Small towns near Munich or Salzburg??

Some logical choices for "somewhere" in between Munich and Salzburg might be Berchtesgaden (although you could see this as a daytrip from Salzburg), Passau, Regensburg, Burghausen, or Landshut.

might be Berchtesgaden (although you could see this as a daytrip from
Salzburg)

Or, you could do Salzburg as a daytrip from Berchtesgaden. I found much more to do and see in Berchtesgaden.

I particularly liked Burghausen. Reit im Winkl is a gorgeous town. Some people might suggest Herrenchiemsee.

Lindau isn't exactly near Munich, but it is someplace worth seeing. In the same direction is the Illertal, Oberstdorf, and Kleinwalsertal. I enjoyed Oberstaufen.

I'd prefer Nördlingen to Dinkelsbühl. It has a more conventional wall and is easier to get to be train.

You can take bus outside of Salzburg Hbf to Bad Ischl....well worth an afternoon's trip

I second what Tom has written, all excellent choices.

Dinkelsbühl, Lindau, and Bamberg are too far off your route and will require you to travel three to four hours by car in each direction, passing not too impressive landscape. Same for Rothenburg o.d.T. Nuremberg three hours, Innsbruck two hours each direction on the autobahn.

Though going to Munich over Innsbruck is a scenic round trip which may be worth it for you. By car, use the back roads from Salzburg south to Bischofshofen, Saalfelden, Zell am See (pretty little town) and Hall in Tirol (picturesque town just before Innsbruck), Innsbruck. Then go to Munich by Mittenwald or Achenwald, these routes are more scenic than the one over Garmisch. It takes you about a day to do this trip, including stops in Zell am See and Hall in Tirol.

I see suggestions for using a car.

Perhaps they interpreted what you meant when you wrote the confusing (I'm sure fumble fingered)

I don't plan on renting a car, so I will not be taking the train/bus

so it seems that you're not renting a car nor are you taking a train/bus.

Some can see that you are renting a car, some can see that as taking trains and buses. Can you clarify please?

I think that you want a medieval place close to Munich, however you get there. The other places are either too far (mostly) or rebuilt and not original.

So how are you getting around?

Thank you all for the responses. I won't be renting a car (will be taking buses/trains), so unfortunately some of these sights won't be easily accessible. I will have to save them for my future Zurich -> Germany trip!

Check out this thread from last year for ideas: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/medieval-towns-around-munich

One option that is not usually mentioned on this site is Wasserburg am Inn. It's easily reachable by train from Salzburg (under two hours with a change in Rosenheim) and very easy to continue to Munich by direct train in just under one hour.

http://www.wasserburg.de/en/touristik/impressionen/

Quotes from the website:

• "The almost completely preserved medieval old town of Wasserburg is altogether, a first class attraction."
• "A first glimpse of the town impresses immediately. Almost an island, practically surrounded by the river Inn with its steep cliffs, Wasserburg appears quite extraordinary. On entering the town, the visitor has the feeling of entering a fairy tale world. A town with pastel coloured walls, archways and battlements, a gateway and mighty fortress – who hasn´t imagined and painted a town like this as a child? "

It is very compact and easily walked in a day and definitely not on the "Rothenbur" or "Füßen" touristy spectrum.

DJ

I won't be renting a car (will be taking buses/trains), so
unfortunately some of these sights won't be easily accessible.

I think everything I've seen mentioned here is easily accessible by train and/or bus, most places by the train alone.

I've been to just about everywhere people have mentioned here, and I've never rented a car.

For instance, Munich to Reit im Winkl, according to ViaMichelin, takes 1:36 by car (if no traffic tie-ups on the A8). Going by train to Prien a Chiemsee and going by bus from there takes 2:01. But the scenery from Prien to Reit is worth seeing, something you can do better from a bus.

I second Wasserburg am Inn, too. Also see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserburg_am_Inn

Thanks everyone for the response. Really appreciate it.

I looked into the small towns you all recommended and found out that not many have hostels. I will be traveling alone, so I might save those small towns for Zurich -> Munich Alps trip in 2019 (Cuzco/Machu Picchu is 2017, Portugal + Croatia is 2018).

I think I have narrowed it down to either Hallstatt or Innsbruck. I know the weather won't be ideal, but Hallstatt has been on my to-go list, and I feel torn not stopping by it. However, I'm leaning towards Innsbruck because there is a direct train from Salzburg, and there is a hostel 10 mins from the train station in the center of town. Then, I'll take the train, stop by at Mittenwald for the afternoon, and then take the train to Munich. What do you guys think? For some reason, I don't think Innsbruck is recommended often online.

If you guys would vote, where would you go? Hallstatt or Innsbruck in early December?

Re the voting: I vote for Innsbruck