High Above Europe at the Zugspitze in Germany

I'm terrified of heights.

And the Zugspitze is Germany's answer to being at the tippy top of it all, as Germany's highest peak. While this idea is nothing to laugh at, it's also not so terrifying once you've reached the top. The journey up, though, is the real nail biter - a sheer ride up the face of the intimidating mountain, filled with beautiful and jaw dropping scenery, if you can take a moment to suspend all the fear running through your veins and appreciate the views around you.

And I could, if only in bits and spurts. But in those moments of calm, I was able to see a stunning side to the country so many of my relatives came to the US from, and gather a greater appreciation of a place that feels like home, even if it is so novel and new to me.

Whether you're fine scaling a tall mountain or terrified of heights (hi!), it's well worth the effort to ascend to the very ceiling of Germany, to gaze below at both Austria and Deutschland, all at the very top of the Zugspitze.

Let's go check it out.

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Can I tell you a secret?

The way we accessed the tallest part of Germany was not through Germany at all - but through Austria.

This was a tip discovered by one of our friends and fellow traveller, who in her research had found that accessing the Zugspitze by ascending through Austria was an infinitely less crowded and more enjoyable experience. While I can't comment on how busy the German side might have been, the Austrian ascent was like a breeze - no crowds, no struggles, just hop on the gondola, and away you go.

The previous day we had visited Neuschwanstein Castle, and had stayed the night near Reutte, Austria, at which we would totally recommend. This made the next day's venture to the Austrian side of the Zugspitze nice and easy.

We took some time to look through the various exhibits before heading up to the top of the mountain.

The maps were helpful in getting some context of the local environment, and the different ways you could explore the mountain in the various seasons.

While I refer to what we took up as a gondola, the company that operates these vehicles refers to them as a "cable railway."

Whatever they are called, once aboard, you are magically whisked away to the tippy top of the neighboring country of Germany. In about 10 minutes time, you gain 1,725 meters, or about 5,600 feet. Not too shabby!

Each car can hold up to 100 people, but as you can see from above, we had plenty of space to spread out.

As you ascend, the views outside are incredibly beautiful, if not slightly terrifying.

One member of our group had talked about potentially hiking her way up there. If this is your cup of tea, there are trails leading to the top. Me? I'm much happier in the gondola/cable car.

It was a bit of a surreal moment to be on my way to the top of Germany with my friends and relatives, but here we all were!

During the 10 minute ride up to the top, you leave behind the tree line and eventually see only the sheer limestone cliffs. And even though it was July, there were still pockets of snow to be found.

The entire ride is only supported by 3 pylons, from valley to summit, one of which you can see below.

Below, we pass by what I am assuming is the old "middle station" that became decommissioned once the newer cable train was finished.

Finally, we made it to the summit, and I could relax knowing that I had survived the ride up.

Once reaching the apex, it was time to walk around and enjoy the beautiful vistas from up high.

Because the Zugspitze sits on the border of two countries, we entered from Austria and took a few extra steps to enter Germany through the Bayern region.

Once comfortably on the German side, we had chances to enjoy a bite to eat, as well as partake in some drinks. However, because it was flipping freezing up there, I opted for a warm cup of hot chocolate. This proved to be a great choice, especially as it began snowing shortly thereafter - in July!

And because we were in Germany, I had to grab a wurst!

There are worse (wurst?) ways to spend an afternoon!

Now, I've been quite clear about my fear of heights, but some members of our party, namely the ones who had been debating about hiking up the mountain, wanted to make a pilgrimage to the actual summit of the mountain. I was content with not being at the very tippy top, but close enough, but for those more adventurous than I, you can take your life in your hands by taking a few more steps along a sheer cliff.

Below, you can see my cousin and my bestie begin their attempt to scale to the very top of this mountain. In old photo albums, we had seen pictures of different relatives who had done the same thing a generation or two ago. This inspired these two, while I looked on with appreciation (and more than just a little trepidation on their behalves).

Off they go!

😳

Almost there!

And they did it! It was very hard to get a picture of them at the summit alone, but here is the proof that they made it. Now, who knows what future generations of our family will be inspired by their climb to this very spot some 20-30 years from now?

We started losing visibility as the snow continued to descend upon us.

Once our two brave comrades rejoined us, we decided it was time to take a short ramble back over to Austria before taking the cable car back to the valley floor.

(I have been looking up these posters so that I could buy one for myself since I absolutely adore vintage travel posters, and am having absolute zero luck - if anyone could point me in the right direction, you will have my eternal gratitude!).

It was time for one last warm drink before it was time to bid Auf Wiedersehen to the mountain.

Same as the way up, we had a pretty open car on the way back down, with a lot less visibility.

Once we reached the valley floor, we opted for a quick bite to eat at Restaurant Golfino, located within a local golf course, before we would head over to our final stop in our German family reunion tour, Munich.

There, we each enjoyed a warm cup of tea as well as a delicious cup of soup.

It wouldn't be our last meal together on this trip, but it was a great opportunity to spend some relaxing time together before we would all head our separate ways the next day. To have finally completed something we had discussed for many years felt quite rewarding. As I write this, Ben and I are planning a trip to this same mountain next month (November 2025), where I will once again test my fear of heights mettle. Don't worry, I won't be tempted to climb to the apex like my friend and cousin did. But being able to complete this experience with family and friends was something that will stay with me, and I look forward to our next adventures conquering fears and traveling the world together.

Until then, tchüss!

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Zugspitze Context

While the Zugspitze is located in Germany, you can access it through two different countries. As noted above, we visited the mountain via Austria through the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, which was uncrowded and less expensive than its German counterpart, which does feature a cogwheel train. Click on each link to learn more about departure times as well as current prices.

The mountain is open all year and includes a variety of things to do, including skiing and other mountaineering activities. Note that even in the summer months, it was chilly at the top and even snowed. Be sure to bring and wear warm clothing all year round.

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Day of travel: July 11th, 2019