Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Olympic town at the foot of Zugspitze mountain

In the Upper Bavarian Loisachtal Valley, framed in a beautiful Alpine setting, lies Garmisch-Partenkirchen, far removed from all the hubbub of the big city. The town first came to the world's attention as the home of the 1936 Winter Olympics. It is the combination of elegant hotels, restaurants and shops with traditional crafts, Bavarian tradition and friendly sociability that lends the town its inimitable character.

Places of interest

There are lots of interesting places to visit in and around Garmisch-Partenkirchen, including Werdenfels castle ruins, the pilgrimage church of St. Anton, King Ludwig II's Schachen hunting lodge, the Werdenfels Museum, the Olympic ski stadium (1936 Olympic Games), the Richard Strauss Institute, historic Ludwigstrasse and the casino.

Olympic venues
The Olympic Ice Stadium was built for the 1936 Olympic Games and has been extended and remodeled over the years. As well as the classic winter sports such as ice-skating, ice hockey and curling, the stadium is used in summer to host major events such as the military music festival, the brass band festival, the Free Flight Exhibition and a variety of conferences.

Werdenfels castle ruins
The once mighty Werdenfels Castle is now just a ruin. Thought to date back to 1219, it was built in the Romanesque-Gothic style by Otto VII, Count of Andechs, who wanted an impressive fortress to guard the military road. Over the centuries many different meanings have been imputed to its name - "Wehr den Fels" ("defence of the rock") is the most likely interpretation.

St. Anton pilgrimage church
The St. Anton pilgrimage church in Partenkirchen began life as a simple Antonius chapel built at the end of the 17th century. Apart from certain late-baroque elements, the church is primarily built in the rococo style and is the work of Wessobrunnen architect Josef Schmutzer (1683-1752). The dome fresco painted by Johann Evangelist Holzer in 1736 is the jewel in the church's crown, and is the only one of Holzer's works to have been preserved.

Suggested excursions

In addition to the numerous options for excursions into the countryside, popular places to visit include King Ludwig's fairytale castles, the Glentleiten open-air museum, Oberammergau, home of the Passion Plays, the violin-making museum in Mittenwald and the Blue Riders in Murnau.

Neuschwanstein Castle
King Ludwig II's most famous creation stands on the old border area between Bavaria, Tyrol and Swabia in the majestic mountain landscape of the fabled Schwangau. With its turrets, battlements and gables, Neuschwanstein Castle is an impressive picture-book example of a mighty royal castle. The king ordered it to be built "in the true style of the old German knights' castles".

Oberammergau
Oberammergau is widely known as the home of the master wood carvers, a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. There are currently around 100 active wood carvers creating everything imaginable from wood, from religious figures to everyday household objects. Pilatus House is the first port of call for anyone wishing to find out more about this art.

Mittenwald
The centre of the Upper Isar Valley came to international prominence in the Middle Ages, partly as the main point of transshipment for "trade between north and south" but primarily because Bozen (Bolzano) Market was relocated here. The town enjoyed a second heyday thanks to artisan Matthias Klotz, who brought violin-making here and started a tradition that has continued to this day. The informative violin-making museum is furnished like a home with country-style furniture, arts and crafts and all types of household items.