Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [247]
Slicing through western Bavaria is Germany’s most popular holiday route – the Romantic Road. This trail of walled towns and ancient watchtowers culminates in the world’s most famous castle, King Ludwig II’s dreamy Neuschwanstein. From there the northern reaches of the Alps extend for 250km of show-stopping scenery that has hikers and skiers on cloud nine.
But Munich is Bavaria’s real heart and soul. It’s a chic metropolis, yet a laid-back place that manages to combine Alpine air with Mediterranean joie de vivre. But wherever your Bavarian travels take you, expect oceans of beer served with legendary, thigh-slapping hospitality.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Mine’s a Stein Go frothy at the mouth in one of Munich’s famous beer halls Click here
Bavaria from Above Rack and pinion your way to the top of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak Click here
Get Loopy Go full circle around the town walls of dinky Dinkelsbühl
Leafy Escape Hit the trail through the wilds of the Bavarian Forest
Bird’s-Eye View Soar to the Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden
Palatial Perfection Indulge your romantic fantasies at sugary Schloss Neuschwanstein
POPULATION: 12.5 MILLION
AREA: 70,549 sq km
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History
For centuries Bavaria was ruled as a duchy in the Holy Roman Empire, a patchwork of nations that extended from Italy to the North Sea. In the early 19th century, a conquering Napoleon annexed Bavaria, elevated it to the rank of kingdom and doubled its size. The fledgling nation became the object of power struggles between Prussia and Austria and, in 1871, was brought into the German Reich by Bismarck.
Bavaria was the only German state that refused to ratify the Basic Law (Germany’s near-constitution) following WWII. Instead, Bavaria’s leaders opted to return to its prewar status as a ‘free state’, and drafted their own constitution. Almost ever since, the Land has been ruled by the Christlich-Soziale Union (CSU), the arch-conservative party that is peculiar to Bavaria. Its dominance of a single Land’s (state’s) politics is unique in postwar Germany, though Bavarian state elections in 2008 saw the party lose 17% of its vote. Its sister party, the CDU, operates in the rest of the country by mutual agreement.
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Getting There & Around
Munich is Bavaria’s main transport hub, second only to Frankfurt in flight and rail connections. Rail is the best way to reach Munich from other parts of Germany, and the best means of getting from the Bavarian capital to other parts of Bavaria. Air links within Bavaria are much less extensive.
Without your own set of wheels in eastern Bavaria and the Alps, you’ll have to rely on bus services, which peter out in the evenings and at weekends. Trips along the Romantic Road are done by tour bus, although again a car is a better idea. Several long-distance cycling routes cross Bavaria and the region’s cities are some of the most cycle-friendly in the world, so getting around on two wheels could not be easier.
If you’re travelling in a group, or can assemble one (as many people do predeparture), you can make enormous savings with the Bayern-Ticket (€28). This allows up to five adults unlimited travel on one weekday from 9am to 3am, or from midnight to 3am next day on weekends. It’s good for 2nd-class rail travel across Bavaria (regional trains only, no ICs or ICEs) as well as most public transport.
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Accommodation
DJH youth hostels in Bavaria accept guests aged over 27 (who pay a €4 surcharge), although priority is still given to younger travellers. Independent, all-age hostels in Munich, Nuremberg, Bamberg and Würzburg are a less institutional alternative.
Bavaria’s parks are generally open to free camping. Parks such as the Altmühltal Nature Park restrict camping to designated