Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, formed from two neighbouring villages merged for the 1936 Winter Olympics, sits at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, in the Bavarian Alps. Visitors typically split time between the old town's Partenkirchen half, where Frühlingstraße and the surrounding lanes show off traditional Lüftlmalerei facades of painted saints and trompe-l'oeil architecture, and the dramatic Partnach Gorge, a narrow limestone canyon reached by a short walk from the Olympic ski stadium, where a carved pathway threads beneath overhanging cliffs past waterfalls. The free 1936 Olympic ski jump and stadium can be visited year-round and give a sense of the town's Olympic history. A cable car from the edge of town climbs to the Zugspitze summit for panoramic views over four countries on clear days. A single day allows time for the old town, the gorge, and either the cable car or a shorter hike; those focused on skiing or serious hiking often stay longer. The gorge and cable car are busiest from late morning through mid-afternoon, particularly in July and August and during winter school holidays, so an early start is worthwhile. The best photographs of the painted facades come in the soft light of early morning before the streets fill with shoppers.