On snowshoes to the Elmauer Alm

In the mountain sports shop "Alpinsport Basis" in Bahnhofstraße, mountain enthusiasts can get all the equipment they need for their next active tour - whether sport climbing, ice climbing, bouldering, caving, canyoning or ski mountaineering. Snowshoes for men, women and children are also available for hire. A pair of snowshoes currently costs 15 euros per day (as of 2024).

With snowshoes in your luggage, you first walk back to the Olympic ski jump along Bahnhofstraße until you reach the Café-Bar Berge, then take the Bürgermeister-Vogel-Weg and continue along the Partnach through the town. After about two kilometres, you will arrive directly at the Olympic site.

It is the landmark of Garmisch-Partenkirchen: the large Olympic ski jump on the Gudiberg. With a tower height of 60 metres and an inrun length of over 103 metres, it is one of the most important ski jumping hills in the World Cup. Its sporty and elegant architecture has won it several international awards. Over 25,000 visitors flock to the Olympic ski stadium for the traditional New Year's ski jumping competition as part of the world-famous Four Hills Tournament.

The first small snow jump was built on the Gudiberg back in 1902. This was replaced by a wooden structure for the international New Year's ski jumping competition, which was held for the first time in 1922. After Germany won the bid for the 1936 Winter Olympics in the summer of 1933, a larger facility was built next to the old ski jump. In 1950, this was replaced by a steel construction - the most modern ski jump in the world at the time. Several technical improvements were made up until 2007, when the "Old Lady" finally gave way to today's ultra-modern facility due to new requirements.

The Olympic Stadium and the ski jumping facility can be visited daily. There is a designated tour (approx. 1 hour), which is explained by information boards. Entry is free of charge. Entering the ski jump itself is only possible as part of a guided tour.

Guided tours (approx. 2 hours, minimum number of participants 6 people):
Kirchweih (3rd Sunday in October) to Whitsun: Wednesday and Saturday at 3 pm
Whitsun to Kirchweih: Wednesday at 6 pm, Saturday at 3 pm

The Eckbauerbahn is located right next to the Olympic Stadium and can be reached from there in just a few minutes on foot. Take a cable car to the top station.

The Eckbauerbahn cable car takes guests up to an altitude of 1236 metres in 6-seater gondolas all year round. With the new construction of the valley station and the "Café 56", coffee, homemade cakes and snacks are now also available at the valley station. The lift is also barrier-free.

From the mountain station, head around 250 metres to the right to Berggasthof Eckbauer. The path has been cleared, so the snowshoes are not used here yet.

With views of the Zugspitze, Alpspitze, Wettersteinwand and Karwendel, the Berggasthof Eckbauer is situated in an exposed location at an altitude of 1236 metres. Family-owned for over 90 years, you can enjoy bacon dumplings, hut noodles and Kaiserschmarrn pancakes in a rustic atmosphere. Located around 250 metres from the Eckbauerbahn mountain station, the inn is easy to reach from the valley. Pleasure hikers, skiers and panorama fans meet on the sheltered sun terrace in both summer and winter. Several beautiful mountain tours start from the Eckbauer, e.g. to the Elmauer Alm, the Partnachklamm gorge or to Wamberg.

To the Elmauer Alm, take the path back to the mountain station, leave it on the left and follow the hiking trail to the Wamberg junction (left-hand path). Up to this point, the path is cleared.

At the fork in the path, it's time to strap on your snowshoes to avoid sinking into the deep snow. Continue straight ahead for about 4 kilometres along the Wamberger Höhenrücken ridge. From here you can enjoy several fantastic views as far as Elmau. At the end of the path, you come to a forest road and turn left. After approx. 10 minutes, continue to the right to the Elmauer Alm.

The Elmauer Alm lies above the Elmau high valley at an altitude of 1203 metres. Built in 1924, it now belongs to Schloss Elmau, a luxury hotel complex located in the valley. The Elmauer Alm offers hikers a selection of Bavarian specialities. From the panoramic terrace, you can enjoy a panoramic view from the Zugspitze in the west over the Alpspitze, Dreitorspitze, Wetterstein and Karwendel mountains to the Soiern region in the east. The Elmauer Alm is particularly worth a hike in winter: its location above the cold high valley - with a temperature difference of often up to 15 degrees compared to Garmisch-Partenkirchen - makes for a perfect winter wonderland.

For the way back, strap your snowshoes under your boots once again and stay on the forest road until you reach the turn-off towards Eckbauer. Now hike back to the mountain station and take the gondola down into the valley. From there, take the same route back to the Alpinsport base - where the snowshoes are returned - and continue along Bahnhofstraße to the railway station.