Within Maps

Never say never. Yes, it is an overused expression, but it is true. I used to say “I will never go to the mountains” as a kid, but a couple of months ago, there I was. I have dreamed about it my whole life and finally it happened.

The German Alps had always been on my travel list, so this time it was very easy to choose our destination – Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It’s a very popular destination for winter sports, the city is located right in the mountain area, and from almost every spot in the city you can see the mountains. My fairy-tale dream was about to come true.

Departure day, early in the morning, I couldn’t sleep any longer or keep my excitement to myself. “This trip will be perfect” I thought to myself and started to get ready for the day. As I still had to work, I left a list of groceries that we needed and explained how my vegan ass wants its sandwiches for the road. When I came home, I had time for a shower, quick check of our bags and prepare the coffee for the road. The most important things are packed – snowboards, snowsuits and food, the rest can be bought. We are as ready as we can be.

We started our trip at 10 at night, so we could be in Garmisch-Partenkirchen before midday. The first 3 hours were easy, but then I got super tired. I was so happy that I remembered to take a pillow with us, it really made my sleep a lot better. After 6 hours, we took a longer break, so my boyfriend could get some sleep as well.

Before reaching our main destination, I decided we could stretch our legs with a short walk to the Geratser waterfall. This waterfall is located an hour away from Garmisch. It was pretty hard to find it as it wasn’t so popular. At first, we drove to where our navigation pointed but then we realized that there are no parking places, so we drove a little back, parked and started our walk. It took us around ten to fifteen minutes to reach it. Navigation took us to the main road, but no worries, there are signs pointing to which direction the waterfall is. We went into the woods and straight away could hear it. We followed the sound and it took us to this small platform from which you can enjoy the fall. As we were eager to get a closer look of it, we decided to cross the small river upstream, little did we know that couple meters away was a bridge. But what is done is done and we got super close look at the waterfall. All the websites I checked said that it was a natural waterfall, but for me it seemed man-made.

Once our little walk was done, it was time to get back in the car and go to our Airbnb. To get to Garmisch we had to travel through Austria, which is also an amazing country with breath-taking views. We had to make a few stops so that I could take some nice photos. It took us only 1h to drive through Austria. First day was for exploring the mountains from Germany’s highest point Zugspitze. I must warn you, the tickets to the cable car are very expensive, around 100€ per person and the same goes for the ski pass. Cable car departures every 15 minutes, so obviously it takes 15 min to get up to the top. The ride itself was breathtaking, lots of mountains and gorgeous Eibse lake from a bird’s view. Keep in mind, that in winter it’s frozen and there’s not much to see except some snow and ice. If you are looking for a crystal-clear water with reflection, then it’s better to visit it in a late spring or summer.

In good weather conditions this platform offers clear views over 400 peaks in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland – including the highest mountains in the eastern Alps.

If you are looking for a sense of freedom, relaxation, and amazing views, then this will be for you! Also, on the platform you can buy a cup of coffee, tea or some other beverages that can make you warm. We were so tired from the drive, so we spent only an hour on platform.

Second day was all about winter sports. We woke up early, as it can get busy in peak season. We drove to the same area Zugspitze and bought our tickets. If we would have known before, we most probably would have gone to this mountain only once by buying ski pass on the second day. Ski pass gives you the same access to the platform plus access to the other cable car which takes you to the ski area.

I will be honest with you, once I saw the trails, I got a little scared. They were so long and what it seemed so steep but what is a life without a little risk, right? I’m not a professional so it took me a while to start sliding down. But as I say, as long as I didn’t fall, it was a success. This experience was so magical, not only because I finally got to snowboard, but because I was surrounded by the mountains. All I wanted to do was look, look and look.

After couple of hours when tiredness was taking over us we were already heading for the exit when we noticed…. tobogganing! Rent was 7€ and we could use them for an hour. We got instructions on how to break and turn. It might sound easy but the first seconds of the slide shows how wrong I was. It was almost impossible to break and turn. First snow dune and I was in it. But wait, there’s more! As my feet are on the ground, and its such force to go down, all the snow I kicked up with my feet came right into my face, not to mention the trail was almost 1 km long. But nevertheless, it was still fun experience and with all the snow in my face I still think I might do it again.

On the third day we planned to explore the city. Too bad for us because it was Sunday and almost everything was closed. But that didn’t stop us from admiring how beautiful and cozy it was. As there was nothing much to do, we decided to enjoy little bit more of Garmisch-Partenkirchen nature – Partnach gorge. Over millions of years ago, meltwater and debris hollowed out the rock leaving a narrow gorge. Today we know it as the Partnach Gorge.

This wonderful natural landmark is located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, just a 30 minute walk from Olympic Ski Stadium. To enter the gorge, you will have to pay small entrance fee, remember to save your ticket, because on your way back they are being checked!
Once you enter the gorge you will find yourself surrounded by massive rock formations. You will see and hear wild and boisterous water running beneath you. The Partnach river is around 700 meters long and runs through limestone walls that reach 80 meters high.

If you visit in the winter, remember to dress warmly as it gets super cold. Also, don’t forget to take your camera as there is so much to capture and amaze. The huge icicles themselves will take your breath away.

One extra stop we made was Olympic Ski stadium. There were couple of families with kids sledding. Next to the stadium was also a snowboarding trail openly accessible, but unfortunately cable cars weren’t working so we decided to climb up a little bit ourselves and enjoy the view of the nightly city.

As that was the last night of our trip, we went to bed early to get some rest for the road. On our way back we went to Neuschwanstein castle, which was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria. Entrance fee was 11 Eur per person and to getting there requires a hike. If you are not up to the hike, no worries, for additional price you can rent a carriage that will take you up the mountain. Our tour started and guide gave us our audios. Before entering they strictly forbid us to take any photos from the inside. So unfortunately, as much as I tried to sneakily take them, none of them were usable. Tour itself was very interesting but being there for only 15 minutes felt little too short. We saw only a small par of the castle.

Overall, first experience on road tripping was amazing. Of course, there is still a lot to learn, but we are definitely not stopping with this one. There are more to come and we can’t wait to travel again.