Southern Germany

The two states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, with fairy-tale castles, the Romantic Road, the Black Forest and the Alpine foothills, are Germany’s most popular tourist area.

This region is what Chinese-language travel writing commonly calls “South Germany”, divided by whole federal states, and includes the two states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It borders Hesse (western Germany) and Thuringia and Saxony (eastern Germany) to the north, faces France across the Rhine to the west, and adjoins Switzerland and Austria to the south; Lake Constance is shared by Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Within Bavaria it can be further divided into four tourist regions: Upper Bavaria, Eastern Bavaria, Franconia, and Allgäu/Bavarian Swabia.

Highlights: in Munich, Marienplatz, the Residenz and Oktoberfest; Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles near Füssen; the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, and the Königssee; on the Romantic Road, the Würzburg Residence, Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl and Augsburg; Nuremberg’s Imperial Castle and Christmas market, the Old Town of Bamberg and the Bayreuth Wagner Festival; Regensburg on the Danube and Passau, the “City of Three Rivers”; and in Baden-Württemberg, Heidelberg’s castle and Old Bridge, Stuttgart’s car museums, Freiburg in the Black Forest, Lake Titisee and the Triberg Falls, plus Konstanz on Lake Constance and the flower island of Mainau.

Classic itinerary: 2–3 days in Munich, 1 day at Neuschwanstein, 2–3 days north along the Romantic Road to Würzburg, 2 days in Nuremberg and Bamberg, and 2–3 days in Heidelberg and the Black Forest, for about 10–14 days in total, suited to driving or to train plus bus.

Getting there: Munich and Stuttgart are the main gateways, and Frankfurt is also convenient for the northern section.

Note: Neuschwanstein requires advance booking of a visit time slot; accommodation prices in Munich soar during Oktoberfest.

Destinations

Itineraries

Southern Germany Grand Loop: Frankfurt to Munich – A grand self-drive route connecting Heidelberg, the Black Forest, Lake Constance, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Zugspitze.
Romantic Road Self-Drive: Würzburg to Füssen – Head south from the wine towns on the Main River, past medieval walled towns, to castles at the foot of the Alps
German Alpine Road: Lindau to Berchtesgaden – Drive east from Lake Constance to Lake Königssee along Germany's oldest scenic route.
Germany Grand Rail Loop – Starting and ending in Frankfurt, connect the Rhine, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Rothenburg, and Munich by train.
Munich, Zugspitze & Salzburg Rail Tour – Use Munich as a base to visit castles by train, stay in the mountains to ascend Zugspitze, and end in Salzburg.
Franconian Old Towns and Caves Loop – From Nuremberg to Bamberg, Franconian Switzerland and Bayreuth, with old towns, caves and beer culture
Danube Historic Towns & Bavarian Forest – Explore the historic Danube cities of Regensburg and Passau, then venture into Germany's oldest national park.
Heidelberg, Alsace & Black Forest Railway – A Germany-France border rail loop connecting Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Freiburg.
Black Forest North-to-South Self-Drive – Drive south from the spa town of Baden-Baden along the High Road, passing waterfalls and lakes to Freiburg.
Rhine, Moselle, Saar & Heidelberg – A grand self-drive loop starting from Frankfurt, winding along the Rhine, Moselle, and Saar rivers to Heidelberg.
Lake Constance Boat Tour: Konstanz to Lindau – Explore the German shores of Lake Constance without a car, visiting World Heritage monastic islands, flower islands, an…