Bavaria offers the most traditional German travel experience; schnitzel and beer, rolling foothills of the alps, small villages with onion domed churches, and locals wearing traditional lederhosen and dirndl. We home based out of Munich, the capital of Bavaria, for our five day stay.
A good home base for a travel adventure is close by the numerous sites in the city itself as well as offering easy access to desirable destinations nearby. This was our second stay in this great city and we duplicated only our absolute favourites as there was so much more to do. We stayed at a hotel located close to the train station so we could move about easily, whether by tram or bus, and found that most tour operators had offices in that central location as well. Our hotel was also close to a grocery store so we could pack picnics for the more hectic travel days and a great local Beer Garden, the Augustiner Keller, so we could relax with the locals.
Munich is very walk-able with a pedestrian friendly zone that stretches for blocks around Marienplatz, the square located in the centre of town. The new City Hall over looks the square with its world famous Glockenspiel, a clock worth lining up to see strike noon. From there it is easy to reach the Residenz, once home to Bavarian royalty, numerous churches including the Frauenkirche whose twin towers are a symbol of the city, the Viktualienmarkt (an open air market and beer garden) and the Hofbrauhaus, the famous beer hall.
A little further north will take you to the Art Galleries and you can choose between the Alte Pinakothek, for renaissance art, Neue Pinakothek for contemporary art and Pinakothek der Moderne for obviously, the modern art. Going east towards Odeonplatz leads to the opening of the English Garden, an expansive park that features inner city surfing on the river, and another excellent Beer Garden.
If you want to travel further outside of the city you could spend a half day at Nyphenburg Palace, the summer home of Bavarian Royalty. Tour the museum inside the palace (€8 or €13 includes admission to the smaller palaces adjacent to the main structure), but be sure to spend time in the lovely gardens surrounding the park. We packed a picnic. Get there taking the #17 tram.
If you have never been to Munich before I would start with either a good walking tour or a bus tour that gives you an overview of what the city has to offer and then plan your own itinerary from there. You can really see all of the top sites in two days if you are an active traveler and plan your time well. Regardless of what you want to see in the city be sure to plan additional days for side trips to the countryside.
Some of the top day trips outside of the city include the fairy tale castles of Mad King Ludwig, like Neuschwanstein, the castle that inspired Disney. Or you may enjoy a visit to Salzburg, across the border in Austria, home of Mozart and the filming location for much of The Sound of Music. We have enjoyed both in the past.
This trip we scheduled a day trip to Nuremburg to wander its Old Town along with a solemn visit to the Nazi Rally Grounds. We also drove to Berchtengaden, through glorious countryside and up into the Alps, which included a stop at the Eagle’s Nest, another somber relic from the Second World War.
Perhaps you would prefer a more light-hearted trip along the Romantic Road to the well preserved and picturesque town of Rothenberg, or a day trip to German’s highest peak, Zugspitze for a view over the Alps.
Whatever you choose to do with your time in Bavaria it will no doubt be one of your travel highlights.