Alpspitzbahn, Aerial lift in Grainau, Germany.

Alpspitzbahn is a 3,810-metre aerial tramway from Grainau, built by Habegger and opened in 1973, running from a valley station at 748 m to a mountain station at 2,033 m just below the Osterfelderkopf. Two 80-person cabins on separate tracks cover 1,287 m of elevation in nine minutes, passing three supports of 54, 16.5 and 67 m. The station sits beside the AlpspiX viewing platform.

Built by Habegger and opened in 1973, the Alpspitzbahn replaced no earlier lift on this alignment; it was planned in 1971 as a pendulum cable car with two cabins on separate tracks. In spring 2009 the drive was converted from a 440 kW DC motor to a 540 kW AC motor with a frequency converter, and a new Doppelmayr control system was installed.

The name is misleading: the lift does not reach the 2620 m Alpspitze but ends at 2033 m below the Osterfelderkopf, gateway to the Garmisch Classic ski area. Since 2010 the AlpspiX platform, a few steps from the top station, extends two 25 m steel walkways over the drop, their tips glazed for views down into the Höllental.

The best time to visit depends on your plans: skiing in winter or hiking in summer. Be ready for changing weather at higher elevation and bring sturdy shoes and a jacket.

Despite its name, the lift does not reach the 2620 m Alpspitze; it ends at 2033 m just below the Osterfelderkopf. From there the AlpspiX platform, opened in 2010, juts about 25 m over the drop, with glass-floored walkways looking down into the Höllental.