Beautiful, romantic, energetic, magnificent. The Bavarian Alps is all of these. And much, much more.
Just sixty minutes away from the Bavarian capital of Munich the southern German Alps are a magnet for tourists who come to marvel at the delightful local chalets and the fairytale castles of King Ludwig ll; nature lovers who marvel at the clean air, beautiful lakes and stunning countryside; and winter sport lovers who hurtle down the slopes on ski’s and snow boards.
The endearing image of this part of the world is probably quintessential chalets and local people in their traditional Tracht costumes, wandering cowherds and incredibly beautiful mountains and forest.
Stretching from the almost Mediterranean town of Lindau in the west to the national park of Berchtesgadener Land in the east the Bavarian Alps is the stunning natural border line between southern Germany and Austria.
For anyone visiting the region the first port of call must be the gorgeous Alpine town of Oberammergau. Home of the world famous Oberammergau Passion Play many of the towns pretty houses are adorned with brightly painted frescoes. And, if you are looking for traditional German wood carving than Oberammergau Germany is definitely the place to be.
Close by to Oberammergau are two more places that are most certainly worth seeing for the Alpine tourist. To the south is the skiers paradise of Garmisch-Pertenkirchen whilst to the west is the Schlob Linderhof.
The Linderhof Palace is in complete contrast to the high octane ski resort. This is one of the fairytale castles built by King Ludwig ll of Bavaria and is well worth a visit even if just to see the amazing furnishings in this opulent home.
Garmisch-Pertenkirchen is the place to be for ski enthusiasts and the pair of villages that have merged together over the years is truly spectacular. The villages are at the foot of the spectacular Wetterstein mountain range and the cable car ride from Garnisch to the summit of the Zugspitze (2963 metres) is absolutely amazing and a highly recommended experience.
For those looking for somewhere a little off the beaten track Mittenwald is a lovely little town and the Kerwendl mountain that towers over it is just as spectacular as the Zugspitze.
One of the most outstandingly beautiful parts of the Bavarian Alps is the national park of Berchtesgadener Land.
Steeped in history and mythology, studded with spectacular mountains and glittering lakes is usually crammed with tourists but is somewhere you should try to see. One must do activity for tourists to the area iis to visit the Salzberwerk, a salt mine that provides the ultimate visitors experience.
To the east of the town of Berchtesgadener is where Hitler built his Berghof and was the site of the Eagles Nest. This area is very commercialised but is outstandingly beautiful.