Morning mist over Krün valley, Bavarian Alps, Germany

Small town, big summits

This pastoral Bavarian village isn't just surrounded by some of Germany's highest peaks, it's hosted the highest echelons of governance from around the globe. The town of Krün has twice welcomed heads of state from the Group of Seven—Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom—for their annual G7 summit. Not far from the humble hamlet, another summit casts its shadow: Zugspitze rises as the tallest mountain in the Bavarian Alps and all of Germany.

The misty valley, dotted with small traditional barns, gives way to the sunlit peaks of the Karwendel range. This extensive range forms the core of the Karwendel Nature Park, the largest protected area in the Eastern Alps. Diverse ecosystems thrive across its alpine meadows, dense forests, and high-altitude rocky slopes. These imposing limestone summits define the region's character, creating a striking contrast with the gentle, fog-shrouded valleys below.