The German Alps - a Year-Round Destination
From picturesque Berchtesgaden and the dark, calm waters of Lake Königsee in eastern Bavaria to Lindau and the area around Lake Constance in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the west, the German Alps are a year-round tourist destination. Famous for world-class winter sports venues, the Alps are cherished by those in the know year round. In fact, spring, summer and fall offer ideal weather for hiking and sightseeing.
And you don’t have to be a mountain-climber to get to the top of Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze. Located just south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Zugspitze, at 9,718 feet, is served from the German side by a cog railway from Garmisch-Partenkirchen and a cable car from the town of Eibsee at the foot of the mountain. You don’t have to be an athlete to stand on this summit and enjoy the panoramic views.
Germany’s second-highest peak, the Hochwanner, is in the same Wetterstein range as the Zugspitze. The third-highest peak, the Watzmann, is located in idyllic the Berchtesgaden region.
But the Alps are not only peaks and summits. Easily accessible hiking and biking trails snake across the slopes, many of them leading travelers to quaint mountain cottages for a meal or an overnight stay. And tranquil mountain lakes dot the region, beckoning summer wanderers to a refreshing dip. Enjoy this picture gallery, offering a mere taste of the varied views and activities the German Alps have to offer year round.
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Two hikers take in the panoramic fall view on a bench near the Taubenstein mountain-top cable car station. Far below is Lake Spitzingsee, the state of Bavaria’s largest mountain lake. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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Early fall weather brought this hiker to a wooded mountain path near Bad Hindelang in the Allgäu region. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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A snowboarder glides down the Zugspitze accompanied by sunshine and gust of wind on the opening weekend of ski season in late October. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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These horses graze on a field near Garmisch-Partenkirchen in mid-December, as the first snowfall has yet to arrive. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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Multi-hued fall foliage accentuates this view of the Watzmann, Germany’s third highest peak. (© picture alliance / Franz Pritz /) -
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The Four Hills Tournament brings world-class ski jumpers, like Germany’s Michael Neumayer, to Garmisch-Partenkirchen each winter. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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This couple enjoys a winter hike in the Breitachklamm crevice near Oberstdorf. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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In the town of Pfronten, competitive sled races are an annual winter tradition during carnival. The sleds, called Schalenggen in this region, were used in the Allgäu region to bring wood and hay down from the mountains during winter. (© picture alliance / dpa) -
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Tourists recline in deckchairs at the Imberger Horn near Bad Hindelang, taking in the magnificent winter sunshine. (© picture alliance / dpa)
