Day 9: Zugspitztag!! (mit Eibsee)

 Day 9: Zugspitze and Eibsee

By Molly and Lia

Tuesday 7/9

Today was Zugspitztag!!! We started out our day at 7:30 for breakfast and walked to the train that takes us to the Zugspitze. We got our entrance cards that allow us to gain access to and from the mountain, without them we might have been stuck on it (not that that’s a problem)! We first landed at what Frau Bauerlein calls the “fake summit” which consisted of a delicious cafe and outdoor restaurant. We first stepped outside to inches of new snow and freezing cold air! Everyone got to go sledding, which was super fun as a result of the fluffy new snow! It wouldn’t be a German class experience without some fun, so a “little”snowball fight took place. We managed to have only one minor injury😉. 

Following that we got to go from fake summit to the tip top of the Zugspitze! This was super fun getting to see the famous gold cross at the top and we even got to walk across the border into Austria! With lots of wind and snow we couldn’t quite see the amazing Alps all around us, but we still got to make good memories with friends. We also got to indulge in some delicious food from the fantastic restaurant at the top. (Editors’ note: Danke, Bavarian Club Edelweiss!)

Following our great trip up to 8,000 feet, we traveled partway back down the mountain, this time by cablecar, where we got to swim in the Eibsee. Regardless of the cold air the water was just as fun.

The water of the Eibsee is fully clear, with some parts being a very light blue and other parts being a little bit darker. Being able to swim in the crystal clear water after being at the top of the zugspitze was really incredible. As we were playing in the water, the clouds cleared and we could see the mountains towering above us. The Eibsee is very pretty, but the zugspitze in the background made the view even more amazing. Knowing that we were up there just a few hours ago in very cold weather but now we are swimming at the base of the mountain was truly incredible. After a long day, it is safe Zugspitztag was a blast!!