The Wetterstein Mountains are home to Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, and offer a rare mix of alpine drama and easy accessibility. Straddling the border of Bavaria and Tyrol, this range delivers everything from gentle valley walks to serious via ferrata routes.

Expect classic Northern Limestone Alps scenery — sheer cliffs, jagged ridgelines, and deep gorges like the famous Partnachklamm. The Zugspitzplatt, a high limestone plateau below the summit, feels almost lunar, while lower slopes are covered in green pastures and spruce forest. Summer hikers cross scree fields and flower-strewn meadows, and in winter the whole massif turns into one of Germany's busiest ski areas.

Highlights:

• Zugspitze (2,962 m) — Germany's highest summit, reachable by cogwheel train, cable car, or climbing routes
• Alpspitze (2,628 m) — a popular peak with scenic via ferratas
• Jubiläumsgrat — a legendary high-alpine ridge connecting Zugspitze and Alpspitze
• Partnachklamm — a dramatic river gorge near Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Practical info:

• Best season: June-September for hiking, December-March for skiing
• Base towns: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald, Ehrwald
• Trail difficulty: from easy valley strolls to demanding via ferratas and alpine ridges
• Getting there: by car or train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then bus or cogwheel railway

Fun fact: the heavily karstified limestone hides numerous caves, and the whole range formed from sediments laid down in a Triassic sea over 200 million years ago.