Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski | ski holidays in Germany

Garmisch-Partenkirchen in short

Height: 709 metres
Guaranteed snow thanks to glacier
Easy to reach by car from Munich and Innsbruck
Near Ehrwald, a large cross-country ski area

Garmisch-Partenkirchen gained international renown when it hosted the Winter Olympic Games back in 1936. Nowadays, the ski resort is an annual host of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament every New Year's. The two towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen were joined in the 1930's and now present a beautiful urban centre with theatres, concert halls, cinemas and a casino. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has always been a health retreat, and the region holds conferences on a regular basis. This is an excellent destination if you're looking to combine a city trip with a ski holiday. Ski holidays in Garmisch-Partenkirchen are packed with activities for the whole family.

The city offers a different vibe depending on what you're looking for. Garmisch is a modern and cosmopolitan district, whereas Partenkirchen offers a rustic Bavarian getaway. The lively mountain city has four ski areas in the vicinity. Here you can ski on the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze, located 2962m above sea level. Garmisch-Partenkirchen itself has direct access to two large and varied ski areas with around 60km of ski slopes and a large snow park. In the Garmisch-Classic ski area you will find long, wide and challenging tree-lined pistes through the woods. If snow cover is wanting, head to the Zugspitze ski area, a wonderful ski area with excellent snow conditions thanks to the glacier.

Review of Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Winter hiking
Cross-country skiing
Aprés-ski
Family/children
Price level

based on 5 visitor reviews

Latest review by Alexandra Brown

“We (two adults + 7-year-old son) were spontaneously in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for 4 days in February. Usually we always go to Austria for our ski holidays and I have to say, we were pleasantly surprised. The Garmisch Classic ski area turned out to...”

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Skiing at Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski area has more than 60km of slopes for skiers and snowboarders of every ability level. The ski season tends to be long, from November until May, and the pistes of the Garmisch Classic are easily accessible as they are located right above the village. Aside from the Hausberg, Kreuzeck and Alpspitze ski areas, there is also glacier skiing on the Zugspitze where you will always find guaranteed snow! Expert skiers visiting Garmisch-Partenkirchen can't miss the chance to try their skills on the legendary Kandahar World Cup piste, which has a maximum gradient of 92% and boasts nearly a kilometre of vertical drop.

Cross-country skiing and winter hiking

The area around Garmisch-Partenkirchen has 28km of trails for cross-country skiing. Every Wednesday, the resort offers the chance to get acquainted with the biathlon under the guidance of a professional. If you prefer a more relaxed approach to the winter landscapes, why not explore the 110km of hiking trails? From a short walk around the town to a challenging multi-kilometre trail, you have plenty of choice for winter hiking in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Again, every Wednesday you can take to the trails with a guide, to get the most out of your winter sports holiday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Retracing the footsteps of Olympic heroes

A trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen isn't complete without spending some time exploring the city. Garmisch hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics and it's worth paying a visit to the Olympic facilities. The ski jump was upgraded in 2007 and the new jump is used every year for the New Year's jump as part of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament. In the village you can also visit the Garmisch Olympia Stadium where the ice hockey and figure skating events were held. A non-skiing activity that even non-Olympians can enjoy in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is tobogganing on the 5km-long Hausberg toboggan run, which is lit for night tobogganing on Wednesdays and Fridays.