Day Trip to Lake Eibsee
My second German lake
On my second full day in Germany, I took an adventurous day trip to Lake Eibsee, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Bavarian Alps. Getting there involved three trains (U-bahn to the central train station, central station to Garmish-Partenkirchen, and GP to Eibsee) plus one bus, though the bus ride was a “bonus.” 🙈 (More on that below.) Total travel time one way: 2 hours! 😲
I don’t typically try to bite off so much travel in such a short amount of time, but I was only in Munich several nights and really wanted to see this area. And yes, after the Königssee side trip, I was a little apprehensive that this could also be lackluster. But I’m realizing that it’s not just about the destination, but also about the journey and what I learn along the way, including about myself.
Well, I learned that the journey from Munich to Eibsee on public transit is long and a bit confusing—especially if you miss a key announcement in German 🤪 about changing trains in Grainau—but so, so beautiful. In the spring, you go through open fields of green, with stunning snow-capped mountains in the distance, past lakes and towns with traditional German houses. The landscape was heavenly [click to watch video short] and made me feel like I had gotten to see a swath of Bavaria. If I had never made it to Eibsee, I could’ve been happy with the train ride and the stop to explore Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which many people visit as a destination all on its own.
I also learned that I can, in fact, keep a cool head when I miss a connecting train and adapt on the fly (i.e., ask for help and take a bus for the last leg of the journey instead of waiting an hour for the next train). If I think back to the train fiasco in Kyoto, a few things were different this time that worked in my favor:
I wasn’t trying to do the trip just before leaving the country (I learned!)
It was just me, so I didn’t have to factor in the impact on others (i.e., the girls)
While language issues were at play, I was able to get clear help in English
I got much farther into the journey before having a mishap, so I was able to start enjoying the journey and pull from that reservoir of enjoyment when I hit a speed bump, so to speak
Because I missed the train change and caught a bus instead, I arrived at Lake Eibsee a bit later than anticipated, so I opted to walk just along the north side and then back rather than try to do the whole loop, which takes about 2 hours. No regrets because I chose the side with the best views of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain peak.*
And, miraculously, as I got to the lake and started walking, the sky turned from gray to blue and the sun popped out. It was absolutely gorgeous. The lake and the trees and the mountains reminded me a bit of Lake Tahoe and also of Turquoise Lake in Colorado. It was definitely my kind of place.
I think the family would’ve enjoyed being there, but perhaps not getting there. It would’ve been too much as a day trip. And that’s why I’m glad I went alone! But I would love to bring them at some point. We would need to stay overnight in the area, probably for a couple of nights, to make it worth our while.
Personally, I’d love to run or hike some of the other trails in the area. The path around the lake was pretty, but very tame. I may or may not have started looking up trail races on my way back to Munich, LOL. It’s always good to plan for the future!
I stopped in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to explore before heading back to Munich. The Garmisch side (west of the railroad) has the fun retail shops and cafes. The Partenkirchen side (east of the railroad) has the more local flair, with the painted buildings and jaw-dropping views of the snow-capped mountains everywhere you turn. In many ways, it felt like being in Aspen, down to the plethora of outdoor gear-related shops and high prices to boot.
I had planned to grab dinner and then catch the train back, but I didn’t see a lot of great options on the Partenkirchen side and I was exhausted and dreaming of a shower, so I opted for a German pretzel to tide me over and I hoofed it back to catch the 6:05pm train. The good news is that there were no train mishaps on the return trip. In fact, the views were even more beautiful than the morning because the sun was out.
By the time I transferred to the U-bahn and got back to the apartment/hotel, it was about 8pm. I had left at 10am. Like I said, it was a long day, but I’m glad it all worked out, train mishap aside.
Things to know if you ever consider a similar day trip from Munich to Lake Eibsee (or surrounding area)
The Munich central train station is quite large; give yourself time to navigate it, especially if transferring from the underground. It can take 10-12 minutes to walk from the U-bahn to the train station, and that’s if you know where you’re going.
If your train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen is already waiting at the platform, you can press the button on the doors to go ahead and board. Don’t stand there like a dodo like I did.
The better views are out the right-hand side of the train, but you’ll have nice views no matter what. Pick somewhere you feel comfortable, as the main rail journey will take about 90 minutes.
If you are continuing on from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the Zugspitze or Lake Eibsee, you must get off the train, exit the train station (go west), and walk 5-10 minutes to the specific Zugspitze railway, where you purchase a separate ticket. The trains are timed, so if you go directly there, you won’t have to wait long to depart. The train ride to Eibsee is ~30 minutes.
You may need to change trains at the Grainau stop, which is one stop prior to Eibsee. If you see a bunch of people getting off the train, follow them across the platform and board the other train, which will be waiting.
If you miss the train like I did because you got off the train too late (since you didn’t know you needed to change), don’t panic. Ask for directions to the bus stop; there’s a good chance the next bus going to Eibsee will come before the next train. But you can also just tootle around Grainau and wait for the next train. Either way you’ll get to Eibsee, and the scenery is beautiful.
If you don’t have the time or inclination to walk all the way around Lake Eibsee (they say you should allow 2 hours), then head for the north side, which starts behind the hotel. [Fun fact, the hotel owns the lake; it’s not government-protected land.] You’ll have lovely views of the mountains and the Zugspitze from the northern side.
Be sure you know when the last train from Eibsee leaves; you don’t want to miss it. When I visited in spring, it was just after 5pm, so it’s not as late as you may think.
Do spend some time walking around Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The trains back to Munich leave from there as late as 11pm, so it’s better to visit after you’ve done Eibsee (and/or the Zugspitze) than before.
Have you been to this area of Germany? What did you appreciate about it and what should I do if/when I go back?
*Yes, I could’ve gone to the top of the Zugspitze, but opted to skip it because I have a fear of heights and it is a dramatic, very exposed ride up to the top; I would’ve needed moral support to do it. More realistically, I would’ve needed to ride the train up (the same one I missed connecting to, LOL) and that adds quite a bit of time. So it will have to be a future opportunity and I made peace with that before I even went on this day trip.