My wife and I will be visiting Bavaria later this month and are trying to decide whether to stay in Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Mittenwald. I would appreciate some advice from any Fodorites who have been to both places.
Thank you.
Kilsherry

How long are you staying for? And how do you like to spend your time?

We will be staying for 1 week and intend to spend our time hiking and sightseeing.

There's a bit more to do from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with hikes radiating out in all directions at all levels of difficulty. More restaurants, more activity.

In particular, the day hike from Garmisch to Mittenwald is really beautiful and relatively easy (after the first half hour), although it is long. You can stop for lunch along the way at one of a few places.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi kilsherry,

I spent a month in an apartment in Mittenwald about a year ago, and I got into Garmisch-Partenkirchen about once or twice a week.

I think you should choose Mittenwald if you like a slow-paced and laid-back type of life. There is only one short main street in town, lined with cafes and boutiques. And that's about it! I spent two-three days hiking every week.

You should choose Garmisch-Partenkirchen if you like the bustle and activity of a large town/small city. There is always traffic on the streets and lots of folks milling about on the sidewalks, etc. There are lots of shops and restaurants, and you can walk for miles and miles and never run out of cafes and shops.

Good luck -- you can't really make the wrong decision imo!

s

I agree with GapYear, GAP is larger and has more to do and still has oodles of charm. We spent a week there over New Years three or four years ago and certainly never ran out of things to do. Lots of wonderful places to day trip to. You'll love it. If you haven't picked a place to stay, let me plug my favorite little place, Hotel Edelwiess, not to be confused with the large hotel operated by the US Army nearby. It's family operated and completely charming. Let me know if you want more info, I can probably find their website for you.

Mittenwald is a nicer, more a traditional Bavarian village. If you have to rely on your own two feet to get around, Mittenwald is a great spot for hiking since you won't need long to leave the town behind you.

Garmisch is more a city and has more restaurants, shops, etc. Being the county seat it offers more connections for day trips if you have to rely on public transportation, or if you want to explore the region. Trains to Reutte/Tirol through the Außerfern valley, buses to Ettal monestary/ Linderhof palace, cog wheel and cable car up to Zugspitze mountain.

Both Garmisch and Mittenwald are on the same railway line from Munich to Innsbruck, so day trips to both cities are likewise easy to do.

Thank you all very much for your advice. It sounds as though we cant' go wrong in choosing either place, as both sound lovely. We might split our time between the two and have 4 nights at each place.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my post.
Kilsherry