Bavaria is Germany's most famous vacation region. In winter and summer, visitors from all over the world enjoy the fascinating mountain world, rejoice in living traditions and warm hospitality.
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King Ludwig II of Bavaria and his castles
Bavarian King Ludwig II was born 175 years ago on August 25th. To mark the occasion join us on a photographic tour of his unusual castles, magnificent palaces and secret retreats.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Mayall
Neuschwanstein Castle
Hardly four years into his reign, Ludwig II designed his first castle in 1868 at age 23. Today Neuschwanstein is Germany's most famous castle and a real tourist magnet with some 1.4 million visitors annually. This replica of a medieval castle towers above the town of Schwangau in the Allgäu mountains.
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER
The Concert Hall
This is the largest room in the Neuschwanstein Castle. Inspired by the original in Wartburg Castle, Ludwig had it decorated with scenes from medieval legends. It provided a regal setting for large parties and musical events. Today visitors can enjoy the annual castle concerts.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Michel
Linderhof Palace
This was the shy monarch's favorite retreat. Linderhof is the smallest of his three residences. It was supposed to be a replica of Versailles but the plot was too small. Instead it became a Rococo style palace. Linderhof is celebrating the royal birthday in a romantic way with candles and light shows.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K.J.Hildenbrand
Venus Grotto
Ludwig II devoted a special room to music in the palace. But only the king and his close companions were allowed access to the room. Ludwig used to come here to listen to opera arias. The artificial grotto with a lake and waterfall portrays the stage set for the first act of Wagner's Tannhäuser. Ludwig was a huge fan of Richard Wagner.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. C. Hurek
Rose Island
Ludwig II loved places that guaranteed him seclusion. Like Rose Island in Lake Starnberg. His father, Maximilian II, had a summer house built here called Casino. It is surrounded by a park with a central rose garden. Here Ludwig II was protected from curious glances and enjoyed meeting with his cousin, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Kneffel/
Herrenchiemsee Palace
In 1873 King Ludwig II acquired Herreninsel, an island in Lake Chiemsee. He wanted to build something suitable here that would pay homage to his great idol, France's Louis XIV. A replica of Versailles Palace in Bavaria, this palace was his final and most costly project. Ludwig died in 1886. He did not live to see the palace's completion.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Schrader
Mirror Room
As a perfect replica of Versailles, Herrenchiemsee also has a hall of mirrors, which is 98 meters long, has 17 round windows and the same number of mirrors above them. It also boasts 33 chandeliers and 44 candelabras. It is today the top attraction in the palace and is in fact seven meters longer than the one in Versailles.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Michel
Nymphenburg Palace
Ludwig II did not build Nymphenburg Palace but this is where he was born. Visitors to the palace can visit the room in which he was delivered. During the summer they can glide across the park's canals in a gondola.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Hoppe
The King's House on Schachen
The view is spectacular but the building itself is surprisingly modest. Built at an altitude of 1,866 meters, Ludwig used this as a refuge when he was in the mountains. It can only be reached by a four-hour hike. Typically for Ludwig, he designed something very special.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Wallberg
Turkish Room
The entire first floor of Schachen is in an opulent oriental style. It is in stark contrast to the barren mountain surroundings. Ludwig celebrated several birthdays here. The guests were asked to dress as sultans and kalifs. It gave the events a feel of the Bosporus in the Alps.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Michel
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With an area of more than 7,000 square kilometers (2,700 square miles), Bavaria is Germany's biggest federal state, and no other state embodies so many of the cliches about Germany: from the mountains and their green meadows to the fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, to traditional costumes and Bavarian beer.
Travel tips for Bavaria
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Munich: The state capital
Let your gaze wander over Munich from the church tower at St. Peter's Church, listen to the musicians in the Hofgarten, stroll through the Viktualienmarkt or take a break in one of the beautiful squares — a summer day in Munich can look this wonderful.
Munich: Outdoors and virtually free
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The Lech river
Check-in presenter Lukas Stege tours the mountain river: The Lech river valley features 2,500 meter-tall mountains and the picturesque scenery of the Allgäu, home to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Winter fun on the Zugspitze
The Zugspitze is Germany's highest mountain. The new Eibsee cable car brings guests up to the summit in just 10 minutes. The climb through the Partnachklamm is much more romantic — a winter fairy tale for check-inpresenter Nicole Frölich, who enjoyed this trip to the full before the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis.
Off to the Zugspitze!
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Upper Franconia
This, too, is inseparably linked with Bavaria: culinary delights. In Upper Franconia in northern Bavaria there are said to be the highest number per capita of butchers, confectioners and breweries in the world! Check-in presenter Lukas Stege thought that was a good reason to go and discover the region in person and traveled there before the coronavirus crisis.
Upper Franconia for bons vivants
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Augsburg
Flying Guide: Augsburg
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UNESCO World Heritage, a world-renowned marionette theater and more — The Flying Guide shows you Augsburg, one of the oldest cities in Germany, from above!
A highlight in a 360-degree video
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is in northern Bavaria. With its winding lanes, small half-timbered houses and defensive city wall, it's a typical medieval German town.
Use the mouse on your computer or your finger on your smartphone to choose what you want to see. Click on the video and drag the image sections wherever you want. If you are using a PC, use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as a browser. And if you have VR glasses, you can watch the video in virtual reality.
Bavarian cuisine
Every trip also includes sampling the local cuisine. In Bavaria the fare is very hearty! Since you cannot travel to Germany at the moment, let us bring Bavarian cuisine home to you with a recipe to cook for yourself: bread dumplings with mushroom sauce.
How to make Bavarian bread dumplings
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Your trip to Germany
Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We've got them: Tips for Germany — state by state.