After the first weekend of excursions, the mayoress of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is certain: it can't go on like this. She wants to do something about wild camping and the parking lot situation.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Elisabeth Koch is enough. Over these two long weekends in series - first ascension, then Pentecost - a lot has accumulated with the new mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She watched the mega-tourist flows very closely, partly cycling through the critical points around the town. In doing so, she gained a lot of knowledge. Koch's conclusion: "This is a disaster for people and nature, the market community can no longer look at it," emphasizes the CSU woman. "It is no longer bearable for us who live here." Wild campers, traffic chaos in the parking lots - "Of course we are a tourist hotspot, but it can't go on like this."
If you don't believe it or feel it fundamentally different, she advises you to stand at the ski stadium parking lot for just one hour on one of these high days at the Eckbauer lift. Last Sunday it got so drastic that she called the police. "The cars had parked each other so that nobody could get away," complains Koch. The solution to the problem was a bizarre one: "The vehicles had to be diverted through the ski stadium." She counted around 40 cars that drove through the time-honored sports facility to defuse the situation.
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Campers leave need in the forest
On Monday she went to the alpine hut. There was first-class parking chaos at Maximilianshöhe. One annoyance there: many wild campers. "We have to end that," clarifies the town hall manager. Koch accepts that she can be verbally swiped for statements against motorhome friends on the Internet. "I have to stand over it." But she describes the circumstances that she found as "shameful". The campers not only park permanently at this dreamy spot at the foot of the Kramer, they also leave their need for safety in the surrounding forests. Because, logically, you don't have a disposal station for your portable toilet units up there. "I really dreaded it," Koch says freely. She knows that not all campers are like that. "But there are just a few who mess up the entire herd."
So what to do? Good advice is expensive. "Nobody has the ideal solution," emphasizes Koch, soberly. She quickly filtered that out from discussions with neighboring mayors like Thomas Holz from Kochel. The frustration with Koch gives way to a certain fighting spirit. It wants to act as soon as possible. Because: "Our valley is so narrow and we want to preserve our green belt." On Tuesday, she short-circuited with Michael Gerber, head of Gapa Tourism. The first steps: Koch wants to tackle the wild campers by putting prohibition signs in the known places. For example at Maximilianshöhe or at Pflegersee. "Then the police could act correctly," emphasizes Koch. The issue of the ski stadium must also be tackled. She considers the space there to be ineffective and misleading. "We have to cleverly divide this parking space, then more cars will fit on it." She is aware that the conversions can be costly. "But then the community has to cash in accordingly."
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No one is interested in busy signs
To be able to ban the traffic from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, she does not indulge in this illusion. “Of course, we could designate a meadow as a parking space at the Unterfeld.” Maybe even with the shuttle service. “But that doesn't interest the day guest. People want to go directly to the mountain railways. ”The municipality can also set up occupied signs as it wishes. "Nobody itches." That was impressive to see on the Eibseeberg in Grainau. "I understand people that they want to get out, but life must still be possible with us normally." Koch is currently very concerned about this.
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