Your Guide to Hiking the highest mountain in Germany Zugspitze from Ehrwald

Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany with 2962m/9718ft. There are three main trails to reach the top. The route from Ehrwald (Austria) can be done in one day, it is challenging but does not require a lot of preparation. It takes ~8 hours with a break at the Knorr Hut include to reach the top. It is around 15km/9,3miles and an elevation gain of 2000m/6562ft.

The Best time to hike is between June and August depending on the snow. The trail should be mostly snow free by July, you can check the webcams and the weather report for the conditions.  

1. Preparations and Gear:  

Essential items include:  

• Various clothing layers suitable for changing weather conditions. If the weather is good in the summer, it starts a bit cold but you will get warm really fast. I recommend to bring a Warm sweatshirt and a light jacket against the wind.  
• Hiking shoes, my girlfriend and I both use Adidas Terrex Trailmaker Mid. 
• Sufficient supply of water (at least 2-3 liters) 
• A couple of snacks. You can also buy food and drinks at the Knorr hut (Don’t forget cash) half way up and the summit. 
• A backpack. I use a 30L bag from Deuter. But any bag will due. 
• Hiking poles is a nice to have, but is usually use them. 

2. Route Description:  

The hike can be completed in a day by fit hikers but typically takes around 8 hours. It begins at the Ehrwalder Almbahn in Austria. You can park your car here. If you come as a group with multiple cars, one of you should park their car at the Cable car station where you will come down from the top (Tiroler Zugspitzbahn), so you won´t have to wait for the bus to drive you back to the starting point.

Starting point: 

Ehrwalder Almbahn 

Dr.-Ludwig-Ganghofer-Straße 66, 6632 Ehrwald, Austria 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LePL8DwgcJc6axE96 

The trail then leads through various landscapes, including alpine valleys and grassy slopes, offering stunning photographic opportunities. You will pass the Ehrwalder Alm and then the Hochfeldern Alm, after that ascent becomes more challenging after, with sections requiring sure-footedness, particularly on the steep scree and rock paths towards the first viewpoint.  

The viewpoint is called “Am Brand”, a perfect spot to shoot some pictures and take a break.  

From here the Trail descends slightly into a new valley. Follow it until you reach the border between Austria and Germany. It is called “Gatterl” meaning gate in German. Just open the Gate and step on the German side of the Zugspitze. 

From here you can see your next stop and halfway point the Knorr hut. The trail continues quite flat until the hut, here you can rest and get something to eat and drink before the hardest part of the hike starts.  

The trails continues upwards right outside of the terrace. You will need to cross some snow field depending on the time of the year and often meet a heard of free roaming sheep. The next waypoint is at the glacier gondola station.  

The last part the hardest and most dangerous. If you are too tired or running out of time, you can take the gondola up to the peak. If you decide to continue your adventure, head up the steep scree hill in a zigzag pattern.

 After the scree field short climbing passage will start and continue until you reach the stairs going up to the observation deck of the summit station. Important to note is, right after the reach the top of the stairs, turning left will lead you to your gondola going down back to Austria where you started. Do not take the other lift, if you don't want to end up at the wrong bottom station. If you miss the last gondola to Austria, which stops 1 hour earlier then the German one, then you can take the gondola down to Germany (Eibsee) and get a Taxi back to your starting point. 

At the summit you have the option of visiting the summit cross, I never did it because it is often quite crowded, and you can also take really nice pictures of the observation deck. If you are hungry there are multiple restaurants inside and outside. I recommend the one inside with I nice view of the Eibsee. 

The last act of the day is going back down. Please check when the last gondola leaves. Head back to the stair where the trail ended and turn right, go down the stairs until you reach the ticket office. The lift will bring you to the following station: 

End point: 

Tiroler Zugspitzbahn 

Obermoos 1, 6632 Ehrwald, Austria 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZSuqCpj3arYoi5pi6 

From here you can take the bus back to your stating point where you parked your car. 

3. Safety and Best Practices:

The hike is best attempted during the summer months (June to September) when conditions are safest. It's crucial to start early to complete the hike in one day and catch the last cable car back down. The trail involves a mix of asphalt, dirt road, forested/wild trails, and paths, with a small section of via ferrata. The highest point of the hike is around 2,950 meters, so be prepared for altitude and weather changes.