Der Zugspitze
Today the Zugspitze is a popular tourist destination near the picturesque Alpine ski resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. About half a million tourists and climbers visit the mountain annually, although few are actually on foot - most visitors ride a cogwheel railroad or one of several cable cars to the top, where they can take in views of four countries and sit down to a fine meal amid spectacular scenery. A separate cabin railway also leads to the top from the Austrian town of Ehrwald on the other side of the mountain.
The Zugspitze is moreover a popular daily destination for thousands of skiers during the winter months. But its glacier has been melting in recent years, a sad fate that has befallen stunning glacier-covered peaks around the world due to global warming. In an effort to protect the vanishing glacier, vast expanses of it are covered up by huge mats during summertime.
According to Germany information portal www.deutschland.de, the German Alpine Association, with more than 620,000 members, is one of the largest mountain-climbing associations in the world. It provides "Hüttensuche" (lodge search) information on lodges in all major mountain ranges.
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