In good weather there is hardly a better distant view in Bavaria than from the Zugspitze. From the summit you can see up to 250 kilometres and, within 3 kilometres, have more than 400 further Alpine peaks in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and even Italy in view. Thanks to the Zugspitze railways, climbing is not necessary at all to reach the top.
To discover the high points around the Zugspitze in the Wetterstein range — among them the Großglockner (3,798 m), the Ortler (3,905 m) and the Piz Bernina (4,049 m) — you do not have to struggle laboriously over the Zugspitzplatt and the west ridge like the first ascenders Josef Naus and Johann Tauschl. There are several railways that spare you the ascent and leave enough strength for hiking, skiing or simply enjoying.
The Bavarian Zugspitze railway
The Bavarian Zugspitze railway leads directly from Garmisch-Partenkirchen up the Zugspitze.
It is not a cable car at all but one of the increasingly rare rack railways, for which it counts as a historic landmark too. Besides the best view, then, interesting engineering history is on offer here.
The Bavarian Zugspitze railway opened in 1930, though the route was slightly modified with the construction of the “Rosi tunnel” in 1987. Because it is a train with solid ground under its wheels, you might feel safer on the way to the summit than in a cable car.
A few facts about the Bavarian Zugspitze railway
- Altitude gained: more than 1,800 m
- Journey time: 1 hour and 13 minutes from Garmisch to the Zugspitzplatt
- Opening times: daily from 8:15, hourly to the summit, last summit departure 14:15
- Official website of the Bavarian Zugspitze railway
The Eibsee cable car
The Eibsee cable car opened in 1963 and starts at the Eibsee, one of the stations of the Bavarian Zugspitze railway.
Because the relatively long journey time of the rack railway to the summit was to be shortened, this aerial cable car was built. Rising almost 2,000 metres in a single section, it holds a world record.
A few facts about the Eibsee cable car
- Altitude gained: 1,950 m
- Journey time: 10 minutes
- Opening times: daily from 8:00 to 16:45 every 30 minutes, last ascent 16:15
The Tyrolean Zugspitze railway
The Tyrolean Zugspitze railway runs from Ehrwald on the Austrian side of the Wetterstein range up to the western summit of the Zugspitze.
It opened as early as 5 July 1926 and was thus the first cable car to the Zugspitze; by now it has of course been modernised several times, most recently in August 2003. The Tyrolean Zugspitze railway has panorama cabins for 100 people each.
A few facts about the Tyrolean Zugspitze railway
- Altitude gained: 1,725 m
- Journey time: 10 minutes
- Opening times: daily from 8:40 to 16:40 every 20 minutes, last ascent 16:00. In May, June, October and November only in good weather.
- Official website of the Tyrolean Zugspitze railway
Besides these Zugspitze railways there are many other lifts and cableways that make the way into the ski and hiking areas easier.
More information and interesting websites:
- Safely up the Zugspitze — all the routes (German Alpine Club)
- Hiking tours near Grainau in the Höllentalklamm gorge
- Four ways up the Zugspitze (hiking, mountaineering)
Images:
- Title image: By Octagon (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Bavarian Zugspitze railway: By BKP (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Eibsee cable car: By Michael J. Zirbes.Mijozi at de.wikipedia [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-3.0-de], from Wikimedia Commons
- Tyrolean Zugspitze railway: By Crux (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons