Eibsee is a stunning lake in Bavaria, Germany, located near the famous Zugspitze mountain. With its crystal-clear, green-tinted water and surrounded by picturesque landscapes, it's considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the Bavarian Alps.

Eibsee is a wonderful place to visit all year long. The lake is surrounded by a 4.4 mile (7.2 km) walking trail. I recommend walking the trail counter clockwise to reach the best views early in the hike.

In the summer, you can rent pedal boats, bring stand up paddle boards, or find a spot on the shore to picnic and take a refreshing dip. You should expect the water to feel chilly even in summer.

In the winter, Eibsee is just as beautiful covered in snow. Sometimes the lake even freezes over. Please be very careful if you visit in winter. You shouldn’t try to walk out on the ice here, falling through the ice can be deadly.

Getting to Eibsee

By Car

Eibsee shares a parking lot with the Zugspitze cable car. If you’re ambitious, you could visit the Zugspitze in the morning and spend the afternoon at Eibsee.

Pay for parking at the machines before you exit. It is 8 Euros for the first 4 hours, then a euro per hour after that.

In the summer, especially on weekend days, it is important to try and arrive by 10 AM.

On a nice day the parking lot will fill up early and back the traffic up onto the access road.

If you hit a line of traffic while still driving to the lot, that’s a bad sign and you may want to scrap your plans for another time. Try coming back in the late afternoon after some people have left.

By Train

If you want to avoid the parking fees, traffic, or won’t have a car it is possible to get here via the Zugspitzbahn from Garmisch.

The Zugspitzbahn is separate from the DB trains and requires a special ticket which you can buy from the ticket office near the beginning of the line.

Ticket Office:

Olympiastraße 27, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Google Maps

By Bus

To take the bus you will need exact change to buy a ticket on board. You can check the timetable and stops here.

Facilities at Eibsee

There is a restaurant on the lake where you can grab a meal and use the restrooms. If you aren’t eating at the restaurant bring small change to use the restroom (WC).

In the summer there is also a beer garden and an ice cream stand.

A little further back from the lake is the Eibsee Alm restaurant which also has a playground.

Along the lakeside trail you will only find one or two port-a-potties.