Culture and society

The Zugspitze

DEUTSCHKURSE | Harry-Folge-045-Landeskunde-Bild
The Zugspitze is the tallest mountain in Germany.null DW


On the border between Germany and Austria, you will find the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze, and flanking it is the largest glacier in the country, known as Schneeferner. Climate change has caused the glacier to shrink over the years – from 41 hectares in 1979 to around 30 hectares now. If the ice continues to melt at this rate, the glacier will disappear entirely in 10 years.

Artificial snow covers the region's ski slopes in the area, which helps to protect the glacier. Since the 1990s, the ice has been covered with tarps in the summer months to shield it from sunshine. But it's far from warm up there. Frost prevails for an average of 310 days of the year. With an annual average temperature of -4 degrees Celsius, the Zugspitze is definitely the coldest spot in Germany. A weather station on the summit has meticulously gathered data since 1900.

Instead of taking the cable car and shivering uncontrollably in his thin shirt, Harry could have warmed himself up by following in the footsteps of Swiss high wire artist Freddy Nock. In 2011, Nock walked almost a kilometer up the 55 mm wide cable – on a 57 percent slope. An experience like that would warm Harry up quite quickly