The trail I chose went around the Eibsee, south of Garmisch in the village of Grainau. There is parking either at the mountain or nearby the Eibsee Hotel, where the roughly 4-mile trail begins.

Set in the Valley Elmau, surrounded by cloud-covered peaks and pristine lakes, the hotel is a favourite retreat for the star players of Bayern Munich. I even bumped into the team’s soon-to-be ex ...