Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a quiet mountain town that reminded me a bit of Lake Tahoe. There is a nice combination of tourists and locals, high-end clothing and cheap eats, and a general sleepiness on the off-season. It’s also a weird reminder of how hard it is to get away from Germany’s infamous past. The town was originally two separate villages (Garmisch and Partenkirchen) that were joined together to provide a suitable venue for the 1936 Olympics. Guess who ordered the joining? Adolf Hitler. You can’t escape it!

Dubious origins aside, it is a really nice place to spend a few days. We were once again warmly welcomed by an airbnb host and spent a couple days hiking and relaxing. The first day, we went up the Zugspitzbahn to visit the highest peak in Germany. Tickets were pricey but ended up being totally worth it. I had never seen the Alps before and it really blew my mind. The US has some beautiful mountains but nothing like this. Most of the beautiful view at Zugspitz is on the Austrian side of the border and it also gives you a taste of the mountains in Switzerland. We spent most of the day up there admiring the view and caught the last train back down the mountain.

Marisa’s cold from the beginning of the trip came back with a vengeance after spending a few hours up in the cold heights, so I spent a few hours alone doing a hike in the Partnach Gorge. It was a beautiful day once I finally got out in the late afternoon, and I managed to beat the sunset home.

We really enjoyed our time in Garmisch. No idea if we’re going to go back again but it’s worth a stop if you happen to be traveling around southern Germany. Auf Wiedersehen!