; born 9 February 1987) is a retired German professional biathlete. She is the most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships and a two-time Olympic ...

(born 1987), six-time

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not time ...

world champion, Olympic champion,

Biathlon World Cup The Biathlon World Cup is a top-level biathlon season-long competition series. It has been held since the winter seasons of 1977–78 for men and 1982–83 for women. The women's seasons until 1986–87 season were called the European Cup, alt ...

winner * Miriam Gössner (born 1990), biathlete *

Laura Dahlmeier Laura Dahlmeier (; born 22 August 1993) is a retired German biathlete. Dahlmeier started in her first world cup races in the 2012/13 season. In 2014, she participated in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She won a record of five gold medals at the ...

(born 1993), biathlete, double Olympic gold medalist

Points of interest

South of Partenkirchen is the Partnach Gorge, where the

Partnach The Partnach is an mountain river in Bavaria, Germany. It rises at a height of on the Zugspitze Massif. The Partnach is fed by meltwaters from the Schneeferner glacier some higher up. The glacier's meltwaters seep into the karsty bedrock an ...

river surges spectacularly through a narrow, gap between high limestone cliffs. The

(local name "Zugspitz") is south of Garmisch near the village of Grainau. The highest mountain in Germany, it actually straddles the border with

. Also overlooking Garmisch-Partenkirchen is Germany's fourth-highest mountain, the

Leutasch Dreitorspitze Dreitorspitze is a large and very prominent, multi-peak mountain massif in the eastern part of the Wetterstein Mountains in southern Germany. It is divided into Partenkirchen Dreitorspitze (German: ''Partenkirchener Dreitorspitze'') at and Leutas ...

("Three-Gate Peak", a name derived from its

triple summit A double summit, double peak, twin summit, or twin peak refers to a mountain or hill that has two summits, separated by a col or saddle (topography), saddle. One well-known double summit is Austria’s highest mountain, the Großglockner, where ...

). The

King's House on Schachen The King's House on Schachen (german: Königshaus am Schachen) is a small villa (''Schlösschen'') at Schachen, Wetterstein Formation, about 10 km south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, built by Ludwig II of Bavaria. The castle was cons ...

, a small castle built for

Ludwig II of Bavaria Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886) was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes called the Swan King or ('the Fairy Tale King'). He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the ...

, is also located in the mountains south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Its grounds contain the

Alpengarten auf dem Schachen The King's House on Schachen (german: Königshaus am Schachen) is a small villa (''Schlösschen'') at Schachen, Wetterstein Formation, about 10 km south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, built by Ludwig II of Bavaria. The castle was cons ...

, an alpine

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

References

External links

Official website

Richard-Strauss-Institut

Richard-Strauss-Festival

{{Authority control 1940 Winter Olympics 1935 establishments in Germany American diaspora in Europe Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district) Populated places established in 1935 Ski areas and resorts in Germany