A day trip from Garmish-Partenkirchen to the Eibsee

Our first weekend in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we were eager to get exploring. It was a particularly hot summer day here, about 30 degrees Celsius (thats about 86 degrees in the King’s digits) and the perfect day for a swim. I had been fantasizing over pictures of the Eibsee since we were in the first stages of planning our move to GP. Coming from the Midwestern US, access to the clear mountain lakes of Europe was foreign and so exciting to me. I was eager to see if the water clarity, vibrant colors, and mountain horizons would live up to the hype I had seen on Instagram. I am a warm weather girl at heart and I knew a trip to the Eibsee was top of my to do list before the summer was over.

We talked to a few people to determine the best transportation option to get from Garmisch to the Eibsee. The three main options we found were:

1. Train to the Grainau, Eibsee Zugspitzbahn station (estimated travel time about 30 minutes)
2. Bus to the Eibsee Bushalt (estimated travel time about 40 minutes)
3. Drive/Taxi (estimated travel time about 15 minutes)

ORRR if you are Austin and Morgan, you reject all the logical options above and decide to walk. With your dog. Slightly jet lagged. In the heat.

Ebenso – Wenn wir in Garmisch sind – Wir gehen zu Fuß! The Eibsee is about 9 km or 5.6 miles from Garmisch. The walk took us approximately two hours.

We got going around 10am. Our first essential stop was at the Bakery to equip us with some soft pretzels and sandwiches for the journey. Shout out to my fav Café Ruhl. 😊 We added these provisions to our backpack. We had already packed water, swimsuits, a quick dry towel, and snacks for the dog.

The walk was at a slight incline, but not difficult. Most everything was paved – we enjoyed walking through a few small residential areas as well as open green fields. Also Google maps functioned well for the navigation. There is a more challenging stretch right before you reach the Eibsee where the incline is a bit steeper, but before you know it, you are rewarded with the picturesque and shimmering emerald green water situated at the base of the Zugspitze. In the summer vacation months, it can get pretty crowded at the Eibsee, but you can always find alcoves around the lake to sit and relax. Here is where we made a splash:

The water was chilly, but refreshing after the hike. There are boats and stand-up paddle boards for rent, but we did not partake on this first visit. After taking a dip, we simply relaxed in the sun for a while before walking part of the loop around the lake and deciding to grab a bite to eat at “seeRestaurant EIBSEE Pavillon”. The food was good and the setting can’t be beat. The Pavillon sits right on the water and has a large outdoor deck for plenty of scenic seating. We are looking forward to making the Eibsee a regularly visited location while we are living in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and experiencing its beauty in all four seasons.