4. Garmisch Tour

Zugspitze/Germany view to N.E.

We will first drive through the landscape made famous by the Blue Riders before passing the Murnau Moor. Shortly after the moor you will enter the Gap which is the door to the Bavarian Alps.

Garmisch was first settled by the Illyrians in 2000 BC. They later merged with the Celts and in 15 BC, the Romans dominated the area. In early times Partenkirchen and Garmisch were two separate villages; they only joined each other in 1935!

Zugspitze/Eibsee, Germany

Just outside Garmisch-Partenkirchen we will visit Germany’s highest mountain the Zugspitze riding a cable car to 2962 meters above sea level. On a clear day you can see over 150 km! Here I can show several points of natural beauty in the area, including the hidden away ravine of the Partnachklamm.

Zugspitze/Germany view to S.W. with my clients

An unforgettable prize of nature is the Partnach Gorge, a treat the entire year for young and old. Along the way to the cable car that will take us to the top of the mountain, I know of several of nature's gems I will be happy to show you.

John dives with the Mermaid of Badersee

Mermaid of Badersee: Here as always there are many stories about this very beautiful Bronze statue which I made pictures of several years ago while scuba diving in this lake.

In 1849/49 it is said that his Majesty King Ludwig 1st of Bavaria (1786-1868), sank this statue in the lake Badersee where he had planned to build a hunting house; which was never built. It is said that the statue had some resemblance to his beloved Lola Montez.

The story that I am familiar with being a quite different. After the death of King Ludwig the II of Bavaria (1845-1886); his family and the state of Bavaria had very high debts. The statue was ordered by King Ludwig but was never delivered to him or paid for. In order to keep the Bronze statue from being taken by the state of Bavaria or anyone else for that matter, the sculptor sank it in the lake of Badersee; in about 6 meters or 18 ft. of ice cold water. I may add that it is in the middle of the lake near an island making it impossible to take it out. When the nearby hotel has row boats to rent, it is possible to see it from the surface. Unfortunately in the last years the hotel has not offered the rows boats anymore.