Zugspitze Top of Germany (Above the Clouds)

**Note: This trip is not a budget trip, but its good to go to if you're a flashpacker**



Mr T said we're going to hike. In my mind.. oh ok.. just average hiking things that we normaly did before, where i could use thin shirt also jeans. As he pack a suitcase, it made me confuse, he said we will go to Munich.... i say.. ok....

It feels sad as i get closer to the end of the trip, but so much on my "to do& see" list... i just hope i could see most of it! so far i really like Bavaria. I like the food, i like the people.. even if i speak english and they speak germany they don't really that mind.. which is pretty cool!

We ride the car longer this time i don't know for how long but we also asks people on street for the way.

Driving to Zugspitze!

We stop at near Eibsee Lake for the ticket, Mr T saying something about the price for the lift i don't understand until i see the ticket and it said: ROUND TRIP 48 EURO!!! ARRRRRRGGHH!! what so special about this mountain??

Mr T open his luggage and hand me thick jackets and ask if i bring my gloves and knitted hat... i said... yah.. sure i bring it all the time.. and i just confuse why i need thick jacket while i already wear triple clothes... he said... WEAR IT NOW uhmm.. ok... made me sweaty a bit..

My Zugspitze ticket with Germany border stamp on it!

I have to run to the cable car ride, Mr T said he hope i am not afraid of this ride. I just look at him with puzzled face. While we're running, i could see some people return from the cable car station... they wearing thick jacket and gloves and ...where are we going??? why they wear too many clothes?


We rode on the gondola with another couple, now i know why Mr T ask me about if i fear of the gondola ride.Why? its hell of a ride!! it was amazing! i never know what "kind" of mountain that i am going to that time... but as we ride higher i could see pine trees.. well.. ok thats normal... but then after long 5-10 minutes.. i start to see fogs on my breathe.. and everything outside the gondola was foggy.... just white smoke.. i said to Mr T... we're inside the clouds.... he just nod.

Cable car ride to top of Zugspitze

The wind made it worse you could feel it blows the gondola that kept ascending to the top--where ever the top is because i barely see anything just hard rocks and ... suddenly inside those fogs.. i see something white like icing sugar that i use for baking... first its just a small amount of it.. and then... i scream "SNOW!! I SEE SNOW!!" I jump for happiness but Mr T told me to stop, as the gondola shake! hahah he don't like height! the gondola officer allow me to close to the window as his window was opened... oh my God.. this is the very first time i feel what snow temperature feels like!

Me at Zugspitze Germany

Arrive at the Zugspitze station, there are many people there. I can not wait to get outside the window glass and see the top of Germany by my self! As we standing on the platforms there we could see the pictures they made for directions. I can't believe i was close to 3000 meters above the sea level (over 10.000 feet).

Zugspitze had 3 summits the east, middle and west summits (Ost-, Mittel- and Westgipfel). Even though that i am not climbing with my own bare hand and foot, like the other climbers that i will give two thumbs up... i feel somehow very proud to be here.
The feeling was amazing, but Mr T wasn't happy cause the weather not so good so we can not see the peak clearly. He said we suppose to see the view as on the ticket--another mountains top. Humm i said.. its ok.. as i could see some of the nearest peak there.

We went to the other side of the platforms... first time i see REAL SNOW in my whole entire life... and my first sentence is "is this real snow or fire fighting foam?" Mr T can't help but laughing at me (ya ya.. i know) he said, do you think people here prepare the snow when they know youre about to come? well who knows i got punkd??? hehehe

Zugspitze snow, why it looks like firefighting foam??

I climb off the snow piles, its very slippery.. not all white, but maybe because people step on it.. Mr T use the term "not fresh snow" sound like bakery... we had a little snow war, but it end up ofcourse.. Mr T won it when he successfully put snow ball INSIDE MY CLOTHES. Its freakin COLD its crazily cold!! i jump off the pile he laugh see me like that, hah! thats when i realized that i got my nose bleed. Its scared me! but its pretty normal because the temperature was too dry.

Another part of Germany platform on Zugspitze

I could see some of IT stuff for weather like disks and some weather stations down stairs and it had KIT logos on it i look at Mr T and said, your institute very busy eh? he just said.. errhh ya.. I like the fact that there are some people does care about climate changes and want to spent their time and dedicate them self in the name of knowledge, i respect that so very much.

Thus who climb Zugspitze by their own!

Of course beside the cable car ride from Eibsee lake station, you could go to the top of Zugspitze by another way. You could use train to go up from Eibsee station too, passing through a famous tunnels and stop at Sonn of Alpine at 2600 meters height. This is another options if you afraid of the cable car ride. But honestly i love it. Even if Mr T try to scare me with; "wow this is a long way down if we fall" well yeah.. if you're too scared you should go by train then.

To get to the zugspitze you could open the website and check the route that you could possibly took... its worth the trip especially for those who never see snow like me!

Zugspitze on Tirol-Austria going for Lunch!

Another surprise awaits for me is, i just learn the fact that zugspitze actually owned by two countries, Austria and Germany. The borders is on the west summit. Although the massive parts of the summit belong to the Germany Bavarian area theres also some part of the Zugspitze belong to Tirol, an area part of Austria. Before the Europe Union settled there was an immigration check point there. But due to the EU i dont have to show my passport etc here... its very cool!

So Mr T and i decide to had some lunch in Austria part so i've been to Austria too palls! (whether you like it or not, i did hahahah!). We had lunch at Panorama restaurant. At 2952 meters above sea level its the highest restaurant that i ever been to!

This is the most romantic restaurant... well.. if you're in the romantic mood. The food was ok... i could imagine having dinner here... with the view of Germany from the top... *sigh* the price is amazing as we already assume they sold the "view" but again i will say the food was ok. They used with a wedding ceremony here also corporate party or occasion.

Zugspitze Summit Cross and few climbers

After lunch we walk back to the part of the platform again, since the weather better and we could see much clear than before... I also see on one of the top Zugspitze theres a summit cross. The story behind the cross is the origin thinker of that cross was Priest Christoph Ott who also a meteorologist. It took 28 bearers that time to rise the summit cross, i could imagine their hard struggle to get the heavy massive cross to the top. Its not an easy task!

The stories quite long since the cross been severely damaged before they change it several times due to lightning strikes, extreme weather, also some American Soldiers who shoot the cross during the war in 1945 (yes its true), the 111 years old cross taken down once again but due to heavy damaged it can not repaired they made the exact replica of the cross and bring it up again after two month with a helicopter. In 2009 they again renovate the cross and its the same cross that i saw that day.

How to made a snow man!

It was around 2 or 3 pm when we ride the cable car again to the next station below. Its the glacier cable car ride. The sun shine and the sky is blue, it was amazing day. From this cable car i could see the Alpine glacier and enjoy the snow scenery and the top peaks of several mountains near Zugspitze!

We arrive at Sonn Alpine at the height of 2600 meters. There still loads of snow.. but yeah some melted already. They had slides there Mr T teach me how to use it, and i ride it couple times.... we tried to made snowman too, Mr T teach me how hahah.. i like to hold the snow... its so fun to play on it that Mr T had to remind me to use my glove back again when he saw my hand color bluish. I am not used with winter or cold for sure!

Train from SonnAlpine to Eibsee station

When i see the train that will took us down to Eibsee i was thinking about how these people built all of these in such height?? they're as mad as King Ludwig 2 for sure!

Lake Eibsee ducks!

We still had sometimes after the train ride. We both fell asleep during the ride its about 20 minutes to go down. During the ride there was a tv explain how they built the train station and how they made the famous tunnels.

More of Eibsee Lake on the bottom of Zugspitze