Culture Highlights in Zugspitze Area

The ruins of the Werdenfels Castle are enthroned 80 m above the Loisach valley floor between Garmisch and Farchant. 

The Aschenbrenner Museum in Garmisch-Partenkirchen owns an extensive collection of porcelain, dolls and traditional Christmas cribs. The porcelain objects exhibited at the museum document the exciting history of porcelain as a means of politics. 

The Werdenfels Museum was founded as early as 1895 to present the history and culture of the Werdenfels County to the broad public.

The ski jumping hill served as the regular location of the New Year’s ski jumping contest already from 1921.

If you arrive to Grainau from Austria, you would notice the massive fortress that belongs to the castle ensemble in Ehrenberg.

The main collection of the Murnau Castle Museum (Schlossmuseum Murnau) features the works of Gabriele Münter, including over 80 paintings, drawings and graphics. Other collections include 'The New Munich Artists‘ Association' and 'The Blue Rider' with multiple works of Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc and other artists. Another focus is 19th century painting.

The museum offers interesting short-term exhibitions during the whole year. (Link in German.)

Visit Murnau Castle Museum

The Münter House once belonged to Gabriele Münter. She and Wassily Kandinsky often stayed in the house. They designed the interiors, layed out the garden and painted the furniture using their own sketches. The house provides interesting insights into the life of both artists, it is a monument to their art and has been restored to the original interior from 1909-1914.

Here you can discover multiple paintings, graphics, reverse glass paintings and other works of Kandinsky and Münter, as well as samples of the folk arts they were collecting.

Visit Münter House

The dominant Benedictine abbey in the village of Ettal is an international touristic attraction. The foundation of the monastery by the Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian dates back to 1330. 

If you love cheese, don't miss this small dairy production site in Ettal. The facility (the official name is Schaukäserei Ammergauer Alpen) produces a number of local cheese varieties like ‚Ettaler Manndl‘ Cheese (named after the local mountain peak), Bierkäse (‚Beer Cheese‘), Uriger Ammertaler (‚Ancient Ammer Valley Cheese‘) or Ettaler Klosterkäse (‚Ettal Monastery Cheese‘).

You can watch the production process and buy some cheese, to enjoy at the local cafe or later on a hiking or biking tour.

Visit Ettal Cheese Production Site

Linderhof Castle is located 11 kilometers from Ettal. It is the smallest one of the three castles built by the Bavarian king Ludwig II. and the only one that was completed during his lifetime.

Linderhof was the favourite castle of the ‚Fairytale King‘ and he often stayed there. The enclosed garten and park area with other notable buildings make an ensemble with the castle and are worth a visit as well.

The castle itself is only open for guided tour visitors.

Visit Linderhof Castle 

The neighbouring town of Mittenwald is the centre of violin manufacturing. Up to these days it is home to a dozen violin makers. The state school for violin making located in Mittenwald is the only one in Bavaria and one of two schools in Germany.

The museum is focused on the long tradition of artisan work kept by the violin makers. The exhibition comprises more than 200 violins and other string instruments. You can also watch the violin making process in a show workshop.

Visit The Violin Making Museum

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) in the outskirts of Steingaden is one of the most visited churches in Germany. This splendid rococo jewel was listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 1983.

This water storage power plant is an industrial monument constructed in 1924, and it remains one of the biggest objects of this kind in Germany. The power plant at Lake Walchensee is truly the birthplace of industrial power generation in Bavaria and it is open for public.

Visitors at the information centre learn everything on how power is delivered to the power socket, as well as everything around water power and the Walchensee Power Plant. A must-see for everyone interested in technology.

Visit Power Plant

Franz Marc was an outstanding expressionist and he lived in Kochel am See. The museum owns a huge collection of German expressionist paintings and after-war abstract art.

The art of the ‚Blue Rider‘ group is represented here as well. Exhibitions change many times a year.

Visit Franz Marc Museum

In this unique open-sky museum you can encounter the Bavarian tradition and see historic buildings, that have been reconstructed on a huge terrain together with gartens, pastures and woods in the picturesque surroundings of Großweil.

Day Trip: Experience Bavarian Tradition At Glentleiten Museum

Here at the Hoher Peißenberg you would discover not only the beautiful pilgrimage church dating back to the 17 century, but also the world’s oldest observatory, that was founded by the Prince-Elector Maximilian Joseph III, Duke of Bavaria.

The castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau belong to the must-see list in Germany, and they are just a 45 minutes‘ drive from Grainau. The fairytale castle of King Ludwig II. and the castle of his father King Maximilian II. can be visited within one day, since they are located very close to each other.