How To Spend A Long Weekend In The Bavarian Alps
Updated: Jun 15
Tired? Need to recharge your batteries? What about spending a few days in the Bavarian Alps? In this post, you will find a perfect itinerary for your 3-4 day trip in the beautiful area of Southern Germany.
Let's get started with planning your perfect long weekend in the Bavarian Alps!
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a picturesque town located in Bavaria near the border with Austria. Garmisch and Partenkirchen were two separate towns merged in 1935 for the Winter Olympics held that year. The city is known for its stunning natural surroundings, including the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.
This place is rather popular among tourists, thus the prices in Garmish itself are quite high. I would recommend checking the hotels in the surroundings, for example, in the Klais area - we stayed in this lovely guest house, and it was much cheaper than staying in Garmisch.
The distance between Garmisch and Klais is around 10 km, and you can cover it either by train, car, or bike (this option is highly recommended), enjoying the stunning mountain views.
After you have enjoyed your morning coffee and explored the area where you are staying, explore Garmisch in the afternoon. Take a stroll along Ludwigstrasse, the historic street in the heart of Garmisch. Admire the Bavarian architecture, browse through the shops, and admire views of Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany.
If you have time, take a trip to the Zugspitze: you can take the cogwheel train or the cable car to the summit, and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the Alps. Alternatively, you can drive or take a short bus ride to the Partnach Gorge, where you can hike through the gorge, which is a natural wonder with stunning rock formations and a river running through it.
Make sure you have time to come back to Garmisch for dinner in one of the traditional restaurants to try local Bavarian cuisine. Check out Hofbräustüberl Garmisch in the historical centre, for example, and walk through this charming town under the moonlight.
Füssen
The next destination, where you can spend a further 1-2 nights, is Füssen - a charming town in Bavaria, known for its beautiful historic centre and its proximity to the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. The distance between Garmisch and Füssen is around 56 km, it's fast and easy to cover by car or train. We managed to combine trains and folding bikes - I covered our journey in my other post. Check out the view from our train! Incredible, isn't it?
Füssen is a quite popular place among tourists, which drives high prices for accommodations, similar to Garmisch. I recommend to consider staying in small towns and villages nearby, for example, in Seeg, where we stayed in a nice guest house.
If possible, I recommend coming to Füssen in the first half of the day, to be able to enjoy your time in this charming town. Take a stroll through Füssen's picturesque old town, admiring the well-preserved medieval buildings, colourful facades, and charming streets.
Do not forget to visit the Hohes Schloss, also known as the High Castle, the former summer residence of the Lord Bishops of Augsburg and one of Swabia's largest and best-preserved late-gothic castle complexes. This castle also houses the Füssen branch of the Bavarian State Collections of Paintings and Sculptures.
Forggensee & Hopfensee
If you are lucky with the weather do not miss visiting the famous lakes around Füssen, such as Hopfensee (5 km from the town) and Forggensee (6 km). Both lakes are amazing, and they are known for their stunning Alpine scenery, crystal-clear waters, and a wide range of activities that you can do: hiking, cycling, and swimming.
Forggensee can offer you even more - for example, the views of the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, that attract millions of tourists each year.
Fairytale Castles & Charming Lake
Both castles are located super close to Fussen: 3.7 km to Neuschwanstein and 3.9 km to Hohenschwangau. Why there castles are so famous?
Let's start with the most well-known caste - Neuschwanstein. Its construction began in 1869 upon the order of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as the "Mad King". The castle is indeed very impressive: it's a prime example of 19th-century Romantic architecture, featuring a mix of medieval and fantasy elements.
The second castle, Hohenschwangau, was acquired by King Maximillian II of Bavaria (the father of Ludwig II), who made this castle the home of his family. Ludwig II, who ordered the construction of Neuschwanstein castle, spent his childhood there, and this experience had a significant influence on his later architectural and artistic endeavours.
I recommend combining the visit to these castles in one day, as they are super close to each other, however, I would suggest avoiding visiting this place during the high touristic season (July-August), as both castles are very popular and full of visitors all around the world. Alternatively, you can try to come in the morning, but if you do not have time and cannot come super early, then I would suggest leaving the visits to the castles to your next trip to Bavaria and exploring the lake Alpsee instead.
Alpsee is a stunning mountain lake located close to both castles, known for its crystal-clear waters and the picturesque Alpine scenery. The lake offers a range of outdoor activities: you can even rent a paddleboat to explore the lake at your place. Also, you can explore one of the numerous walking paths that encircle the lake, allowing visitors to stroll around while enjoying the natural beauty of this area.
Also, if you like cycling, then I recommend you either take your bike with you - here I'm sharing the experience of exploring Bavaria by bike - or rent it in Fussen, for example. You can cycle from Fussen to both lakes, take a ride around the Alpsee Lake, enjoying the stunning views of both castles and the Alps, and get back to Fussen via Schwangau, where you can observe Neuschwanstein castle from a different perspective and find a nice church of St. Coloman surrounded by local cows.
I hope this small itinerary will inspire you to explore this charming region of Bavaria, and you will find the above recommendation useful. For more inspiration and travel ideas, welcome to my Instagram account, where I cover more destinations in Europe and share more nice pictures, recommendations, hints & tips.
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