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Autumn

in Bavaria

Visitors flock to Munich for Oktoberfest, but

those who spread their wings a little further

find medieval villages, forests of autumnal

golds and cities waking from summer slumber.

The 19th-century Schloss

Neuschwanstein in Füssen

History

Outdoors Urban life

The dreamy haze of the Bavarian

Forest National Park extends for

around 24,250 hectares along

the Czech border. Its thick forest

is home to deer, wild boar, foxes,

otters and birds, and is crossed by

marked hiking and cycling trails.

For information, go to the park’s

website or the visitor centre close

to Neuschönau village (national

park-bayerischer-wald.de).

Berchtesgadener Land is a lovely

district steeped in myths and

legends. At its heart is this

reserve harbouring some of

Germany’s best hiking trails, and

the pristine Königssee lake. The

area also has darker associations

in the form of the Eagle’s Nest, a

mountaintop lodge built for

Hitler; Eagle’s Nest Historical

Tours runs informative visits

(eagles-nest-tours.com; US$56).

For hiking routes in the area, visit

the national park office

(berchtesgadener-land.com).

ZUGSPITZE

Germany’s highest peak

(2,962m) exerts its siren call on

hikers in summer and skiiers in

winter, but year-round it’s

possible to summit the mountain

via train and cable car. The trip

starts in Garmisch on the

Zahnradbahn, which chugs along

the mountain base to Eibsee – a

forest lake. From here, the

Eibsee-Seilbahn cable car swings

to the top. The Gletscherbahn

cable car then takes you to the

Zugspitze glacier, from where the

cogwheel train heads back to

Garmisch (zugspitze.de; US$56).

FAIRYTALE CASTLES

Southern Germany is famed for

its castles and two of the most

fantastical are near Füssen,

below the Bavarian Alps. Start at

Schloss Neuschwanstein, King

Ludwig II’s 19th-century pile, also

the model for Disney’s Sleeping

Beauty castle (neuschwanstein.

de). Next, hop across to the

Neo-Gothic Schloss

Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig

grew up (hohenschwangau.de;

combined castle ticket US$25).

WIESKIRCHE

In 1730, a farmer in Steingaden

witnessed the miracle of his

Christ statue shedding tears.

Pilgrims poured into town in such

numbers over the next decade

that a new church was built to

house the weepy work. The

Wieskirche is UNESCO-listed and

one of Bavaria’s best-known

Baroque churches. Inside the

circular structure, eight white

pillars are topped by gold capital

stones and swirling decorations

(wieskirche.de; free).

ROMANTIC ROAD

From the vineyards of Würzburg

to the foot of the Alps, the 250-

mile-long Romantic Road is a

popular journey through

southern Germany that ends at

Ludwig II’s crazy castles

(romantic-road.com). The route

can be done by tour bus, but a

car will give you more flexibility

to see the ostentatious palaces,

Bavarian churches and

chocolate-box medieval towns

and villages, such as Rothenburg

ob der Tauber.

MUNICH

Germany’s unofficial southern

capital is a flourishing success

story that revels in its own

contradictions. Its walkable centre

retains a small-town air but holds

some top sights, especially the

Kunstareal (art district) – an entire

neighbourhood of great museums

including the Pinakothek galleries

(pinakothek.de). But be warned:

during Oktoberfest it seems the

whole world descends on the

town.

BAMBERG

A beautiful architectural

masterpiece with an almost

complete absence of modern

eyesores, Bamberg’s Altstadt

(Old Town) is a UNESCO World

Heritage site. The town is bisected

by rivers, canals and medieval

streets. There are pavement cafés,

pubs and 10 breweries that cook

up Bamberg’s famous smoked

beer; try Klosterbräu, the city’s

oldest brewery (klosterbraeu.de;

Obere Mühlbrücke 1–3).

Hikers take a break with a view at

Königssee lake in Berchtesgaden

The altar in Wieskirche, a church

designed in the Roccoco style

A parade of people in Bavarian

costume during Oktoberfest

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MINI GUIDE

NUREMBERG

Bavaria’s second-largest city is

an energetic place with intense

nightlife and beer as dark as

coffee. It has a hulking medieval

fortress (the Kaiserburg) and a

long artistic heritage: Albrecht

Dürer was born here and his

house has become a museum

(museums.nuremberg.de; US$5).

The Nazis later used Nuremberg

as a platform for their activities;

the former main parade ground

is now a documentation centre.

BAVARIAN FOREST

NATIONAL PARK

BERCHTESGADEN

NATIONAL PARK