November 13, 2025, 5:11 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Germany’s highest summit cross has disappeared–and for good reason. The condition of the landmark on the Zugspitze was anything but dignified recently. Find out what exactly is behind the sudden disappearance and when the famous cross is expected to return in new splendor here.
Zugspitze Cross Removed–Restoration in Full Swing
According to BILD, the 4.88-meter-high and approximately 300-kilogram summit cross was flown from the 2,962-meter-high peak to the valley by helicopter on Tuesday. It was then loaded onto a truck and taken to blacksmith Andrea Würzinger in Eschenlohe, who is now tasked with the extensive restoration.
Over the years, tourists had covered the gold leaf cross with numerous stickers. The condition had become so unsightly that the operators of the Zugspitze railway decided to thoroughly refurbish the landmark in time for the start of the ski season.
“We want to try to gild only where there is no gold left,” explains Andrea Würzinger. The blacksmith has already ordered 500 sheets of ultra-thin gold leaf, each measuring 8 by 8 centimeters. The restoration costs amount to around 1,500 euros. Würzinger also has a personal connection: Her father reconstructed the current cross in the 1990s based on the original from 1851.
Why the Zugspitze Is Getting a Second Summit Cross
260 Meters Long! Italy Has a New Island
Selfie Cross Also Affected
Not only the original, but also a tourist attraction in the form of a cross replica was not spared from the sticker flood. Artist Bernard Rieger from Wallgau, who installed a replica for a selfie station on the Zugspitze this summer, reports: “My copy also needs to be renovated now. This sticker flood has increased so much in recent years. Especially soccer and right-wing slogans are the themes. I picked it up last Sunday. Fortunately, it’s not heavy.”
His model consists only of lightweight drainage pipes from the hardware store and weighs just a few kilograms. It was installed to provide tourists with a safe photo spot–as many visitors ventured to the hard-to-reach original cross despite snow and ice, wearing sneakers and risking their safety–TRAVELBOOK reported.
Return Planned for Season Start
Currently, the summit of the Zugspitze is without a cross. However, the operators hope to have the landmark reinstalled in its original place in time for the start of the ski season on November 28–then freshly gilded and sticker-free.