Rodney Campbell's Blog

We were on our way for a day trip to Zugspitze on Christmas day. In part to satisfy our desire for a white Christmas but mostly to see some amazing scenery for which we have no equivalent here down under.

Once at Garmisch-Partenkirchen we purchased our Zugspitze tickets which would allow us to ride the cog train from here to Eibsee and then to ride the newly (just a few days ago) opened Seilbahn Zugspitze cable car up to the peak.

Zugspitzbahn

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/320 sec at f/5, ISO 100

After six (6) years of planning and construction the new cable car features three new world firsts: the world’s highest cable car support tower measuring 127 metres, the greatest altitude difference of 1,945 metres and the world’s longest free span covering 3,213 metres.

Zugspitze Cable Car

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/60 sec at f/5.6, ISO 220

Once at the top the views are simply breathtaking. We have nothing like this in Australia – our highest mountain (Mount Kosciuszko) sits at just over 2000m and the range looks more like a set of undulating hills. Nothing like the jagged massif’s which stretch into the distance here.

Garmish

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 62 mm, 1/500 sec at f/10, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/400 sec at f/9, ISO 100

Ehrwald

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 55 mm, 1/200 sec at f/9, ISO 100

Jagged Peaks

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 72 mm, 1/250 sec at f/9, ISO 100

The Zugspitze belongs to the Wetterstein range of the Northern Limestone Alps. The Austria–Germany border goes right over the mountain. There used to be a border checkpoint at the summit but, since Germany and Austria are now both part of the Schengen zone, the border crossing is no longer manned. Conveniently we could cross back and forth and even stand one foot in each country – something else we can’t do in Australia :). We ate lunch “in Austria” sitting at a table at the window with this amazing view :).

When we were organising our first trip to Europe we were hoping we might get a white Christmas in Munich. Coming from Australia we’d all never had a white Christmas before – in fact my wife and three daughters had never even been to the snow.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 135 mm, 1/160 sec at f/6.3, ISO 180

So we were anticipating that with expected temperatures below zero we might get some snow in Munich whilst we were there. Unfortunately the weather gods were not on board and we didn’t have any snow at all :(.

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 135 mm, 1/320 sec at f/5.6, ISO 280

On the flight from Barcelona to Munich my girls marvelled when they looked out the plane window to see countless jagged snow covered peaks going into the distance as we flew over the alps.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 135 mm, 1/320 sec at f/5.6, ISO 360

So on Christmas day I planned for us to head to the German countryside and specifically towards the Eastern Alps at the border between Germany and Austria so that we would definitely see the snow and get a white Christmas afterall :).

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 180 mm, 1/400 sec at f/5.6, ISO 640

The train journey to the village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen takes a little over 90 minutes and these are a few images taken from the train on the way.

At Karlsplatz they had a large outdoor ice skating rink setup so the girls of course had to give that a go :).

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/125 sec at f/10, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/200 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 100 mm, 1/80 sec at f/8, ISO 100

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 300 mm, 1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100

The famed Christmas Markets in Munich are really spectacular. Even my girls who usually hate going to markets had a marvellous time. We went there every night we were in Germany before Christmas Eve (when they close down).

This night I went a little earlier so I could shoot it at sunset when there was colour left in the sky. “Earlier” being a relative term here since sunset in Munich at this time of year is at 4:20PM!.

Marienplatz Sunset

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 16 mm, 1.30 sec at f/11, ISO 50

Christmas in Munich

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 16 mm, 2 sec at f/11, ISO 50

Munich Twilight

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 24 mm, 3 sec at f/11, ISO 50

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Marienplatz Christmas Markets

NIKON D750 + 16.0-35.0 mm f/4.0 @ 16 mm, 1 sec at f/9, ISO 100

The crowds are enormous till quite late at night and the streets are jam packed with stalls in their hundreds and people too numerous to consider counting. So much food to be eaten and gluhwein to be drunk.

We spent a few hours following an audio guided walk of Munich city (by Rick Steves). He has a very useful app you can download from the app store and then download various audio walks of cities, galleries and landmarks across Europe.

May Pole

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/125 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Asam’s Church

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/3.5, ISO 400

St. Michael’s Church

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/3.5, ISO 450

Blocks

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/50 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 122 mm, 1/250 sec at f/8, ISO 100

It’s a fascinating place – the architecture (not just of the churches and other civic buildings but all the buildings here in the city) is just so unlike what we’re used to at home in Australia.

Residenz

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28 mm, 1/30 sec at f/8, ISO 140

National

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 170 mm, 1/200 sec at f/8, ISO 160

It was great to just wander around and see the city.

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 68 mm, 1/80 sec at f/8, ISO 450

Skyward

NIKON D750 + 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 58 mm, 1/400 sec at f/8, ISO 100