Our epic 2 week backpacking Germany trip early this summer took us from the northern extremity of the country to the southern most tip during which we were privileged to experience some of the country’s most unique and unusual hostels.
From the island of Wangerooge to the fantastic all inclusive hostel-meets-resort concept in Neuharlingsiel , to the beautiful treehouse hostels of Panarbora in the Bergisches Land and to the final stop of our trip: the stunning dreamy Bavarian ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen where we about to encounter our 4th and final #DJHExtraordinary hostel.
Sabrina photographing some classic idyllic Bavarian countryside porn
Nestled at the foot of Germany’s highest mountain Zugspitz, the train station of Garmisch must count as one of the most scenic train stations in Europe.
The 90 minutes train journey from Munich set the tone as we skimmed past the southern fringe of Lake Starnberg which set against the awe inspiring beauty of the Alps in the distance, really takes your breath away.more classic idyllic Bavarian countryside porn coupled with lots of more misty moody mountains kept our eyes glued to the windows as the train snakes through the valley in between. The presence of these mountains, silent and sage like have an instant calming effect on you. By the time I walk out of the station towards our hostel, I already feel like I’m in a deep zen like meditative state of bliss.
Why you should stay at the moun10 Jugendherberge Hostel Garmisch Partenkirchen
If you are a backpacker that likes combination of natural beauty, lots of hiking trails and an affordable yet stylish base with great facilities , the moun10 hostel is the perfect hostel for you and an ideal base to enjoy the charms of Garmisch Partenkirchen.
The hostel has a very clean minimalist design with a very cosy bar/lounge area where you can order yourself local beers or enjoy a cocktail. Or there’s a nice outdoor terrace for enjoying the views of the mountains. There is a large comfy sofa with lots of pillows, rugs to give you the feeling of almost chilling at home. There’s plenty of books and also great selection of board games to enjoy with the kids.. Natural light floods the interiors via the floor to ceiling windows to give a feeling of being at one with the surrounding nature. Besides the lounge is the breakfast area where as is standard with all Jugendherberge’s, they serve a very filling buffet breakfast.
The rooms are a mix of privates, 4 bed and 6 bed dorms. There are also some family friendly rooms with doubles and also bunk beds-perfect if you are bringing the kids or sharing with friends. All rooms are ensuite and showers are fantastic here. Bed linen is included but there is a €5 fee for towels.
Some rooms have wide windows nooks with big fat cushions to laze on -just grab a book like I did or simply gaze at wonder through the panoramic windows and enjoy the view of the majestic mountain peaks- ‘Zugspitze’, ‘Alpspitze’ and Waxenstein. I loved this feature of the room and how you observe the change in weather moods plus the constant ebb and flow of trains pulling in and out of the station just below the hostel- perfect hostel for train geeks.
The other standout feature of the hostel is the gym and sauna on the 4th floor-perfect after a day on the slopes or hiking the mountains. The fitness area is small- for all the fitness geeks out there they have a Unica Evolution power trainer, Synchro Forma cross trainer, the Bike Forma Ergometer and the Skillrow rowing machine. It is not a bad setup and gyms are such a rarity in hostels so we really took advantage of this during our stay and also the next door sauna which was a fantastic place to relax. As with the lounge area and also with some of the rooms-you can drink in those unforgettable panoramic views of all the 3 major mountain peaks. Hence they call it the Panorama Sauna. The sauna area has lots of reclining chairs to relax in and enjoy the views. There is a fireplace to warm up plus two fountain showers and two classic showers to cool your body after a sauna sitting. The sauna is free to use as long as you bring your own towels.
I loved all 4 of the hostels we visited as part of our #DJHExtraordinary tour but in terms of design, style, comfort and facilities-this was my favourite hostel. I would put this up alongside the Superbude in Hamburg as my favourite design luxury hostel in Germany.
The great thing about the #DJHExtraordinary roadtrip was how we visited some parts of Germany that are not so necessarily popular with tourists outside of the country.
Garmisch is a dreamy little town and we loved wondering its picture postcard pretty streets. Everything is within short walking distance so you can get everywhere by foot.
First few days of the trip it was pretty wet so we were kinda of hostel bound for a bit. However, even in the gloomy weather, the town and the mountains looked magnificent. Here’s a few pictures of a more moody looking Garmisch.
Schloderer Bierstuberl
Top tip: Schloderer Bierstuberl
Schloderer Bierstuberl is the perfect bar to enjoy more of that rustic laid-back Bavarian charm and meet a few local characters. The beer was fantastic. The interiors of the bar lined with beer mugs and glorious vintage posters that recall the golden era of skiing in the area keep your eyes busy as you sup on the delicious local Tegernsee Hell beer-must visit bar if you are in the area.
We had a day of decent weather to pack in the sights: first on our agenda was to visit the awe inspiring Partnach Gorge, a deep gorge cut deep by the thunderous Partnach mountain stream.
It is a good 2 hour hike through the gorge on a path carved into the mountains. In parts awe inspiring and in parts terrifying to observe the sheer force of nature, coming here is definitely an experience and not for the faint hearted. I felt a bit overwhelmed with the narrow path and it was crowded in parts so I turned back after awhile. Sabrina loved it on the other hand-you’ll see parts of the gorge featured in the our video of the hostel and Garmisch Partenkirchen. It was no surprise to learn later that the gorge featured as a film location for the 1979 film Nosferatu the Vampyre.
Unworldly beautiful Eibsee
The highlight of our trip was visiting the unworldly Eibsee.
I don’t think I’ve seen a lake quite as beautiful as Eibsee. It is quite a sight standing by the lake and then looking upto the magnificent Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain. Hard to describe in words this place. Just when you think you’ve seen it all. I’m glad the weather gods smiled on us on our last day in Garmisch-Partenkirchen after 4 days of constant rain, although I’m sure even in the rain & mist, this lake must look beautiful. We were pleasantly surprised to find the lack of tourists – could have been the bad weather keeping people away. Either way, another epic highlight of our #DJHExtraordinary trip.
If you’re backpacking Germany or maybe backpacking Europe, you have to put this city and the Moun10 hostel on your itinerary
So. That’s the end of our #DJHExtraordinary series of posts and videos-we hoped you enjoyed our trip as much as we did. We’re already thinking of another themed hostel trip next year: what could we do next? 🙂
Essentials for visiting the moun10 Jugendherberge Hostel
Booking directly via the Moun10 hostel website, room rates start from €19.90 per night in a dorm, €69 for a single room, €89 for a double room and €169 for a family room ( sleeps 4- double bed for the adults and 2 bed bunk for the kids ) Breakfast is included in the room rates.
With visitor tax you pay as part of your stay at the Moun10 hostel, you get a free GaPaCard which offers you some very cool benefits like free use of local buses , free entry to the local Alpspitz-Wellenbad wave pool plus discounts to some key local attractions like Partnachklamm. More details of all the benefits can be found here.
Visiting Partnachklamm, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Opening Hours to Partnachklamm can vary according to season and also the weather. Please note that the last admission is 30 minutes before closing time. From May to October: 8:00an – 18:00pm , June-September: 6:00am – 22:00pm and from November-April: 9:00am – 18:00pm
Cost of admission is €5 while Kids (aged 6-16) pay just €2. Don’t forget with the GaPaCard you get a €1 discount.
From Garmisch Partenkirchen main train station ( Bus stop is to left when you exit the station and right across the road) take the #1 or #2 bus and get off at Skistadion. From the Skistadion is a very pleasant 2km 30 minute stroll to the entrance of the gorge-you’ll find signs everywhere.
Visiting Eibsee
There is a frequent service between Garmisch and Eibsee. Keep an eye out for the blue EIBSEE bus (commutes between Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grainau and Eibsee) – the bus stop is 100 meters from the lake. Bus is free with your GaPaCard.
Disclaimer
I visited moun10 hostel Garmisch Partenkirchen as part of my #DJHExtraordinary trip with the Jugendherberge aka German Youth Hostel Association. The mission was simple- the challenge to seek some of Germany’s most unusual hostels in some of the country’s not so well known places. You can see more pictures and short videos from the trip on Instagram or Twitter- search for the #DJHExtraordinary. Plus if you are looking for more hostel inspiration from Germany, do checkout our last year’s guide to Castle Hostels across Germany.
