Things to see & do in Bavaria

The most famous mountains in Bavaria are, of course, the Alps. There are various sub ranges, such as the Wetterstein group where the mother of all mountains is Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak. Take in the range’s myriad mountain highlights along the Via Alpina long distance walking trail, with mountain huts and hostels along the way. The gateway town to Zugspitze is Garmisch-Partenkirchen and walking vacations here often take you across the border into Austria. The first Alpine skiing competition was held in Garmisch during the infamous 1936 Winter Olympics, which were opened by Adolf Hitler. The ski stadium here is still a popular place to visit though.

Another natural highlight of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the Partnach Gorge. At 800m long and 80m deep, it is superb for hiking in summer with two paths that allow you to visit its array of waterfalls, rapids and wild swimming pools.

The Ammergau Alps’ outstanding natural feature is Kruezspitze at 2,185m which towers over stunning valleys linking ancient villages and towns such as Oberammergau, Unterammergau, Ettal and Schloss Linderhof. The valleys are known for their cross country skiing tracks, and in February the famous King Ludwig Race takes place there. The Via Alpina trail also traverses the Ammergau Alps while vast swathes of the terrain are protected by Ammergau Alps Nature Reserve, which offers nearly 300km² of walking trails and wild places.

The outstanding cultural feature here has to be Oberammergau, celebrated for its Passion Play production that takes place every decade, on the ‘0’ year. You don’t have to wait for a year zero to enjoy all that this very pretty village has to offer, however. The real drama is happening 24/7, 365 days a year, as Oberammergau is a hub for anyone with a passion for hiking, biking and horse riding.

As you can imagine, there are many mountain lakes in Bavaria. Most famous to Germans but less well known to international tourists is Lake Chiemsee, also known as the Bavarian Sea as it is tidal, and pretty massive at 80km².

The two inhabited islands are called, rather charmingly, Fraueninsel (Women’s Island) and Herreninsel (Men’s Island), the men having claimed ownership to the one boasting Bavaria’s largest castle. This was built to emulate Versailles by King Ludwig II, who must have had a severe case of castle envy. The women got a Benedictine convent on their Fraueninsel, but it’s not to be sniffed at, as this is a beautiful, budget and quintessentially Bavarian place to stay. It serves fabulous food too, those nuns having had plenty of time to practise their cooking skills, with hospitality dating back to the 8th century. The ladies also bagged one of Bavaria’s most stunning Christmas markets, the only one in the country held on an island. The third island, Krautinsel is uninhabited but used as pasture for residents of the other islands and the lakeside, who bring their livestock back by boat in winter.

So, pub quiz question: In which German state is the famous Black Forest, also known as Schwarzwald? Bavaria? Wrong. It is actually in neighbouring Baden-Württemberg. Less well known to international tourists, although hard to understand why except that it doesn’t have a cake named after it, is Bavarian Forest National Park. This vast forest is not only a place where bison and wild horses roam, but one of those pristine wild places where you are really able to get in touch with that free state feeling that Bavaria does so beautifully. Up on the Bavarian-Czech border this is a transnational tour de force. The national park is shared with Czech Bohemian Forest National Park, making this Europe’s largest protected forest.

You can hike up to summits as high as 1,453m, and cross country ski or snow shoe in winter. Better still, you can access so much of it by public transport, as sustainability is at Bavarian Forest’s core. And when we say all, we mean all, because inclusive tourism is important here, with many accessible trails for children, people with mobility issues or special sensory needs. The national park’s Baumwipfelpfad treetop walk is the longest treetop walk in the world and is also fully accessible.

Ludwig II definitely had a bit of a castle thing going on though, his influences scattered all over the state. As well as his Herrenchiemsee Castle on Herreninsel, Linderhof Palace was his vacation villa and royal hunting ground and definitely one for horticultural fans, with the most splendid park and gardens. Hohenschwangau Castle was Ludwig II’s father’s domain, however, rebuilt from ruins in a style that some might describe as Gothic, others gaudy. Not one of Ludwig’s, but working hard to upstage it, you almost have to travel into Austria to take in Burghausen Castle in all its panoramic prettiness, as it is the longest castle in the world.

These are just a few of the many magnificent castles to be found in Bavaria. It is hard to choose, though, as these architectural masterpieces are definitely some of Bavaria’s favourite things.

Photo credits: [Intro: fr4dd] [Bavarian mountains: _hq_] [Alps: Mathias] [Lake Chiemsee: Pixelteufel] [Castles: Jorg Schubert] [Franconian Jura: Berthold Werner] [Lake: Wolfgang Manousek]