Bavarian road trip - Beer, Mountains & Pretzels.

In October, Danny and I visited Bavaria in Germany. It was one of the most beautiful places i have ever visited, with breathtaking scenery around every corner. We both cannot wait to go back and explore the many places we didn't get to see this time round!

Itinerary

Day One

We arrived at Munich airport, excited to get to our first destination of Fussen. We had decided to hire a car and was expecting a Ford Fiesta (or equivalent!) to be told we had a small van that was big enough for us to sleep in. As someone with little experience of driving abroad the thought of driving a minivan on Germany's notorious Autobahn's terrified me! Alas, what we were presented with was not a minivan but a Slovakian box on wheels with a maximum speed of approximately 30mph.

We had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it throughout the trip, however it did get us to and from places in one piece so it can't be that bad.

Fussen is a beautiful town, situated just 1 km away from the Austrian border. For the first night we stayed just outside of Fussen, in a place called Hopfen am See at Hotel Alpengluhn. The views of the lake are equisite and the water is perfectly calm. It is a great place to stay for visiting the famous Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles.

From top to bottom: Hopfen am See, Fussen.

Day 2

On our second day we visited the Neuschwanstein castle. We had reserved our tickets online which seemed a wise idea with how busy it was when we arrived. It is about a 30 minute uphill walk to the castle, with horse and carriage rides being offered. The tour takes around 30 minutes around the beautiful rooms of one of King Ludwigs castles. Only half of the castle has been finished, with most rooms still being renovated.

After our visit to the castle we drove to our next stop, Garmisch Partenkirchen! We stayed in an apartment in a chalet at the bottom of the Alpspitz mountain, a great location and only a stones throw away from the cable car.

From top to bottom: The Neuschwanstein castle and viewing gallery, Alpspitzbahn.

Day 3

We took the Alpspitz cable car, situated right outside our apartment up to the summit of the Alpspitz. There is the Alpspix viewing platform up the top and it is not for those afraid of heights, with a drop of almost 1000 metres below. Danny was brave enough to walk to the end but quickly shuffled off after looking down!

We decided to hike the trail down to the Kreuzeckbahn. We stopped a lot to take in the views, eat our pretzels (what i did for most of the trip) and watch the brave individuals undertaking the Via Ferrata.

From top, middle three, bottom: The Alpspix viewing platform, view from the Alpspitzbahn station, Danny pretending to enjoy a beer!

Day 4

The Partnachklamm is a wonderful 260 m gorge located approximately 20 minutes walk away from the Ski Stadium in Garmisch. It is a small fee to walk through and once out the otherside there are various options. We decided upon hiking to Partnachalm, the steep climb certainly got my blood pumping, but it was well worth it at the top.

We finished our day with a drive to see the emerald green lake Eibsee.

Day 5

We woke early to make the drive to Berchtesgaden. We opted to drive the 3 hour drive through Austria rather than following the German Alpine road. The views were sensational, the drive takes you through Innsbruck and past the alpine resorts of Saint Johann, Ellmau and Soll.

If you choose to take this route make sure that you get an Austrian Autobahn sticker which must be displayed in your window at all times. These are available from petrol stations on the border.

Our accommodation was located in Bischofweisen, a wonderful alpine chalet at the top of a very steep hill, which gave us panoramic views of the whole town. For the Sound of Music fans out there this place is for you!

We visited another local gorge, the Almbachklamm located near the town of Marktschellenberg. At the entrance is Germans oldest marble mill. In my opinion it was far more impressive than the Partnachklamm, but i would highly recommend visiting both. The Almbachkalmm has a total of 27 bridges, steps and tunnels that cross over rapids, waterfalls and through tunnels.

Day 6

Our next stop was to see the Kehlsteinhaus, also known as Eagles Nest, a Third Reich era building built on the summit of mount Kehlstein. The road to the Kehlsteinhaus is a private road and is accessible by using one of the coaches from the parking lot, that are specially designed to navigate the tight hair pin bend. Once at the top an entrance tunnel leads you to the original brass elevator to what is now a privately owned restaurant and to explore the 360 degree panoramic view.

Day 7

Our last day was spent visiting the lake Koenigsee, that lies at the heart of the Berchtesgaden National park and is nestled at the foot of Mount Watzmann. We arrived early in thick fog to hop on one of the electric boats to journey across the emerald green lake to St. Batholomew. During the crossing the guide will play his trumpet to hear the Koenigssee echo from the steep face of the Watzmann.

The Watzmann glacier is accessible from St. Batholomew, with signs leading you to the Eiskapelle (Ice Chapel). It is a fun hike, but perhaps a little challenging and sturdy hiking boots are a must, it is also advisable not to enter the ice chapel itself for obvious reasons.

Day 8

It was time to sadly drop off the Bavarian bus and head home, but not before a stop in Munich to visit its biggest beer hall the Hofbräuhaus and the famous market, Viktualienmarkt..

Camera - Nikon D750

Lenses : Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8, Samyang 24mm f/1.8

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