Upper Bavaria

Upper Bavaria, centred on Munich, stretches from the Altmühl Valley in the north to the Alpine landscapes of the Zugspitze and the Königssee in the south.

This region corresponds to Upper Bavaria in the division used by the Bavarian tourism board, and is defined as the whole Upper Bavaria administrative district, including the three independent cities of Munich, Ingolstadt and Rosenheim and 20 districts such as Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Berchtesgadener Land, Starnberg and Eichstätt. To the west, the Lech river area separates it from Allgäu/Bavarian Swabia; to the northeast it adjoins Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate (Eastern Bavaria); to the north it borders Middle Franconia (Franconia); and to the south and east it borders Austria. The district of Eichstätt (the Altmühl Valley) belongs to this region administratively.

Highlights: in Munich, Marienplatz and the New Town Hall, the Residenz, Nymphenburg Palace, the English Garden and the Royal Hofbräuhaus, plus the annual Oktoberfest; the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial; the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, and the Eibsee; the Königssee with the church of St. Bartholomä, and the Eagle’s Nest; Lake Chiemsee, with Herrenchiemsee Palace, and Linderhof Palace; Oberammergau’s painted houses and Passion Play; the violin-making town of Mittenwald; Lake Starnberg and Lake Tegernsee; the pilgrimage site of Altötting; and the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt.

Classic itinerary: 2–3 days in Munich, a day trip to the Zugspitze or the Königssee, then Lake Chiemsee or Linderhof Palace, for 5–6 days in total.

Getting there: Munich Airport is the gateway, and regional trains reach Garmisch, Berchtesgaden, Rosenheim and other places.

Note: Mountain weather is changeable, and the Zugspitze cable car and Königssee boats run less often in winter; book rooms in advance during Oktoberfest.

Destinations

Itineraries