Eibsee

Name: Eibsee
Address: Seeweg 2, Grainau, Grainau, DE

Lakes ·Grainau ·Open now

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About

Eibsee is a mountain lake in Grainau, Germany, 9 km southwest of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, at the northern foot of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain.

More photos 11

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Eibsee — Alpenbühl island in the Eibsee, ringed by bright turquoise water

Ekki3 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited

Eibsee — Small wooded island in vivid turquoise water along the Eibsee shore

Eibsee — Aerial view of the Eibsee among forested Alpine mountains

Eibsee — Eibsee reflecting the pink glow of the Zugspitze at dusk

Eibsee — Eibsee and distant mountains seen through evergreen trees

Eibsee — Eibsee beyond a forested slope, framed by tall trees

Eibsee — Quiet Eibsee shoreline beneath a low ridge of forested mountains

Eibsee — Eibsee beneath cloud-covered Alpine peaks, seen from the shore

Eibsee — Snowy Eibsee shoreline and islands beneath the Zugspitze

Eibsee — Snow-covered Eibsee and trees in a winter snowfall

Eibsee — Historic engraving of Eibsee village beneath the Zugspitze

Why go

Eight to nine small islands dot the northern shore; they and the shallows are geologically younger than the lake basin.
When water is low, see the flow from Weitsee into Untersee beneath the small bridge between the basins.

Opening hours

Today00:00 – 23:59Show all

Monday00:00 – 23:59

Tuesday00:00 – 23:59

Wednesday00:00 – 23:59

Thursday00:00 – 23:59

Friday00:00 – 23:59

Saturday00:00 – 23:59

Sunday00:00 – 23:59

Season and conditions

Open 24 hours every day.
In 2025, 16 people who fell through the ice were rescued from the lake.
In 2026, the water level reached its lowest recorded point since measurements began in 2008, and the ridge between Weitsee and Untersee became completely dry.

Photo spots

Eibsee from the Zugspitze routesThe Zugspitze cable car and Bavarian Zugspitze Railway offer views over Eibsee on their routes up the mountain.On the Zugspitze cable car or Bavarian Zugspitze Railway route

Shorts

History

The prehistoric landslide covered 13 square kilometres and moved about 350 million cubic metres of material. Eibsee later hosted sled and skijoring races; from 1929, its access road also hosted motor vehicle hill climbs.

Würm glaciationThe Isar-Loisach glacier’s retreat left a basin that filled with water.
1700–1400 BCEA landslide crossed the lake’s central and eastern areas, reshaping the valley and producing its present form with 29 hollows.
1884August Terne bought the lake at auction for 10,000 gold marks.
c. 1900Terne built an inn on the eastern shore.
1913His sons Karl and Hans built a small hotel, later expanded.

Show all

1941The German air force requisitioned the hotel.
1972The lake and hotel returned to the Terne-Rieppel family.
1929The access road became a venue for motor vehicle hill-climb races.

How to get there

BusRegular buses connect Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway station with Eibsee. Check whether your train ticket also covers the bus journey. Address: Seeweg 2, Grainau.

Sources: Eibsee - Wikipedia · Eibsee - Wikipedia · Eibsee - Wikipedia · checked 1 Oct 2026

Where

Seeweg 2, Grainau

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Is Eibsee privately owned?

Yes. Eibsee is privately owned.

What does the name Eibsee mean?

It refers to the yew trees that once grew abundantly around the lake.

Which fish live in Eibsee?

Species caught here include pike, brown and rainbow trout, whitefish, carp and tench.

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