A trip with my dog to Eibsee (Grainau)

While on vacation in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, I took a trip with my dog to the Eibsee in Grainau. It is an excellent place for taking a walk around a lake with an absolutely gorgeous mountain panorama in the background.

If you are looking to spend a few days in the region, do check out my post on where to stay in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with a dog – I can recommend the hotel I stayed at. It also offers a gorgeous mountain panorama with breathtaking views.

THE ROUTE

The circular trail around Eibsee starts from the parking lot at Eibsee Hotel. Parking costs 8 EUR for 4 hours, but there are also some free parking spots available at the side of the road just before reaching the top.

This is one of the prettiest walks I’ve taken in my life. I struggled to pick out the photos for this article because there were so many beautiful views along the way that it’s hard to pick a favorite.

Depending on what time of year you go, make sure to come prepared for varying weather as it can change fast. During my walk, I experienced clear views with sun, medium snowfall as well as fog. The upside of this is that you don’t need to be disheartened if the views aren’t fully clear when you arrive. It may well change as you make the lap around the lake.

Your pup is sure to love this walk too. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities to get down to the lake and get your paws wet.

My dog certainly took full advantage of this. The water was ice cold, but she did not mind one bit.

If I had let her, she probably would have gone for a full-on swim. Either way, she had a lot of fun playing in the water and running along the rocky beaches!

On the other side of the trail, the terrain is more foresty with plenty of grass, trees and stones to explore.

This was also a favorite with my pup. She loved climbing up and down the side of the trail and getting to know everything along the way.

Aside from the main panorama, you will also come across a few smaller lakes along the way.

These are also worth a look and in my view they can sometimes be even prettier than the main lake. But you be the judge!

We went on a Sunday in April, so while it was not packed we did encounter plenty of other day-trippers as well of plenty of people taking the walk with their dog.

If you are looking to have a quieter time, I would suggest coming during the week or early in the morning. The parking lot also offers an early bird discount from 05:30 – 09:30am.

HOW LONG IT TAKES AND WHO IT’S FOR

It took us around 3 hours to make the full lap at a very leisurely pace. This route is often advertised to take just 2 hours, but if your dog likes to sniff around and you want to take a few breaks to play in the water or have a snack, I would budget 3 hours just to be safe.

This is an easy walk that is suitable for almost any pup and human. There are very few steeper parts and I saw plenty of people walking with a pram too. It is also possible to cycle around the lake instead of walking.

THE BOTTOM LINE

To me, this is a must-do if you are in the area. The views are absolutely breathtaking and it is a really nice and dog friendly route with lots to explore for your pup. Don’t miss this one!

Bonus tip: If you are keen to take your pup to the top of the world, the Zugspitzbahn also leaves from Parkplatz Eibsee and you can take your dog along! Roundtrip tickets are 63 EUR for an adult and 6 EUR for a dog.