Our most recent trip was for Charles' birthday week. We hit the road and visited Garmisch in Germany. It is right near the border with Austria and the funny thing is that the route actually took us partially into Austria. We did not stop anywhere in Austria, so that is still unexplored territory for us.
One of the top attractions in Garmisch is the Gorge. It was a pleasant walk down to the entrance and then once we were inside it was fantastic! It was so cool which was a relief after walking down to it on a warm, sunny day. Although, the hike back out of the gorge had a bit more of an incline that I would prefer. At least by that time some clouds had rolled in. It worked out perfectly because right as we were almost back to the car it started raining. The parking lot was right outside the 1936 winter Olympic stadium so we were able to walk through there at the end, too. It was really cool to be able to see something from that time period.
For lunch on our second day, we visited a place called Waffelhaus. It was nothing like the American Waffle House, thank goodness. I was so surprised to see chicken & waffles on the menu that I had to give it a try! Charles had the strawberry waffle. Both were equally enjoyable. The restaurant had a lovely outdoor patio seating area.
Another food item that I really enjoyed was from the bakery we visited on our first morning. They were from Garmisch's oldest bakery; I had the almond croissant. It was so delicious! I'm still craving another one.
For Charles' birthday, we rode a scary (to me) cable car to the top of the Alpspitze. It is not the highest peak in Germany; that would be Zugspitze, but that was 60 Euros per person for the cable car ride. The cable car up to Alpspitze was only about 30 Euros, so that was a better option for us. We were rewarded with some amazing views! It was the perfect day for it. The weather had been calling for rain all day, but luckily it did not start raining until later in the afternoon.
We stayed at Edelweiss Lodge which is a military resort in Garmisch. The hotel was not at full capacity so some services were not available, but it was lovely and probably less crowded than in normal times! The front lawn had lounge chairs facing the gorgeous view of the mountain. Like our obligatory "relaxing with our feet up" vacation picture? Staying at the resort felt a bit like being on a cruise because they have their own restaurants, pool, gift shop, etc. Everything we bought could be charged to the room which was very convenient. Plus all the staff we interacted with were so friendly! One day we went down for a late lunch and I inquired about the soup of the day. The employee offered to let me taste it to see if I would like it. I am sure they would do that for anyone, but I was really happy with that extra bit of service.
The resort had a small mini golf course that we enjoyed on our first night! We did not keep score, but I think Charles won the first round and I may have done marginally better the second round. Plus those views...!
The hotel had this mural on the wall that we found entertaining. After driving around Garmisch that week, I saw a lot of murals painted on homes. Is that a Bavarian thing? I never did look it up.
We had a great time in Garmisch and I could see going back to experience it in another season. I bet it is beautiful in the fall, too! I read a blog where the author thought Garmisch was lacking some personality or history and fell flat to them. Reading that prior to our visit did lower my expectations a bit, but I was happy with our trip. The scenery alone was worth the visit!
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