TRAVEL
A ROAD LESS
TRAVELLED
The German Alpine Road WORDS/PHOTOS JÖRN DELFS
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T’S MORE THAN 450 kilometres
from Lindau on Lake Constance
to Schönau am Königssee, with
over 25 venerable castles, monasteries
and picturesque palaces. More than
20 crystal-clear mountain lakes offer
not only breathtaking views, but also
plenty of sports and leisure facilities,
inviting you to sample the waters.The German Alpine Road might be
relatively unknown to Australians, but
it isn’t a new creation. Mentioned for
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King Maximilian II in 1858, it
coincides with the current route in
many respects and covers the most
important sights along the route.
This makes the road the oldest
holiday route in Germany, a place that’s
full of these designated journeys. It
offers almost all the German clichés
from the world-famous royal castles
of the crazy King Ludwig II to soaring
mountain peaks and those dreamlike
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small villages with large beer gardens.Perhaps the most fascinating at
this panorama tour is the variety, the
never-ending rhythm of the lush
alpine meadows, gentle hills and
steep mountain peaks alternating
with green forests, romantic valleys
and glittering lakes.
I managed to spread my tour on the
impressive Triumph Explorer XRT
over three days, starting in Lindau at
Lake Constance, the third largest lake
in Central Europe. The “paradise”
route, which derives its name from
the fantastic panorama view of
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Vorarlberg mountains and the Swiss
Alps, leads to Oberstaufen. Whether
hiking in summer or skiing in winter,