Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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Template:Infobox Town DE Image:Anton Doll Ansicht von Garmisch.jpg Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a market town, and the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is located at Template:Coor dm, in the Oberbayern region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Austria. The 1100-year-old towns themselves were separate communities until the mayors of Garmisch and Partenkirchen were forced by Adolf Hitler to combine the two in 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympic games. The towns remain united and are casually known as "Garmisch" much to the dismay of the residents of Partenkirchen. Most visitors will notice the slightly more progressive feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled, cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen offer a glimpse into times past.

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. The views of the majestic peak from the town are especially spectacular and several accessible hiking trails cover both the lower and higher elevations.

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 World Cup Races are also held here, usually on the Kandahar Track outside town.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is also a favored 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 U.S.-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 U.S. troops are still stationed in the town and run an Armed Forces Recreation Center (Edelweiss Lodge and Resort) on the outskirts of Garmisch.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the birthplace of Michael Ende, the author of the "Neverending Story" and was also home to Richard Strauss, the composer.

Template:Olympic Winter Games Host Citiesde:Garmisch-Partenkirchen es:Garmisch-Partenkirchen fr:Garmisch-Partenkirchen it:Garmisch-Partenkirchen nl:Garmisch-Partenkirchen (stad) ja:ガルミッシュ＝パルテンキルヒェン no:Garmisch-Partenkirchen nn:Garmisch-Partenkirchen pl:Garmisch-Partenkirchen pt:Garmisch-Partenkirchen ru:Гармиш-Партенкирхен sh:Garmisch-Partenkirchen fi:Garmisch-Partenkirchen sv:Garmisch-Partenkirchen