Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [280]
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Eating
Alter Wirt ( 965 6990; Kirchplatz 9, Bernau; mains €7-15, children’s menu €3-7; closed Mon) This massive half-timbered inn with five centuries of history, situated on the main drag through Bernau, serves up Bavarian meat slabs and international favourites to a mix of locals and tourists.
Badehaus ( 970 300; Rathausstrasse 11, Bernau; mains €7-16) Near the Chiemsee Info-Center and the lakeshore, this contemporary beer hall and garden has quirky decor and gourmet fare enjoyed by a mix of locals and visitors. A special attraction is the ‘beer bath’, a glass tub filled (sometimes) with a mix of beer and water.
Westernacher am See ( 4722; Seestrasse 115, Prien; mains €8-16) This lakeside dining haven has a multiple personality, with a cosy restaurant, cocktail bar, cafe, beer garden and glassed-in winter terrace. Its speciality is modern twists on old Bavarian favourites. They also have spacious double rooms (€90) with splendid views of the Chiemsee.
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Getting There & Around
Prien and Bernau are served by hourly trains from Munich (€15.20, one hour). Hourly RVO bus 9505 connects the two lake towns.
Local buses run from Prien Bahnhof to the harbour in Stock. You can also take the historic Chiemseebahn (1887), the world’s oldest narrow-gauge steam train (one-way €3.30; May-Sep).
Chiemsee Schifffahrt ( 6090; www.chiemsee-schifffahrt.de; Seestrasse 108) operates hourly ferries from Prien with stops at Herreninsel, Fraueninsel, Seebruck and Chieming on a schedule that changes seasonally. You can circumnavigate the entire lake and make all these stops (getting off and catching the next ferry that comes your way) for €12.40. Children aged six to 15 get a 50% discount.
Chiemgauer Radhaus ( 4631; Bahnhofsplatz 6, Prien) and Chiemgau Biking ( 691 7613; Chiemseestrasse 84, Bernau) hire out mountain bikes for €16 and €22 respectively per day.
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THE ROMANTIC ROAD
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Two million people ply the Romantic Road (Romantische Strasse) every year, making it by far the most popular of Germany’s holiday routes. That means lots of signs in English and Japanese, tourist coaches and kitsch galore. For the most part the trail rolls through pleasant, if not spectacular, landscape that links some of the most picturesque towns in Bavaria and the eastern fringes of Baden-Württemberg.
Despite the hordes of visitors, it’s worth falling for the sales pitch – you won’t be alone, but you certainly won’t be disappointed. For the best trip, pick and choose your destinations carefully, or risk an overdose of the incredible medieval architecture.
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Orientation & Information
The Romantic Road runs north–south through western Bavaria, covering 420km between Würzburg and Füssen near the Austrian border. It passes through more than two dozen cities and towns, including Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl and Augsburg.
Each town en route has its own local tourist office, in addition to the central Romantic Road tourist office ( 09851-551 387; www.romantischestrasse.de; Segringerstrasse 19) in Dinkelsbühl.
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Getting There & Away
Though Frankfurt is the most popular gateway for the Romantic Road, Munich is a good choice as well, especially if you decide to take the bus (see also opposite).
BICYCLE
With its gentle gradients and bucolic flavour between towns, the Romantic Road is ideal for the holidaying cyclist. Bikes can be hired at many train stations; tourist offices keep lists of bicycle-friendly hotels that permit storage, or check out Bett und Bike (089-5586 9010; www.bettundbike.de) predeparture.
BUS
Half a dozen daily buses connect Füssen and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (€9.40, all via Neuschwanstein and most also via Schloss Linderhof). There are also several connections between Füssen and Oberstdorf (via Pfronten or the Tirolean town of Reutte).
BerlinLinienBus ( 030-860 6211; www.berlinlinienbus.de)