Germany's largest Mountain, the Zugspitze forms part of the Wetterstein Alpine mountain range that straddles the border with Austria. It lies just south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with its summit soaring to 2,962 meters and renowned for its gilded cross and magnificent views. On a clear day, Zugspitze boasts panoramas across four different countries and as far as the Eastern Alps, with the peaks ranging in height from 2,000-4,000 meters. To the south of the mountain stretches the high karst plateau of Zugspitzplatt that is riddled with caves, while immense glaciers carve along its flanks.
The summit of Zugspitze can be accessed along the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn cog railway, with many opting to take the cable car up and walking back down. The Tyrolean Zugspitze Cable Car and the Eibsee Cable Car also make the journey to the top, with plenty of ski lifts also covering the Zugspitzplatt ski area in winter.
For those wanting to tackle the summit on foot, you can hike from the Höllental Valley in the northeast or the Reintal Valley in the southeast, as well as over the Austrian Cirque from the western approach. The Zugspitze is also linked to the Hochblassen and Alpsptize along the famous Jubilee Ridge, which follows a knife-edged ridge through the Eastern Alps.
The Zugspitzplatt stands as the highest skiing area in Germany and ignites each winter as skiers and snowboarders arrive from across Europe. There are 20 kilometers of pistes across the glacier, coupled with incredible views of Zugspitze and the surrounding peaks.