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Bavaria: Take a road trip through the German region that has everything

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  • Bavaria's greenery (although it pays a heavy price for such greenery: In the spring and summer, you can expect to see a lot of rain) gives it a fairytale look, even without the castles. But there are castles, just about everywhere you look. No trip is complete without a trip to Schloss Neuschwanstein, located about an hour from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the famous castle that inspired Walt Disney. https://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/idea/index.htm.” data-id=”110629755″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/22066_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10629755″/>
    Photo Credit: Caroline Linton
  • https://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/index-e.html. Children under 12 must be accompanied by adults. Dachau was not the only concentration camp in the region: In nearby Flossenbürg, by the Czech border, there is a memorial to the concentration camp there, which opened in 1938 for the purpose of extracting granite from the nearby quarry. Flossenbürg had nearly nearly 100,000 prisoners, at first only criminals, “asocials” and homosexuals, but later the camp grew to imprison political prisoners from all over the Third Reich and eventually Jews sent on death marches from other camps. Although only the guard towers and the crematorium remained after 1946, a haunting permanent exhibition opened at the camp in 2010 to honor and remember the victims of Flossenbürg and its 90 subcamps in Bavaria. For more information, go to https://www.gedenkstaette-flossenbuerg.de/en/home/ Children under 12 must be accompanied by adults.” data-id=”110629772″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/22069_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10629772″/>
    Photo Credit: Caroline Linton
  • Located near the Czech and Austrian borders, the Bavarian Forest looks like something out of a storybook. The Bavarian Forest region is about 90 miles long and 30 miles wide. Recognizing its significance, the Bavarian Forest National Park became the first national park in Germany in 1970. At the Falkenstein Visitors' Center, there are trails and animals that can come right up to you. There are several dedicated hiking trails, including the Lusen Hiking Area, the Großer Falkenstein and the Rachel Hiking Area, near the park's only glacial lake, Lake Rachelsee. For a peak into what an unpopulated Germany would look like, the Bavarian Forest is a must. For more information, go to https://www.nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.de/english/index.htm.
    Photo Credit: Caroline Linton
  • Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, is located near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a German ski resort in southern Bavaria. In the winter, the mountains are perfect for skiing and the lengthy rainy season makes the mountains perfectly green in the spring and summer. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, ritzy resort town at the base of the Alps, made headlines as the site of the G7--and it served as the backdrop of a photo of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Obama went viral. The two towns were united in 1935 by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Winter Olympics, and despite being frequently shortened to
    Photo Credit: Caroline Linton
  • Nuremberg, one of the most important cities in the medieval Holy Roman Empire, is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Built up by Hitler and the site where the infamous Nuremberg laws against Jews were announced, Nuremberg was heavily bombed in World War II and 90% of its Old Town was ruined. The city has rebuilt what it can, including the Imperial Castle, which dates back to at least 1050. The Gothic and Romanesque sections survived World War II and the castle has since been rebuilt and opened a permanent exhibition in 2013. It now serves as a history museum and offers panoramic views of Nuremberg. For more information, go to: https://www.kaiserburg-nuernberg.de/englisch/castle/. At the base of the Imperial Castle is artist Albrecht Dürer's house, who lived there from 1509 to 1528. Largely forgotten until the 19th century when renewed interest turned the house into a Dürer shrine. It was majorly damaged in World War II, and redesigned museum opened in 1971. For more information, go to: https://museums.nuremberg.de/duerer-house/topics/house.html. Sankt Sebaldus Kirche, the Frauenkirche and St. Lorenz are the three major churches in the city, all of which date back to the Middle Ages. For more recent history, Nuremberg is also home to the Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds, once built for Nazi rallies but now has eerie permanent exhibition called https://museums.nuremberg.de/documentation-centre/index.html. Given its importance in building up the Nazis and their reign of terror, Nuremberg was chosen for the war crime trials of major Nazis after World War II. Courtroom 600 holds guided tours for visitors to see where the SS were brought to justice. For more information, go to: https://www.memorium-nuremberg.de/. For those who are not as interested in history, Nuremberg also is home to the great Christmas markets (or Christkindlesmarkt) held in the Hauptmarkt, the large market square that is also home to the daily Nuremberg market. ” data-id=”110629808″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/22075_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10629808″/>
    Photo Credit: Caroline Linton
  • Located in northern Bavaria, Bayreuth is reminiscent of Austria's fascination with culture and classical music. Bayreuth was home the German composers Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. Liszt died in Bayreuth in 1886, and the Franz Liszt Museum is in the house where he died. The Richard Wagner Museum is also located in his old villa, and the annual Bayreuth Festival is held in Festival Hall and is dedicated to Wagner's works. The city's Margravial Opera House, dating to 1748, is also a museum. Bayreuth is also home to three palaces, the New Palace, Ermeitage, or Old Palace, and the Fantaisie Palace and Garden Museum. Bayreuth's cobblestone streets and walkable tour squares make it a must stop for visitors to Bavaria.
    Photo Credit: Caroline Linton

Germany has plenty of flashy tourist attractions, if you’re into that type of thing. There’s modern Berlin, Gothic Cologne, the painstakingly recreated Dresden and the Old City in Heidelberg, just to name a few.

And then there’s Bavaria. Straddling the borders with Austria and the Czech Republic, Bavaria remained independent of Germany until 1871. A trip to the 20,000-square-mile area can include everything from cities (Munich, Nuremberg) to castles (Neuschwanstein) to stunningly beautiful wildlife (the Alps, the Bavarian forest) to historical sites dating back to medieval times and up to the dark days of World War II.

There are flights from JFK and Newark to Munich and Nuremberge. A car is recommended to get around, especially since a road trip is the best way to take in the small towns.

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