Top Things to do in Bavarian Alps
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10 Things to do in Bavarian Alps That You Shouldn't Miss
Running along Germany’s southern border with Austria, the Bavarian Alps are one of the country’s most beautiful areas. Skiing is, naturally, one of the favorite pastimes. You’ll find Germany’s tallest mountain, Zugspitze, rising more than 9,700 feet in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district (also a great hiking area in summer). Berchtesgadener Land (home to Watzmann, Germany’s third-highest peak) is another major ski area. Hochwanner, the country’s #2 mountain, is also in the Alps.
Restaurants in Bavarian Alps
1. Schloss Linderhof
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,539 reviews
A bizarre, yet glamorous, castle built by King Ludwig II.
Reviewed By David190343 - Wetherby, United Kingdom
Ludwig II's admiration of Louis XIV was played out here in a spectacular fashion. Sumptuous furnishings and decor with gold leaf everywhere in a series of splendid rooms all within a jewel of a building and a lovely setting. Must be seen.
2. Zugspitze
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,079 reviews
At nearly 10,000 feet, Germany's highest peak is a popular ski area during the winter and a challenging hiking trail during the rest of the year.
Reviewed By monideepad - Bangalore District, India
My son and I were visiting my sister and family at Erlangen. We planned a day-trip to Zugspitze. So, it was my sister, brother-in-law, niece,nephew, my son and me. We were joined by my sister’s friend, her husband and daughter... We took the train from Erlangen to Nürnberg as early as 7am. We then took the train from Nürnberg to München and changed to another train from München to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. After that, we took the cogwheel train from Zugspitzbahnhof to Gletscherbahnhof located at the height of 2,588 metres above sea level. We walked to the south part of the mountain which is the Zugsitzplatt, a high ‘karst’ (formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone) plateau with many caves. Three glaciers, the two largest in Germany namely, Northern Schneeferner and Höllentalferner and the third namely, Southern Schneeferner lie on the flanks of Zugspitze. The highest mountain in Germany, Zugspitze was named after the “Zugbahnen” or avalanche paths down the mountain’s notoriously steep north face and summit. Less than two weeks prior to this trip to Zugspitze in the German Alps, my husband, my son and I, had been to two more glaciers, Mt. Titlis and Glacier 3000 in the Swiss Alps. On both occasions, we had met bright, sunny weather. However, at Zugspitze, there was not the faintest sign of the sun. It felt very different and was indeed a welcome change to have good snowfall instead. It felt more like a Winter Wonderland than any other snow clad peak I have visited and I felt very close to Nature. We climbed as high up as the Church Maria Heimsuchung, which stands at the height of almost 3000 metres above sea level, defying sun, storm, wind and snow. I felt that this house of God, standing in solitude, like a sentinel in the vast expanse of snow, provides peace and protection to the skiers and winter sports enthusiasts during their visits to the glacier. On enquiring, I learnt that Catholic and Protestant Mass are celebrated on a regular basis depending on weather conditions. I felt deep reverence, not only for the Creator but also for this tiny little place of prayer as I stood high up in the snow clad mighty mountain with snow flakes falling all over us. The children had put in their snow suits and they paid no heed to the constant drizzle of snowflakes. They were busy swooping down on slides and toboggans; climbing up and sliding down again. We were constantly alert about making it back in time for the train, but we did not want to miss out on going to the Zugspitze summit. So, we made a dash for the Gletscherbahn cable car station from where cable cars runs every 10 minutes between the Zugspitz glacier and the summit. We barely had about 20 minutes to spend at the summit in order to be able to catch the last cable car down. So we rushed out being careful to remain on the German side It is said that on a clear day, four countries : Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland can be seen from the Zugspitze. However, standing in the Zugspitze platform that offered a 360 degrees view, we looked north, south, east and west; but it was too foggy and musty and there coupled with snowfall, the view was totally obscured and we could see nothing beyond a couple of metres. The only regret I felt was that we could not spot the famous golden summit cross. Given a chance, I would have loved taking a picture standing by its side. For our return, we took the aerial tram right upto Garmisch-Partenkirchen and trains to München, Nürnberg and Erlangen respectively.
3. Oberammergau Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 407 reviews
This massive church is frequented visited by Catholic pilgrims.
Reviewed By gfrisch - San Antonio, United States
I visited this church on a rainy day in June.After passing through a grave yard a very old handcrafted door opens into the church.This is a Catholic Church,beautiful Wal paintings with a cupola painted and a Chrystal chandelier hanging down on a long chain.The seats are made of pine and you can tell they have been used for centuries.The altar is decorated in gold and silver and you can tell this is a very rich church.A very nice organ oversees the church and it powerful sound is nice to listen too.It is well worth it to take some time to visit this gem.
4. Karwendelbahn
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 287 reviews
Reviewed By joebQ1979WA
Our visit here was fantastic, even with the weather being a little cloudy at times. The ride in the cable car to the top was an exhilarating adventure in and of itself as I have a fear of heights but man, what a view! Once you reach the top, there's a restaurant if you're hungry, an observation building with a glass wall at the end, and of course numerous trails where you can enjoy the beauty of the Alps first-hand. The trails are varying degrees of difficulty, depending on your skill level and interest. We took it easy and strolled along the trail that straddled the border of Germany and Austria. The variety of wildflowers was just as amazing as the view of the mountains surrounding us. A few items of note if you go: 1. We visited on June 30 and I wore a t-shirt and shorts. While I was perfectly content with the 54 F temperature, my cousins bundled up a bit as the wind was constant at certain points in the trail and made it feel colder than it actually was. You may wish to bring layers unless you're weird like I am and like cooler weather. 2. You can get a 2 Euro refund for the card you're issued when you first purchase your ticket. This card is your electronic entry onto the cable car ascending and descending the mountain. We kept ours not realizing you could turn them back in for re-use. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly happy to have it as a souvenir but some of you may wish to get the Euros to put toward a mug of beer while you're visiting Germany. 3. Although the restaurant does take credit cards, be aware that they only take German ones. I am an American and tried paying with my very-American credit card and the cashier shot me down instantly, saying they would only accept cards from German banks. Luckily, I had cash but if you're a tourist from a different part of the world, carry Euros with you when you come here. This place was great and I would love to go back again.
5. Alpsee Bergwelt
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 221 reviews
Reviewed By karinf743
Family, 2 adults, 2 kids 9 and 10 years old, visited Alpsee Bergwelt in the summer of 2019. Excellent views, excellent nature and a very fun holiday experience to go downhill with the extremely long coaster, probably difficult to experience the same thing elsewhere. The 10 year old kid went alone with the coaster and the 9 year kid went with the father. Everyone enjoyed it a lot and I can truly recommend it. However, important that the kids are mature enough and aware of safety rules, both uphill and downhill.
6. Altstadt (Old Town) Mittenwald
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 546 reviews
Reviewed By 938nikhileshb - Zurich, Switzerland
Mittenwald - lovely little jewel, unspoiled and beautiful. The houses with fresco painting, buzzing bier gardens on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon, the beautiful church, cable car to Karwendel peaks to stand in both Austria and Germany - all this makes make for an unforgettable experience. The old town is straight out of a fairy tale - with its painted building against the backdrop of the Alps, it is breathtakingly beautiful.
7. Max-Josefs-Platz
8. Partnachklamm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,455 reviews
Reviewed By dj22015 - Brisbane, Australia
This walk is ideal for families and others as it is easily accessible via a 1.5km walk along a country road. The gorge itself is a narrow track right beside the gorge and cut into the cliffs, so you can feel and see the power of the water. A must see if you love the power of nature.
9. Leutaschklamm / Geisterklamm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 188 reviews
Reviewed By 411alisons - Durban, South Africa
Although the gorge was officially closed we managed to walk it. Breathtaking views both of the gorge and the bridges .
10. Kurpark Bad Aibling
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