Things to see & do in Bavaria
Our Germany Vacations
Bavaria vacations, self catering apartments
Luxury village apartments by Bavarian Forest National Park
Danube cycling vacation, Germany and Austria
Follow the winding route of the Danube
Germany and Austria hiking vacation, self guided
Circular trek around Mount Hochkönig and Königssee
Germany and Austria self guided walking tours
Circumnavigate Germany's highest mountain!
Christmas markets vacation, Central Europe
Indulge the senses by exploring the best of the festive market scene
Eifel hiking and culinary tour in Germany
Combine hiking and delicious regional dishes in the Eifel
Eastern europe by train, the Iron Curtain tour
Whizz around Europe's lesser-visited cities by rail!
Germany walking vacation
Walk the Rhine Trail and discover Germany on foot
Scandinavia small group tour
Soak up a little Scandinavian minimalism
Berlin to Oslo small group vacation
Discover stylish Scandinavia and bohemian Germany
Holland to Denmark cycling vacation
11 day cycling vacation from the Netherlands to Denmark.
The Baltic experience tour
Experience the diverse delights of the Baltic states
Berlin to Venice small group vacation
Adventure-filled Central Europe tour from Germany to Italy.
European rail tour, 29 days
Tour Europe's best cities on this 29-day adventure!
Danube cycling vacation, self guided
Discove the compelling history of the Danube
Eastern Europe tour by rail
Cities, scenery & coasts: Travel from Berlin to the Balkans!
Prague to Meissen cycling vacation
Cycle along attractive riverside paths
Cycling vacation in the Netherlands, Germany & Austria
European cycling at its best
Central Europe rail tour, 15 days
An exciting trip around the continent's fairytale cities
Two tall ship sailing festivals, Delfzijl to Kiel
Delf Sail festival and Kiel’s Week 2021
London to St Petersburg sailing tour
Classic sailing from London to St Petersburg via Gdansk
Walking vactation in the German Alps
Enjoy sparkling winter walking in the German Alps


Zugspitze & the Bavarian Alps
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 Allgäu Alps
These border with Austria and proffer not just a chocolate box backdrop but a chocolatier’s convention. Their highest peak is Hochfrottspitze at 2,649m and the nearest base for hiking and biking here is Oberstdorf, Germany’s most southerly village. There are approximately 200km of hiking trails around the village alone, and in winter these are cleared for walking and cross country skiing tracks or ‘loipes’.Ammergau Alps
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.
Franconian Jura
Franconia sounds like it should be in France, but it is in fact an upland utopia in northern Bavaria, a region that was for many years home to the indigenous Franks people. Culturally and politically separated for years, Franconia was added to Bavaria by Napoleon. These uplands are some of the state’s most underrated landscapes, with peaks as high as 600m, and much of it protected by the Altmühl Valley Nature Park that follows the twists and turns of the eponymous river.Bavarian Lakes
Lake Chiemsee is just over an hour from Munich, the capital of Bavaria, and so very popular as a weekend getaway. Just to add to its beauty, it has three islands accessible by ferry from Prien and Chiemsee or Gstad am Chiemsee.
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.
Chiemsee is only one sparkling sapphire in a whole crown of Bavarian lakes, however. Head further north to the Franconia Lake District for another well kept secret: the lakes of Altmühlsee, Großer and Kleiner Brombachsee, Igelsbachsee, Rothsee, Hahnenkammsee and Dennenloher have sandy beaches, sailing, swimming and stand up paddleboarding until sunset.
Our top Germany Vacation
Bavaria vacations, self catering apartments
Luxury village apartments by Bavarian Forest National Park
Bavarian Forests
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.
Bavarian Castles
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.