At 2962 metres, or 9718 feet (1.8mi), above sea level, Zugspitze is Germany's
highest peak. It sits astride the border with Austria, and for a time,
was the highest border control point in the world (then came the EU, so, no
more checkpoint).
It is accessible only in three ways: Cable car, underground cog railway and cable
car, or, for the truly insane, by climbing. The north face of the peak drops
straight down for a mile and a half right into the Eibsee (the lake at the bottom).
Yet, climb it people do. We took a train from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Grainau,
about 20 minutes, where we changed trains to the cog train that would take us up
through a tunnel to an underground rail station situated just below the peak. From
there we took a short cable car to the peak. Atop the peak, Germans have built a
variety of structures including weather and communication buildings, restaurants,
and a museum. How they did that is a mind-boggling story. Rather than relate that
in this space, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
While we were up there, the weather closed in fairly rapidly so I was unable to
take long range shots of the surrounding Alps. However, I saw all I needed to...
Click on any picture to see the full view.
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Straight down 1.5 miles