You might know the (typically) long, hyphenated name Garmisch-Partenkirchen as it was the host of the 1932 Winter Olympics.

It’s the best hiking town in the Bavarian Alps — yet it took me 65 years to get there. 😀

I waited on a good weather window to make the trip down from Munich, and got some of the best days of the year.

Actually … I had hail and hard rain my first afternoon. Here I am sitting out the deluge in a city park.

Moon & Honey recommended the 7 best hikes in Garmisch-Partenkirchen:

With 3 nights, 2 days I managed five:

• Höllental Gorge, Bavaria
• Partnach Gorge, Bavaria
• Circumambulating Eibsee (Yew Lake)
• Zugspitze – Germany’s Highest Mountain
• Hiking Alpspitze, Bavaria

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Excellent.

I enjoyed the cycling, as well.

The valley looks something like Switzerland. But different in the many stark sheds in the fields.

The valley being super busy, I decided to tent legally rather than wild camp.

Campgrounds are generally lousy in Europe, compared with spacious Canada. This one is typical.

The towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen are nothing special. I much prefer Chamonix, France, and even Whistler, Canada, as scenic ski towns.

The trains, cog railways, and cable cars are superb, however.

It’s still a terrific base for outdoor adventure sport.