Things to see & do in Bavaria

The official name for Germany’s southernmost region is Freistaat Bayern, or Free State of Bavaria, and there is no doubt of the sense of freedom you get here. It is Germany’s largest state, dominated by the Bavarian Alps, which form a natural border with Austria. These mountains are also home to Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak at 2,962m and for those who don’t want to tackle it on foot, there is a cable car. Further east, fans of the Sound of Music get all goosebumpy at the sight and sound of Maria doing her twirl of freedom, which was shot on top of Mehlweg near the village of Marktschellenberg close to the Austrian border. Beware though: the exact spot is private land. However, this is one of the few spots in Bavaria that doesn’t adhere to Freistaat wanderlust, and with national parks, vast nature reserves, forests, lakes and mountain magnificence, Bavaria is not short of twirling space. Here are a few of our favourite things.

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.

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.

Bavarians must be sick of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang references, but who can ever forget the scenes with the mad king and queen, holed up in that castle, having kidnapped all the local children? I don’t think they would get away with that script nowadays, somehow… What you can experience today, however, is a visit to one of Bavaria’s finest locations, the Disney-esque Neuschwanstein Castle in southwest Bavaria. Quite a spectacle, and probably one of Germany’s most famous castles, it was actually the creation of a theatre set designer rather than an architect for King Ludwig II of Bavaria who didn’t live long enough to enjoy it. Tourists have been revelling in its camp and circumstance ever since, however, and it does get pretty crowded in peak season.

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.