Beer-Free Bavaria - What else to do!
- Lucy and the lens
- Sep 9, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2018
If we're playing word association, when most people hear the word 'Bavaria' they probably conjure up a mental image of gigantic beer steins clinking together at the Munich Hofbrauhaus. Not surprisingly, my first experience of Bavaria back in 2008 was EXACTLY this and not much else, really!
Ten years later, and after having been living in Germany (Cologne) for three years at this point, I returned to the Hofbrauhaus in Munich and my immediate thought was - is it always this busy and loud? My second thought was - why are the beers so big? (In Cologne, kolsch beer is served in tiny 200ml glasses for maximum coldness!)
So my husband and I are now on a mission to explore Bavaria from a different perspective - we've made a good start, but there's still a lot more to do! Here are our experiences so far.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
This place isn't exactly a big secret, but it's so darn charming it's one of the few places where the crowds don't bother me. Perfect for a day trip (it's really not that big!), every street is a fairytale scene. The town square is a typical Bavarian gathering place, complete with a giant clock with figures that animate every hour, and every street that branches off from it is a pleasure to stroll down.
Rothenburg o.d.t (as it gets shortened to) boasts the famous Kathe Wolfhardt Christmas shop - it's a joy to walk through at any time of year, and for a couple of euros you can also visit their Christmas museum!
Climbing the old town walls is a must - we started from just outside the old town, giving us beautiful views back across the whole of the old town, then walked all the way to the other side, which hit us with even more fantastic views, thanks to the crescent-like shape of the old town.
Finally, eating schneeballen is a vital element of a trip to R.o.d.T. Make sure you choose the right ones, though - they vary in quality, and a dry or chewy one can really ruin your day! We love the ones from Diller's Schneeballen (they have a larger premises with a cafe inside, called Diller's Schneeballentraum, but for a quick, less-busy stop we like the little to-go kiosk hidden behind the big red house on the square - I don't know why, they just taste better to us!) Finding this little kiosk also leads you to this deserted street below! Most visitors stick to the main square, so wander a little further to find quieter spots to eat your to-go schneeball!
Bamberg
Bamberg is a less busy, but equally charming alternative to Rothenburg - you'll see the same fairytale buildings, with the added bonus of a river running through it! When we visited, we got caught out by rainy weather, but if you visit in September or October, look out for federweisser - a sweet, yeast-based wine made from end-of-the-season grapes. The interesting thing about it is that, because of the yeast, it can't be sealed and instead just has a loosely-fitting top, and has to be sold and carried upright. (Incidentally, we bought some in Netto the other day and the checkout assistant, not clocking what it was, laid it down on its side after scanning it. Cue federweisser explosion on the conveyer belt.) Due to the rain, we basically enjoyed a federweisser tour of Bamberg.
3. Wurzburg
I will remember Wurzburg for having the most beautiful free gardens I've ever strolled through. Find them behind the royal Residence Building and spend a couple of hours there wandering around its beautifully landscaped grounds. Even in October, it was beautiful, so I can imagine it's pretty mindblowing in spring and summer.
Also worth setting a few hours aside for is the walk up the hill to Wurzburg Fortress. The views from the top are stunning - of both the surrounding vineyards and the town of Wurzburg itself.
4. Neuschwanstein Castle
This one is a given, really, and I can't say anything about it that hasn't already been said many times before. We visited in winter, which I recommend as it looks absolutely perfect covered in snow. My only regret is that the walking trail that offers amazing views of the castle from across a valley was closed due to snow.
5. Extreme sledding in the Bavarian Alps near Munich
Visit the mountains near Blomberg (about an hour's drive from Munich) and you can take one of the most extreme sledding runs of your life! A 5km long track with little to no barriers to stop you from shooting off the edge into the forest beyond (trust me, I know this from experience!), it's one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done.
You can ride as many times as you like - just hire a sled and buy a lift pass and away you go! At the top of the mountain, there is a restaurant with stunning views over the Bavarian Alps.
6. Berchtesgaden
An alpine resort town with a lot of history! Best known for being Hitler's favourite holiday getaway (you can visit his Eagle's Nest stronghold on top of a mountain), Berchtesgaden is also one of the best places to view the mighty Watzmann Mountain, the third highest in Germany.
Things to do in the area include a boat tour of iconic lake Konigssee, visits to the mountain-flanked pilgrimage churches of Maria Gern and Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, and a stroll around the crystal-clear lake Hintersee. Click here for my itinerary for 48 hours in Berchtesgaden for more details on all these adventures!
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