A weekend in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

If I'm jealous of Münchners, that's only because of their beer, bretzels, and most importantly access to nature. Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GaPa, as the locals call it) is just a short train ride away and makes for a perfect base for exploring the Bavarian Alps and practicing winter sports.

So this February we hopped on a train to Munich — to see my brother, but also to spend a nice weekend in the Alps. I was so looking forward to quitting Paris for a few days! To me, February is the most depressing time of the year in Paris: in January I'm still riding the wave of Christmas and New Year's; by March the flowers start to bloom and the days grow long. In February, however, it's dreadful: there's not a single green leaf in sight, the sun barely ever peeks out of the clouds, and by the time I leave the office it's night outside.

Our plan was simple: arrive on Thursday night, and next day take an early train to Garmisch to be there when the ski lifts open, rent a pair of skis and enjoy the day. Then sleep over in the town, and in the morning go for a hike and be in Munich by dinner. The idea was to ski on Friday when the slopes are less busy, then hike on Saturday.

For some reason I didn't get to sleep very well the night before, so when we dropped our bags at my brother's place on Thursday night I was so tired that at first I couldn't fall asleep. This made next morning's 6 a.m. alarm even more unpleasant. We got to the main train station, grabbed some snacks, and headed to GaPa.

But when I saw the snow, I forgot all the tiredness. I was very excited to try skiing again (I snowboarded for years, but only spent a few days on skis in my life), and seeing a fresh coat on the hills shrouded in clouds was electrifying.

The skiing was a blast. Staying upright on skis is exciting in itself at my skill level, so it was nice to see that I can still ride for a few hours mostly without falling. The visibility wasn't great, but the cold temperature and the snow flurries ensured a good covering. My brother, also a beginner, was doing very well; Anna rented ski blades to be able to enjoy the day on the bunny slopes with us. When we got cold, we stopped in the big hut for a Kaiserschmarrn and a pint.

After a successful day of skiing, we had a small adventure with lost luggage (Airtags saved the day) and checked into our hotel, which I can wholeheartedly recommend. The breakfast is pretty great, the location was perfect for walking to the town center for dinner, but most importantly there's a big spa — perfect after a day of skiing!

The next day the clouds were gone, and the warm morning sun shining on the fresh snow was even more beautiful after a good night of sleep.

We walked through the beautiful town to the cable car, admired the view of the valley in the snow, and then walked for a couple of hours through the hills and forests, in pristine Bavarian nature. Peace and quiet, only the snow crackling under our feet breaking the silence.

Then came a late lunch in Elmauer Alm-Hütte. We discovered this family-run hut last summer, and were happy to find a spot next to some friendly Germans. Let me tell you, they got even friendlier after we offered them some schnapps. And in a case of instant karma, the hosts offered us a free beer. Perfect to finish our second Kaiserschmarrn of the day.

After beers and schnapps, the hike down to the valley was even more cheerful. We chose to extend it by skipping the cabin lift, and that was a perfect decision — we arrived on the train by the sunset.

We spent Sunday walking in Munich (with a dusting of snow, too!) and headed back home on the early morning train on Monday.

Thank you, Bavaria, for recharging my batteries, for the perfect weather, and the delicious food. I can't wait to come again.

Shot on Leica M11 / Apo-Summicron-M 35mm, iPhone 16 Pro, and Rollei 35S