Accommodation and Activities
Accommodation overview
For the Forum in 2025, the Forum team has secured rooms and preferential conference support in the conference hotel ‘Biohotel Garmischer Hof’ and its sister hotel ‘Biohotel Bavaria’ (see below). Both are in walking distance of the conference center and pedestrian part of the city, and close to train or bus stations. Additional rooms and accommodation possibilities of various types are offered by the tourist office (see below). A third alternative is offered for participants with interest in youth hostel accommodation (no age limit) who could directly contact the new youth hostel “Moun10” which is close to the train station and the conference center.
As February is high season in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with very high prices for late-comers, we urge participants to reserve rooms as soon as possible, preferable by December 15, 2024.
Conference Hotel Garmischer Hof and Bavaria
The Forum has identified the "Bio-Hotel Garmischer Hof" (4*) as its central conference hotel. It is linked to its close-by sister hotel “Bio-Hotel Bavaria” (3*). Both hotels have specific reservations for the Forum and offer rooms within a range of comfort and prices ranging from Euro 90 to Euro 155 per person and night. Room reservations for these hotels and the specification of the most appropriate room should be organized for 2025 directly with the hotels (through e-mails). For information on room alternatives and hotel contacts see the conference accommodation list.
Tourist office support
The tourist office is prepared to organize further accommodation alternatives to choose from. Contact through the tourist office's web page contact.
On request, participants may avoid the mandatory tourist fee by showing the hotel reservation desk the exemption document. Further support by the tourist office
could be initiated by sending an e-mail to guest service. The address of the office is:
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Tourismus
Richard-Strauss-Platz 1a, D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
www.gapa-tourismus.de, Phone: +49-8821-180-700
Bus services
Garmisch offers a free bus service for tourists with a tourist card from the hotel but not for business travelers who have opted for exemption from tourist fees who can get different types of bus tickets. The bus routes of primary interest are bus no. 2 which runs to two of the 3 major skiing area passing close to the conference center and the train station or the ski bus which runs from the train station to the Hausberg skiing area. All skiing areas are interconnected. Additional bus routes lead to sightseeing attractions nearby such as "Kloster Ettal" (monastery Ettal) or the "Partnachklamm" (Partnach-Gorge).
Activities for skiers and non-skiers
The main skiing area is Garmisch Classic which can be reached through three different cable cars. The cable car at Garmisch "Hausberg" (easier skiing, ski-schools) can be reached in a few minutes with the official ski bus, the cable cars "Albspitzbahn" and "Kreuzeckbahn" (highest altitude) are located at the end of bus route no. 2 within about 15 min. All cable car stations can also be reached through the dedicated train “Zugspitzbahn” which starts at the train station and continues to the mountain Zugspitze. The ski bus is free of charge, the Zugspitzbahn is only free for owners of multiple-day ski-passes. Ski equipment can be rented (and stored) at the base stations of all cable cars.
For non-skiers, the city with its Bavarian style pedestrian area offers many opportunities including shops, cafes, restaurants, an impressive public indoor pool and wellness landscape, ice-skating opportunities and more. Day and half-day walking tours are being offered through the tourist office next door to the conference center which also provides recommendations for individual activities. With the Zugspitzbahn, one could reach the top of the mountain “Zugspitze” (see above), with the cable car Albspitzbahn within Garmisch Classic (see above) an impressive mountain view. All end stations of cable cars offer restaurants. It should be noted that Munich Central Station is less than 1 1/2 hrs away by train.
Cross-country skiing
Garmisch and some places close-by offer various cross country skiing sites. Depending on temperatures, participants may use the tracks in Garmisch or the higher altitude tracks in "Langlaufzentrum Kaltenbrunn" (cross-country center Kaltenbrunn) which can be reached through a short (5 min.) bus ride. Cross-country skies need to be rented in Garmisch or at the base stations of the ski cable cars (Hausberg, Albspitz, Kreuzeck). More information through the organizers or the Garmisch tourist office.