Bavarian Alps, Germany

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Bavaria is a magical place, with hilltops,
lakes and castles that seem to have
inspired Walt Disney
WHY GO?
For many, the Bavarian Alps represents the picturebook Germany of yore – mountain villages, glittering
lakes and spectacular castles. While hikers and skiers
are in their element, there’s as much to be said for
idling in a biergarten with lederhosen-clad locals.
WHAT IS THERE TO DO?
MINI GUIDE December 2012
Bavarian Alps,
Germany
The scenery here is the kind that will make
you want to take a photograph just so
you can make it your desktop wallpaper.
Visit the picturesque lakes and mountains
this place has on display, before donning
your crown for a castle tour. When you’re
all out of magic, hunker down with
a cold pitcher of beer and let the charm
of Bavaria roll over you, much like
the rolling hills.
Left: Schloss Neuschwanstein
Right: A pint of that Bavarian
specialty, weissbier
See & do
Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines
BEST FOR SCENERY 1
The Berchtesgadener Land
is splendid with its jagged
mountains, onion-domed
churches and the Königssee
Lake. The bus from Berchtesgaden
to the Kehlsteinhaus offers
some of the best views
on your way to the site
of Hitler’s infamous Eagle’s
Nest residence (nationalparkberchtesgaden.de).
BEST FOR HISTORY 2
King Ludwig II of Bavaria ordered
the construction of Schloss
Neuschwanstein in the late
19th century in homage
to composer Richard Wagner
(00-49-8362-8870; neuschwan
stein.de; check website for
timings; ` 840 adult, child free).
BEST FOR WALKING 3
The ski resort of GarmischPartenkirchen is also the
gateway to many of the best
walking trails. Wander the
Alpspitze slopes or stroll the
narrow Partnach gorge. The local
tourist office has information
on routes (gapa.de).
Sleep
St Bartholomä Church on the
shores of the Königssee Lake
BEST FOR LAKES 4
The mountain-fringed Chiemsee
is the biggest of the lakes across
the region. Visit another of
Ludwig’s flamboyant palaces on
Herreninsel (chiemsee-schifffahrt.
de; ` 530 adult, ` 250 child).
BEST FOR PIETY 5
In 1634, Oberammergau folk
swore they’d stage a passion play
every decade if they survived the
bubonic plague. They did, and
now a theatre and museum trace
the history (00-49-8229-4136;
oberammergaumuseum.de;
Doifstrasse, 8; Oberammergau;
check website for timings;
` 420 adult, ` 140 child).
Owned by the same family
for 100 years, Hotel Bavaria 6
in Berchtesgaden offers
traditionally decorated rooms,
some fitted with beamed ceilings
and sturdy four-poster beds
(00-49-8652-9661; hotelbavaria.
net; Sunklergässchen, 11,
Berchtesgaden; from ` 6,300
with breakfast).
Murnau’s Am Eichholz
Galerie & Art-Hotel 7 takes
its cue from the artists who made
this small town famous – notably
Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele
Münter – with splashes of colour
and original artwork throughout
(00-49-8841-5863; ameichholz.de;
Am Eichholz, 21; from ` 8,400
with breakfast).
Inselhotel zur Linde 8
is a 600-year-old hotel on the
island of Fraueninsel in the
Chiemsee. Bear in mind that
you’ll need to catch the ferry
from Gstaad to get there
(00-49-8054-90366; lindefrauenchiemsee.de; Fraueninsel
im Chiemsee; from ` 8,500
with breakfast).
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Am Eichholz Galerie & Art-Hotel is
decorated with original artwork
Feng shui meets Bavarian
rusticity at Relais-Chalet
Wilhelmy 9 , an eco-friendly
hotel along the Tegernsee.
The green ethos extends from
organic meals to green cleaning
products (00-49-8022-98680;
relais-chalet.com; Freihausstrasse,
15; from ` 11,800).
Reindl’s Partenkirchner Hof 10
is an institution in Garmisch
Partenkirchen with wellappointed rooms with folkthemed elegance and
gobsmacking mountain views
(00-49-8821-943870; reindls.de;
Bahnhofstrasse 15, GarmischPartenkirchen; from ` 13,000).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
MINI GUIDE
Bavarian Alps, Germany
Getting around
See
Eat & drink
Sleep
Essentials
GETTING THERE
Emirates, Qatar Airways,
Lufthansa, British Airways,
Thai Airways and Air India fly
to Munich from all major Indian
cities. Return fares start
from ` 44,000. From Munich
Hauptbahnhof, trains run south
to Garmisch-Partenkirchen every
90 minutes (deutschebahn.de).
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Eat & drink
Fancy a curry?
A 300-year-old Bavarian pub,
Braüstüberl 11 in GarmischPartenkirchen certainly looks
the part, with a painted façade,
waitresses wearing dirndls
(traditional Alpine dresses)
and an enormous enamel
coal-burning stove. Choose from
a formidable selection of beers
(00-49-8821-2312; braeustueberlgarmisch.de; Fürstenstrasse, 23;
10am – 10pm; pints of beer
from ` 200).
When you’re halting in Munich,
visit Bratwurstherzl 12 . Organic,
homemade sausages are grilled
on an open fire and are best
enjoyed with cold beer (00-498929-5113; bratwurstherzl.de;
Dreifaltigkeitsplatz, 1; 10am –
11pm Mon – Sat; from ` 400).
Gasthaus zum Hirschberg 13
in Kreuth gives home cooking the
gourmet treatment – antlers bear
down on diners feasting on local
venison, trout and veal (00-498029-315; gasthaus-hirschberg.
de; Nördliche Hauptstrasse 89;
mains from ` 800).
Isi’s Goldener Engel 14
is a favourite with the locals –
the hunting lodge décor mixes
Swagat is situated in an intimate
cellar space decorated with
Indian fabrics, smiling gods and
brass lanterns. The curry is hot
and there’s plenty for vegetarians,
too (00-49-89-470-84844; swagat.
de; Prinzregentenplatz, 13, Munich;
11.30am – 2.30pm and 5.30pm –
1am; mains from ` 800).
Auberge Moar Alm in Bad Tölz
offers cooking classes for groups
and matches frescoes and stag
heads. The operation focuses on
hearty local fare like roast pork,
spätzle, dumplings and schnitzel
(00-49-8821-948-757; restaurantisis-goldener-engel.de; Bankgasse
5; 11.30am – 2.30pm and 5pm –
10pm; mains from ` 900).
Auberge Moar Alm 15
is an emphatically Francophile
restaurant outside the town
of Bad Tölz. The repertoire has
dishes from northern France
among others, including foie gras,
duck confit and crème brûlée
(00-49-8021-520; moar-alm.de;
Holzkirchner Strasse, 14; mains
from ` 1,100).
Veg out
Kao Kao has great ‘Asian
crossover’ meals that are served
to you in a quaint outdoor setting.
Look forward to fresh, pan Asian
food made from the choicest
ingredients, and a great selection
of wine (00-49-8950-5400;
kao-kao.info; Tulbeckstrasse, 9,
Munich; 12pm – 2pm Mon – Thur
and 5pm – 1am daily; mains
from ` 800).
EMBASSY ALERT
Consulate General of India,
Munich
Windenmayerstrasse, 15
Tel: 00-49-3025-7950
cgimunich.com
9.30am – 5.30pm Mon – Fri
WHEN TO GO
Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosts
its Richard Strauss festival in
June (richard-strauss-festival.de),
while the town of Bad Tölz hosts
the Leonhardifahrt horseback
procession in November
(bad-toelz.de).
The spicy curry at Swagat will
warm you up on chilly days
FIND OUT MORE
For more, see Lonely Planet’s
Munich, Bavaria & the Black
Forest or Germany guides,
or download the Bavarian
Alps chapter from
lonelyplanet.com. The website
bavarian-alps.travel is a good
resource for activities in the
region. Read Christopher
McIntosh’s biography of mad
King Ludwig II of Bavaria –
The Swan King (Tauris Parke).
For more details, log on to
lonelyplanet.com
COMPILED BY OLIVER SMITH, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANDREA SCHULTE-PEEVERS AND MARC DI DUCA
PHOTOGRAPHS: 4 CORNERS IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY, HEINZ LEITNER/ 123RF
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