Garmisch Partenkirchen- Partnachklamm

We have been doing a lot of hiking in Australia and North America in recent years. However, we have not done as much hiking in Germany as we would have liked. One of our bucket list items for a long time were the Partnach and the Hoellental Gorge in Garmisch Partenkirchen.

Starting point for the Partnach Gorge (Partnachklamm) is the parking lot of the ski jump at the Olympic Stadion in Garmisch. As we had booked ourselves into the Partnach Lodge next door, however, we had the benefit of not only free parking but also this incredible view from the balcony of our apartment.

You start the hike into Partnach Gorge by following the Partnach river until you reach the entry gate of the gorge. Access beyond this point is subject to an entry fee that you can either pay at a booth at the gate or you can pre- book your tickets online.

This stunning hike takes you along the Partnach river thundering through the narrow gorge with enormous speed- and at quite a noise level as well! You walk along a rocky path that takes you through dark tunnels and incredible lookouts.

Waterfalls make for spectacular views along the hike. As the water drips from above and pools at your feet along the way suggestion is to wear raincoats and waterproof hiking boots.

Once you emerge from the gorge you have two options: you can turn around before leaving the gates and return the same way you came- this option takes about 1,5 to 2 hours depending on how often you stop for photo opportunities. Option one is not a challenging hike but you should consider foot wear with a good grip as the path gets quite slippery in areas. Alternatively, you exit the gorge at the other end and continue on one of the many hikes along Kochelberg and Eselberg.

We decided to do the latter and hiked uphill to Partnach Alm. You can take a break at the alm but we decided to keep going and descended to the “Eiserne Bruecke” (iron bridge) to get a view of the gorge from above.