Originally two separate towns, Garmisch and Partenkirchen were
merged to host the 1936 Winter Olympic Games; a merger that was not
particularly popular with residents at the time. Since hosting the
final pre-war winter games, the town has grown, and the area
remains a world class-ski resort - the leading winter resort in
Germany. Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosts one of the leading downhill
events on the annual skiing world cup programme on its famously
tricky Kandahar course.
Bavaria's first cable-car was built in Garmisch in 1929, and
four years later the cog railway to the Zugspitz glacier was
constructed. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is much more than a ski resort
- it attracts visitors throughout the year, with hikers, cyclists,
mountain-climbers and ramblers flocking to the town during the
warmer summer months. The town has some fine Baroque churches and
beautiful historic houses, decorated with traditional frescoes.