Also known as the “panoramic mountain,” Mount Wank in Garmisch-Partenkirchen has the best name ever. It stands at 1,780m opposite Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze. On a sunny day, the sweeping views of the town below, Zugspitze and the surrounding mountain range are magnificent.
How To Get To Mount Wank
First, you’ll need to get to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Most tourists can take the Zugspitzbahnhof train or the Zahnradbahn cog railway. The Zahnradbahn is free if you received a Gastekärte from your accommodations.
The bus station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is next to the train station. You can take bus #9606 or #5 and get off at Friedhof Partenkirchen. The bus ride takes about fifteen minutes and it’s another six-minute walk from the bus stop to the Wankbahn.
Personally, I would walk from the train station. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a cute little town that’s easy to walk around in. It will take about thirty minutes to walk to Mount Wank. Head across the Partnach River and follow the signs to Mount Wank or the Wankbahn. Once you get closer to the mountain, look for a trail called the Philosopher’s Walk (Philosophenweg) that you can take directly to the Wankbahn.
Ticket Price of Mount Wank
There is no admission fee for Mount Wank. The tickets are for the Wankbahn cable car to take you up and down. We paid €26 for a round-trip, which seems to be the standard summer price. If you only want to go halfway up the mountain, the cost is between €14 and €20 to get to the middle station. There are discounts for youths (16 – 18 years), children (6 – 15 years) and families.
You can also hike up Mount Wank, and I’m pretty sure you can do this for free. You’ll avoid the Wankbahn costs, but the journey looks seriously gruelling. It’s a zigzagging path almost a thousand metres in altitude from the base station. We could see the trail and hikers while on the cable car, and they all had a long walk ahead of them. One idea is to hike from the middle station to save costs and get some extra exercise.
Opening Hours of Mount Wank
The Wankbahn’s first ascent is at 8:45 am, and the last is 4:30 pm. Visitors can hike up or down the mountain outside of these times. There is a middle station where the Wankbahn slows down for passengers to disembark. Most likely, you have bought a full-price ticket to the mountain summit, so stay seated during this part.
The last cable car down is at 5 pm, but if you’re one of the few people left at the summit, you might be pressured to leave so the staff can go home early too. It was only about 4:30 pm when someone politely waved us towards the cable car station.
What to Do at Mount Wank
Unlike other mountains in the area, Wank isn’t a place for winter activities like skiing or tobogganing. Mount Wank is primarily a hiking destination. Many tourists do the various trails up the mountain, starting from the base or the middle station. These hikes are between 3.5km to over 9km for a one-way journey. A popular trail stop at Wankbahn’s middle station is Eckenhütte, a picturesque meadow halfway up the mountain. You can see all the hikes at Mount Wank here.
Once you’re at the top of Wank Mountain, there is one panorama trail that loops around the peak. The website says it takes one hour, but I would plan for more time. Be careful not to take the wrong path. There are other trails along the mountain ridge, but they are not a circular route. You will be moving away from Mount Wank towards the next mountain peak if you accidentally take a wrong turn.
If you would rather take it easy, there’s not much else to do at the top of Wank except enjoy the view from a bench, lounger or one of the restaurants. There’s a toilet here if you turn left once you exit the cable car building.
Around the other side of the cable car building, there is a winding trail up the small hill to some benches with a breathtaking view of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Zugspitze on a clear day. There are no barriers aside from a line of trees, which is great for pictures.
Past the Wankhaus restaurant at the top of the hill, there is a small viewing platform with a cross and golden Jesus. The view is worse here with a metal signal tower in the way. There’s not much else in this direction aside from some private cabins.
Restaurants at Mount Wank
Wankstüberl
All of the restaurants at Mount Wank primarily feature Bavarian cuisine. The first restaurant is Wankstüberl. It is at the base of the mountain next to the Wankbahn ticketing desk.
Sonnenalm
At the summit, there are two more places to eat. Sonnenalm is the one advertised on the official Mount Wank website. It is located at the cable car station and boasts a rooftop deck, but it is only open during certain months. We were not allowed to dine out there during our visit, and the inside of the restaurant looked dead and uninviting.
“Breakfast on Mount Wank” is a Sonnenalm exclusive where guests can start their day with a hearty breakfast, a newspaper and the spectacular view the restaurant has to offer. This special event is available between April to October from 9 am to 11 am. It costs €32 for adults and includes the Wankbahn cable car fee.
Wankhaus
Wankhaus is a much lesser-known restaurant that only shows up on Google Maps. You’ll easily be able to spot Wankhaus on the hill once you arrive at the summit. They also have a patio that faces in a different direction than the one at Sonnenalm. Again, we weren’t allowed to sit out there, and the staff’s English was too rudimentary to tell us why. Most likely, they didn’t want to bother servicing the tables out there, so if you’re visiting during the off-season, you’ll be stuck sitting inside at either restaurant.
Wankhaus, comparatively, was very bright and cosy. We still got a decent view through the windows, and the restaurant was completely fine with us going onto the deck to take pictures. We spent a couple of hours at Wankhaus enjoying a few beers and a light snack.
Click on menu pictures to enlarge
Saturday Worthy?
If you’re into hiking and have the capability for the more demanding hikes, Mount Wank is the one to choose. For non-hikers, Mount Wank is a decent alternative if you can’t afford the cost of visiting Zugspitze. Wank is a much more low-key attraction. You probably won’t have to come ridiculously early to beat the crowd. It also makes for a funny story to tell all your friends that you had a blast at Wank Mountain!
Although I had a wonderful time at Mount Wank and don’t regret coming here, I think that a visit is not necessary if you’ve also visited Zugspitze on a clear day. You won’t see anything much different or better at Wank that you wouldn’t have seen at Zugspitze. However, one must keep in mind that the biggest advantage that Wank has over Zugspitze is that it has a view of Zugspitze itself from across the valley.
