On Sunday, June 26, Gina and I boarded the tour bus for the Ettal Monastery and the skiing villages of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Our goal? The summit of Der Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.
The Ettal Abbey (right) was built by Ludwig I of Bavaria to fulfill an oath to Benedictine monks on his return from Italy following his coronation by the Pope. Our tour guide Gunter noted that "ettal" means "promise." Built in 1330, the site sits on an important trade route between Italy and Augsburg, Germany. Legend has it that Ludwig's horse genuflected three times on the spot of the original church building, which is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Zugspitze, at 9,718 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in the Wetterstein Mountains. When we started out that morning from Munich, the weather looked dubious for a trip up the Zugsptize but conditions improved as the day progressed.
The ascent began with a quick cable car ride (above) up to the very summit of the mountain, which features a wide platform viewing area, a restaurant and bar, and jaw-dropping views in every direction.
The summit platform straddles the German/Austrian border (Gina, below, at the sign welcoming visitors to Austria). From the top, you can view the Alpine peaks stretching across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and as far away as Italy.
Josef Naus and mountain guide Georg Tauschi completed the first ascent to the summit of the Zugspitze on August 27, 1820.
At the base of the Zugspitze, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a beloved hangout for outdoor aficionados and is the site of this year's Alpine World Skiing Championships.
Our tour guide Gunter noted that the towns were merged for the 1936 Winter Olympics, but that the two Bavarian villages were in a marriage of convenience more than a genuine love for one another: you know, like Eugene and Springfield.
Munich was also still in contention for the 2018 Winter Olympics as one of three finalists while we were in Germany, but lost out to PyeongChang, South Korea.
Once at the top, we had about a half-hour before boarding another cable car for a trip to the Northern Schneeferner glacier (below) on the south side of the summit.
The glacier hosts a large restaurant and skiing/sledding area, as well as a house of worship. Gina and I, along with her new friend Anita from Australia, enjoyed lunch -- in my case, schnitzel and a bier.
The church (below), which was personally blessed by Pope Benedict XVI (formerly the Archbishop of Munich), is the highest elevation Catholic Church in the world at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.
After about an hour on the glacier, we descended the Zugspitze by cog train, a slow but steady device which maneuvers its way through a long tunnel in the mountain.
Emerging from the tunnel above Lake Eibsee, the cog train then proceeded down the Zugspitze through Ober-Grainau and back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
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