Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Redirected from Garmisch)
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (29,875 inhabitants; 01-01-2004) is a market town, and the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is located at 47°30′ N 11°5′ E (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=47_30_N_11_5_E_), in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Austria.
The town is served by an Autobahn (motorway), and has railway connections to Munich, Innsbruck, Reutte and to the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany, which is nearby and 2962 m high.
In 1936 it was the site of the Winter Olympic Games. Traditionally, a ski jumping contest is held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on New Year's Day, as a part of the Four Hills Tournament (Vierschanzen-Tournee). A variety of Ski Worldcup Races is also being carried out here on a regular basis, usually on the Kandahar Track outside town.
Garmisch Partenkirchen is also a favoured holiday spot for skiing, snowboarding and hiking, having some of the best skiing areas in Germany.
The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies is also located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Marshall Center is an internationally funded and mostly US staffed learning and conference center for governments from around the world, but primarily from the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. A small number of US troops are still stationed in the city and run an Armed Forces Recreation Center on the outskirts of Garmisch.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the birthplace of Michael Ende, the author of the "Neverending Story" and has also been home to Richard Strauss, the composer.
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