Partnach Gorge

The Partnach Gorge () is a deep gorge that has been incised by a mountain stream, the Partnach, in the Reintal valley near the south German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The gorge is long and, in places, over deep. It was designated a natural monument in 1912.

Geology and origin

In the Triassic, about 240 million years ago, on the bed of a shallow sea, dark grey, relatively hard layers of Alpine muschelkalk (shell-bearing limestone), so-called ''Wurstelkalk'', were laid down in the area of the present day Partnach Gorge. On the bead-like strata of this rock the traces of the burrowing and feeding of marine animals can still be seen. Importantly, about 5 million years later, softer marls were deposited in the same marine basin, which today are known as Partnach Strata (''Partnach-schichten'').

In the course of the subsequent Alpine mountain folding the so-called Warnberg Saddle (''Warnberger Sattel'') was formed from these rock strata. The erosion force of the Partnach stream, fed from the Schneeferner'' plateau, was great enough to carry away quickly the softer layers, to keep pace with the continued uplifting of the terrain and thus to cut into the hard Alpine muschelkalk as well.
Today the river forms the typically narrow valley shape of a gorge (''Klamm'') in the area of the muschelkalk rocks, while the areas of softer Partnach strata to the north and south have a wider valley cross-section.

Economic significance

Since 1912 the gorge has been developed for tourists and can be visited all year round. An entry fee is charged in summer between 8 am and 6 pm and in winter between 9 am and 5 pm. Outside these times the gorge may be visited at individual risk.

Rockfall

On 1 June 1991 about 5,000 m³ of rock broke away from a rock face at the southern end of the gorge and blocked the old path as well as the watercourse. A small, natural dammed lake was formed and the Partnach channelled its way through the giant boulders. Since 1992 a long gallery, blasted out of the rock, has bypassed the rock piles and lake. The gallery is lit by windows.

In popular culture

The Partnach Gorge served as a film location for the 1979 film Nosferatu the Vampyre.

External links

Information on the gorge at the Bavarian State Office for the Environment




* ttp://www.allgaeu-ausfluege.de/Partnachklamm.htm Many photographs of the Partnach Gorge in summer and winter and other information

References

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Canyons and gorges of Germany
Slot canyons
Landforms of Bavaria
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district)
Protected areas of Bavaria