My Bavaria travel guide

First let me introduce myself: I am German - .... ops, no! I am, of course, from Bavaria! And as we have a lot of friends abroad, which come to visit us from time to time, we always give them some tips about spots and places, when they want to discover Bavaria on their own. So why not give our tips here?

If you want to discover Bavaria on your own, it is a good idea to rent a car, let´s say for 1 week or 2 weeks. Hotels you can find everywhere, but also look for "Pension". This is a kind of bed and breakfeast guesthouse. Pensionen are more familiar, usually cheaper, and a good way to get in contact with people, language and the "region."

Now - what are you waiting for? Welcome to Bavaria!

You are sporty? Want to discover the Bavarian Alps just by your feet? Then my tip is to stay a weekend in Oberstdorf, a little town in the region of the Allgäu. Oberstdorf is a good "headqarter" to start start nice wandering day-tours. Note: As each of the follwing tours is alpine wandering, appropriate clothes, especially shoes, are necessary. But don´ t mind: it is not "real" climbing - even children can do it!

My first tip for a nice day excursion is the "Nebelhorn". Of course you can climb up ALL the mountain, but taking the ropeway will give enough possibilities for sportive alpine wandering, too. The "Nebelhorn Seilbahn" starts right in Oberstdorf and brings you up to an altitude of 2000m, where you will find many tours for walking or wandering .

Another tip is the "Hirschberg" tour. It starts at Hindelang, a little village about 15 minutes away from Oberstdorf. The Hirschberg is a mountain for a small, but sporty mountain wandering tour for 1 day (3 hours up, and 3 hours back). You will be rewarded with pure nature, a nice canyon ... and, perhaps, a Hirsch (= a deer). If you don´t find the Hirschberg: ask people for the Hirschberg Wandering Tour!

Or what about combining alpine wandering and swimming? Go from Oberstdorf to Oberstaufen (about 30 minutes with the car). The "Hündlekopf" is a nice mountain for wandering (OK, more lazy ones take the "Hündle" chairlift.....) However, don´t miss to see the "Buchenegger Wasserfälle" (=Waterfall) there, where you can take a refreshing alpine bath. A VERY refreshing bath....

You prefer the Alps and sightseeing in a more comfortable way? Then let´s start at Füssen. Visiting Neuschwanstein there is a "Must See", of course, but I don´t want to give here more information on Neuschwanstein. You can get enough information on that touristic hotspot everywhere.
After seeing the castle, which takes some hours, it is a good idea to leave Füssen via Reutte with the car. We enter Austria for a few kilometers, and near Reutte we turn left and take a smaller road to Garmisch-Partenkirchen back to Bavaria. I strongly recommend this road, it is a very lovely trip through a valley, and you can also make a nice stopover to see Schloss Linderhof.
After some hours we arrive at Garmisch, which is a good place to stay overnight.
Next day, hopefully, it is a sunny day. No question, a trip with the ropeway to the peak of the Zugspitze is the best idea. What makes the Zugspitze so spectacular? It is not the altitude - you will find many mountains in the Alps, which are higher. It is the Panorama View. As the Zugspitze marks the end of the Alp-Range, the peak provides a fantastic view all over the rest of the "flat" Bavaria .. 100s of km... and 100s ... and 100s .... and....
More Alps Panorama? Then leave Garmisch-Partenkirchen via Berchtesgaden. I bet: A boat trip on the Königssee will give you an unforgetable impression.

You love half timbered houses? Then "Franken" is the place. Franken is a region as well as a government district in the north of Bavaria, and Nuremberg (Nürnberg) is its most famous city. As this city is a touristic hotspot, extra information is not necessary here; of course Nuremberg is worth to visit.
But my personal tip: If you are interested in half timbered houses, then visit "Rothenburg ob der Tauber", "Dinkelsbühl" or "Nördlingen", which are located somewhat about 60 km - 100 km in the west and southwest of Nuremberg. Another idea is to see Bamberg, which is about 100 km north-west.
Each of these towns is worth for a day trip, and each offers in my opinion more "historical ambience" than Nuremberg does, because they were not destroyed during WW2. Here you will find complete historic towns and an impressive trip back to medieval times....

Here comes the ultimate tip for half timbered houses enthusiasts: some little villages in Franken. Very little villages. Hard to be found in a tourist travel guide. The Tour is:
Spalt - Wolframs Eschenbach - Merkendorf

All located somewhat about 50 km southwest of Nuremberg. Take a good map to find them! And if you think, you are in a museum, I tell you: You are not! This is history live. Pssst, watch out - a knight in arms could stand behind the next corner.....

To see Spalt or Wolframs Eschenbach will take not more than a half day each. Furthermore, Spalt is one of Germany´s leading regions in cultivating asparagus. Don´t miss to try it out!
Merkendorf is tiny, but so lovely, that you might think of a time machine, which sent you back on a trip some hundred years ago. Just a few houses, sourrounded by a complete medieval wall. Unspectacular fantastic!

What about enjoying wine in baroque ambience? Then you must see Wuerzburg (Würzburg). Situated very picturesque in a valley along the river Main, this city offers pleasure for your eyes and your mouth. The "Bocksbeutel" is a typical wine from the vineyards along the valley. Würzburg is always a wonderful day-trip. And if there is more time: make little excursions along the Main to see lovely villages among vinyard hills.

Today some days in Niederbayern. This is a district of Bavaria, somewhat northeast from Munich. Regensburg or Passau are cities worth to see (take at least 1 day for each!). But my tip: Go to Kehlheim (about 40 km west from Regensburg). Here you can make a boat trip on the Danube (=Donau). The "Donau Durchbruch" is a very imposing and wild place to see - big rocks along a deep river, where you don´t want so swim in! Good to be on the safe boat..... All placed within a fantastic landscape. After 30 minutes the boat arrives at the picturesque Kloster Weltenburg (a baroque monastery), which is a nice place for original Bavarian lunch, like Weisswurst or Schweinebraten, and, of course, exquisite Bavarian Beer.

You like wandering or backpacking through deeeeeeep woods? Stay in Niederbayern and go to the Bavarian Forest (Bayrischer Wald)! Little towns like Zwiesel or Freyung-Grafenau are good places for a "headquarter". You will find these villages nearby the border to the Czech Republic.

Most of all, it is the "Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald" which gives you wonderful nature impressions on marked wandering trails. The National Park is a protected area, with rare fauna and flora, like the lynx.
If you think of "Deusche Märchen" und "der deutsche Wald" - here you are.......

A canoe tour on the Danube? Then let´s leave Bavaria for some days and go the district of Baden Württemberg. But don´t mind, the distance is moderate. Why this? The Danube flows from Baden-Württemberg to Bavaria, but the more lovely part of this river is the "Naturpark oberes Donautal". It is a protected Nature Park; and as this is the region, where the Danube rises, the river is small enough for a leisurely canoe trip. The valley is very nice, with places for barbecueing (don´t forget to bring with your own picnic). Children will love it; and I tell you: Almost every little rock in this little valley has a little castle on its top!

Just follow the highway from Munich via Augsburg to Ulm (about 150km). Ulm, by the way, is a good place to stay overnight. Try to get a room in the Hotel "Schiefes Haus" (which means the "crooked house") - here it is:

Other Sightseeing spots in Ulm are the "Fischerviertel", and the Ulmer Münster. Did you know, that the Ulmer Münster is the highest church of the world? Awesome....!

From Ulm you follow the river Danube (Donau) up to Sigmaringen, which takes you 1 more hour to drive. From there look for the little villages Beuron/Thiergarten, or Beuron/Hausen, where you can rent a canoe for some hours....