Garmisch: Place of Adventures

Being a military child, I get the opportunity to travel quite a bit. I have visited all over the world, lived in exciting places, and taken many vacations to places I never thought I would. Out of all the vacations that I have taken, my favorite was to Garmisch, Germany. It was five years ago, in 2007, and I was twelve at the time.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of that vacation, was the cabin we stayed in. The cabins are a part of the Edelweiss Lodge. It was very cozy, and made you feel at home.

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The Lodge itself was extremely nice; with a pool, restaurants, a large fireplace, a comfortable lobby, internet cafés, an arcade, and much more. The Lodge was great, but we were rarely there because of all the things to do. There were so many things to do in Garmisch that we could have gone back four more times, and still not done everything.  

Towards the beginning of the week, we went to Zugspitze Mountain. It is the highest peak in Germany, located in the German Alps, and from that peak, you can see four different countries: Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. There are a few ways to reach the peak, but we decided on taking the cable car, which has a drop of 400 feet at one point. It was a nice ride, and the scenery, which included a crystal blue lake at the bottom, was breathtaking. Once you reach the peak, there is a range of things from sitting and enjoying a nice meal, to climbing, snowboarding, skiing, or hiking.

We also visited the Partnachklamm Gorge, which was created by a river between two mountains.  This gorge was simply beautiful. There is a path following the river which leads to trails that take you deeper into the Alps.  If you choose to stop and look at the water, you can occasionally see a variety of fish swimming. The rock walls are coated with colors, and sparkle when the light hits it, adding to the beauty of this gorge.

For those with children, the Edelweiss Lodge provides a service, Just for Kids, which my parents took advantage of. This Just for Kids program is for children between the ages of five and twelve, and is a blast. My parents dropped us off at the kid’s room, and there was so much to do. We could play video games, dodge ball, kick ball, or anything else we wanted. After a while, the advisors took us on the daily activity. The day we went, we went to a reptile house, where we saw many types of snakes and spiders. They even had a Boa Constrictor that we got to pet. The Reptile House is not the only fun activity. They can also take you on nature walks, boat rides, and hikes.

The Lodge also provides many activities for adults and families, such as horse rides, indoor rock climbing, going to the zoo, golfing, and much more. For the more adventurous types, Edelweiss offers paragliding, rock climbing, snowboarding, white water rafting, and mountain biking. Garmisch is also very close to popular castles- including the one Disney’s Cinderella castle is modeled after- Neuschwanstein.  

In my opinion, Garmisch shows some of Germany’s true beauty. Edelweiss offers the chance to get out and experience it, either on your own, or by booking tours through the Lodge.