AWE Travels

Do you ever wanted to hike to the highest mountain in Germany, looking for tour tips and what to expect?

Hiking to Zugspitze is an adventure itself, either hiking it in 1 day or multiple days. I chose the easiest, but also longest route along Partnachklamm, Reintal and sleep over at Knorrhütte.

Day 1: Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Reintalangerhütte – Knorrhütte (17km/ 1.534m altitude)

Day 2: Knorrhütte – Sonnalpin – Zugspitze (5,6km/ 942m altitude)

In total, it will take 22,9 km and 2.485m altitude up to reach Zugspitze from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Let’s Go – Day 1

The tour starts with the impressive Partnachklamm. From Olympiaschanze it takes about 20 min to reach the entrance. The entrance fee is currently 10€. The Partnachklamm is a natural monument since 1912. It is 699m long and 80m deep gorge.

After passing the Partnachklamm, you will hike along the Partnach with amazing views. The trail is a forest path and easy to hike. It took me 3h from Garmisch to Reintalhütte and this spot is a really nice lunch break. Everything they offer at Reintalhütte is organic and bio.

From Reintalhütte it is another 2h to Knorrhütte with 3,2km/ 685m altitude. Up until now the weather was quite ok, a little rain and no thunderstorms. After hiking 20 min the weather was completely foggy. Also from here the path is not a forest path anymore, but more loose stones. For me it was also difficult at some point to spot the path (because of the fog) which is marked with red color. Luckily, I had the GPS data from the track and could navigate back to the right path. After crossing the rock, I reached Knorrhütte.

Knorrhütte is on 2051m altitude and a cute small hut. I booked the dormitory and shared the room with 15 other people. It is an experience itself to stay here 1 night. The staff is really friendly and all the other hikers too. Dinner and breakfast can be booked together while arriving. It is even possible to have a short warm shower for 4€. Overall, the food is simple and good for meat eaters and vegetarians. If you are vegan, you should check the food options before. I paied 60€ for the accommodation (15€), dinner & breakfast (41€) and shower (4€) (with DAV memberhsip – will explain it below more). Bookings need to be done before as they are booked out regularly. Sometimes they have free spots spontaneously.

Last – Day 2

Let me tell you, hikers are early birds, from 6 a.m. many people are already awake preparing for the hike. Breakfast is from 6:30 a.m. I was done packing by 7 a.m. and continued the hike to Zugspitze. After 1,5h, I reached Sonnalpin for a short toilet break and already amazing views. The weather was perfect, sunny and no clouds at all.

The last part to hike to Zugspitze is the hardest part. The path is at the beginning only out of loose stones. It was a small challenge not to start a stone avalanche since behind you are also people. I was happy when the stones changed to rock again.

For the next part, it is good not to be afraid of heights. Another hour there will be a metal wire to hold on to. It is not a fixed-rope route, so you don’t need equipment. It is good to have gloves to grab the wire easier. I didn’t pack gloves, but met some nice people along the way lending me some.

And finally I arrived at the top! It is the plattform where also the day tourists arrive with the cable car, so quite busy.

After some food, it was time to go 1 level down to reach the actual summit. Since all tourists arrive here, it is very busy and it can happen that you have to wait. It is quite chaotic because there is only one ladder, but no system how people get up/down.

But still loved the view from the highest peak in Germany!

Getting down, I took the cable car to Eibsee/Garmisch Partenkirchen to get back. The cable car costs 42€.

If you are up for the Zugspitz adventure, here are some tips and packing list.

Preparation & Packing list

• Be realistic with your endurance how many km/altitude meter you can hike per day. 1 day, 2 days with night over in Knorrhütte or also 3 days with an extra night at Reintalhütte is possible.
• If you sleep over in a hut, you need a sleeping bag inlay (that are these slim sleeping bags without warm inlay). You can get it in every sports store. Also you need slippers to walk in the hut because hiking boots will be stored in a separate room to dry.
• Raincoat for yourself and one for your backpack
• Pair of gloves for the last part to hold on to the wire
• Some snacks along the way
• First aid kit
• Powerbank, on the hut at Knorrhütte was only one power outlet to charge the phone
• Towel
• Otherwise your personal clothes and toiletries you need for the day/night

DAV membership

Just a personal recommendation, if you are often in the mountains hiking or skiing. In case of emergencies, you are insured if a helicopter needs to pick you up. Also you get some discounts on food in the hut and also sleep overs. For example, I paied 15€ instead of 29€ for the night.

That’s all about my experience hiking up to Zugspitze. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave it down below in the comment section. Happy Hiking! 🙌