G7 Garmisch June 2022 Mtg...Shift in Plans

I’m going out a bit further than the beautiful Bavarian towns you mention but based on your interests and children’s ages you might consider a 2.5 hour train trip through Bavaria to Lindau on Lake Constance. A family of 4 can travel on a Bayern ticket very inexpensively in one region.

From Lindau you can easily travel to other beautiful lake towns for hiking, biking, vineyard walking, swimming. You can take the extensive ferry system to the flower garden island, Mainau. There is a hops growing region, Tettnang, nearby. There are storks on roofs in villages above Überlingen. There are some significant abbeys and palaces nearby. There is an interesting zeppelin museum in Friedrichshafen. A UNESCO waterfront open air museum exists in Unteruhldingen for the prehistoric lake dwellers who once lived in this area.

From Lindau you can visit Austria and hike from the lifts above Bregenz. You can see the snow covered Alps across the lake. Another lake town we’ve enjoyed is the partially walled and towered, Überlingen with a miles long lake promenade, gardens, restaurants, gelato cafes.

Perhaps getting this far away will remove you from the June G7 and Oberammergau Passion Play hotel users.

One of our favorite parts of our trip was our stay in the Berchtesgaden area. We went from Munich to there and stayed for four nights. I'll have to find the name of the family friendly bed and breakfast that we stayed in. It had breathtaking views, amazing food, and very affordable prices. We didn't spend a lot of time in Berchtesgaden itself, but as I recall it's a smaller, nice town. While en route we stopped at the Andechs Monastery, which was nice and had a fantastic lunch on their restaurant patio. While in the Berchtesgaden area, we took a cable car up Mt. Jenner, took in the views of the Alps and hiked back down. Another day we took a boat on the Königssee to Saint Bartholomä Church and hiked and swam in the area. The last day we took a day trip to Salzburg and did a biking tour. So lots of active options to suit the kids. There's also the Eagles Nest and some bunkers (I think) if you are interested in history. We opted to skip that since we'd gone to Dachau in Munich and it was more than enough for us, especially when you are surrounded by such beautiful nature. Berchtesgaden served as a great base and there were plenty of fun things to do in the area, plus it's just beautiful out there!

Thank you both! Now i'm torn between two good new options! :)

In 2017, a friend and I spent 4 nights at Bodensee/Lake Constance followed by 5 nights at Berchtesgaden. We used public transportation to get around Bodensee; we used a rental car to get around Berchtesgaden.

Our base at Bodensee was Meersburg, which has a medieval castle, a nice seaside promenade, and a Bible Museum located in an old Dominican monastery with a 500-year-old fresco on a downstairs wall. Honestly, Lindau was my first choice for a base, but lodging was much cheaper in Meersburg, and I enjoyed my stay there. I liked Bodensee a lot.

While I liked Bodensee, I loved the area around Berchtesgaden. It's gorgeous. I would endorse all the places mentioned by cah2c. We also did a handful of easy hikes in the area, and took a drive on the Rossfeldpanoramastraße. Our base was Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, where we stayed at the gorgeous Anfanglehen; the owner only speaks German, but the pictures give you an idea of the beauty of the area.

David Harper, the owner of the RS-endorsed Eagles Nest Historical Tours, sells a well-worth-the-price guide to Berchtesgaden on his businesses's website: https://www.eagles-nest-tours.com/guide-book/

If you choose Lindau (or any other place around lake Constance) you can use the Bodensee-Ticket, a cheap and convenient way around the Lake valid in all three countries. For train and ship.
https://www.bodensee-ticket.com/en/

Lots of great choices, Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Augsburg (no mountains).

Will the Zugspite, be open due to the G7? If open, consider taking the two day hike up the mountain. I did it twice with my kids (they were a bit older). If they are athletic, they could do it.
If not, take the cable car or cog train.

I was in Garmisch several years ago when this conference was taking place nearby. There was some increased security, but I was able to go to all of the tourist spots that I had wanted to go to.

So much appreciate all the replies! I've been so torn since I was so far along in having the trip all planned by the time this came up.

Carol, that's encouraging but a lot of what i'm finding on Google seems to indicate it was super disruptive near Garmisch and impacted even things as far away as Fussen with the G7 accompanying people (maybe not the leaders themselves?) buying out Neuschanstein tours for multiple days etc. I suppose I'm just worried about the unpredictability of having Fussen-based plans derailed and the general additional influx of people to what I expected would be busy already with Passion Play visitors next year.

I'm leaning at this point toward Berchtesgaden & Salzburg. Although if I keep looking at photos of the Lake Constance area & Meersburg I am sure i'll get split in 2 again!

Edited to add that I just googled Uberlingen and am now tied in knots again re: this area or Berchtesgaden area. :) Oh well, two great options is a much better problem to have than the one I had a few days ago!

Austria Zugspitz Arena- Lemoos, Erwald, Berwang etc. Check the map. Take a look at Austrian Tyrol and Salzburg Bundeslands.

We'd been interested in things like castle ruins (like Ehrenberg), pretty lakes, cable car lifts up the mountains, pretty small towns... I just googled Uberlingen and am now tied in knots again re: this area or Berchtesgaden area.

Our family once spent a peaceful, low-key week in a Ferienwohnung (vacation apartment) on the Höri peninsula Radolfzell, not far from Überlingen, and explored the area. As a couple and their 8-year-old daughter looking for R&R, we found the area was just right and a good area for bicycling. But I'd say that Überlingen (a Kurort - a place that specializes in natural health remedies) and the area more generally are more suitable for the geriatric set. I would think that families with broader interests and activities in mind would prefer the Salzburg/B'gaden area.

Suggestions for other charming small towns for a good base?

Much more recently we stayed outside Salzburg in the small Salzach River town of Golling, which we found to be a great base town. Golling and a few other towns (like Werfen) share a railway (and roads too of course) that dives into the Alps via the Salzach River Valley - Check out this relief map of the "Salzburger Land" for Golling's proximity to Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Werfen, Hallein, and a variety of Alpine lakes.

Here are a few highlights in the immediate vicinity:

Hohenwerfen Castle with tour and falconry show
Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave Experience
Hallein Salt Mines
Sound of Music Trail

We had an apartment with a great view of the mountains at the Cafe Maier in Golling, where breakfast was served in the downstairs bakery. At the time, there was a guest card given out for free to all Golling guests which provided free local transportation.

I think Werfen might also be a great little town to base in.

Thank you! Very helpful details.

For any that have stayed in the Berchtesgaden or general area there - could you name a lake that would be possible for swimming? I've seen that technically it is allowed in the Konigsee but that in reality it's pretty freezing plus hard to access the water. Trying to see if there's somewhere else where we could actually enjoy swimming around there - and debating whether I need to rent a car or not. I had leaned toward yes if we picked that area but the reviews of rental spots in Freilassing and Salzburg look awful so am a bit scared now.

I finally remembered to look up the name of the bed and breakfast we stayed at in the Berchtesgaden area for you. Not sure what kind of accommodations you are looking for but Haus Friedwiese is amazing! The view is just incredible. The breakfast was really, really good. The owner is a pleasure to talk to, accommodating, and helpful. And, it's very affordable- 28E per adult, and 15E per child. http://www.friedwiese.de/enska/isl.htm. There's a video on the main page that will give you a sense of the place and the views. If you can't tell, it was definitely a highlight of our trip!

http://www.friedwiese.de/enska/isl.htm.

As for swimming, my husband and one of our friends swam in the Konigsee when we took the boat trip to see the cathedral. It was easy to get in the water and other people were swimming too. However, I was not prepared with my swimsuit so I didn't get in. So, not sure how cold it was. We were there in June.

Thanks for the hotel suggestion. I think we are leaning toward staying downtown in Berchtesgaden at this stage - a friend of my father's recommended Hotel Edelweiss and it looks gorgeous.

Good to know re: Konigsee & swimming! :)

My first thoughts were Oberammergau or Mittenwald. Ops, Oberammergau is planning on finally having the Passion Play next year. Don't know if the G7 might spill over to Mittenwald, or not, but you'd probably want to avoid a connection with a change of trains in GaP in case security is enhanced there, but there are direct connections from Munich Hbf to Mittenwald, although the trains do pass through Garmish-Partenkirchen Hbf.

It doesn't have a mountain as high as the Zugspitze, but another alpine venue you should consider is Pfronten. I've stayed here twice and would recommend it. Pfronten is in Germany, just over the border from the Austrian Tyrol on the Ausserfernbahn train line that goes from Kempten to GaP.
It's less than an hour by bus to Füssen (Neuschwanstein) and by train it's ½ hour from Reutte and less than 2 hours to GaP.

Another alpine venue is the Illertal of the Oberallgäu. Oberstdorf, at the top of the valley, is major ski resort, second only to GaP, although I would prefer to stay in the town of Fischen im Allgäu, a few km down the valley from Oberstdorf. Kleinwalsertal, a gorgeous high alpine valley that is part of the Austrian Tyrol but only accessible from Germany, can be reached by bus from Oberstdorf. And, Lindau is less than 1½ hr away by train from Oberstdorf via Immenstadt.

And Berchtesgaden is also a good choice (I've spent 8 nights there on three trips plus two day trips from Freilassing). See Kehlsteinhaus (Eagles Nest). If you take the boat trip on Königssee, be sure to go up to the end of the lake at Salat and hike over the bar to see the Obersee.

Thank you, Lee!
Yes, the fact that the Passion Play is happening next year too is what's tipped me over the edge of worrying the whole area will be a zoo! I checked Mittenwald at the outset and they seem sold out on hotel space between the mtg buying up what was left over from Passion Play and other bookings already. And in 2015 it looks like they shut down the train line from Garmisch to Mittenwald too (bused people) so that would be a pain.

Thanks for the Pfronten comment! There's a small chance I stick w/ the area and I'd seen other positive comments on this board on Pfronten. If we do move hotels to stay in the general area I'm planning to stop in there at least for a bit for cable car & luge fun.

The Berchtesgaden photos have been gradually winning me over and if that's where we settle then the boat and hike back to Obersee are definitely on my to do list! :)

be sure to go up to the end of the lake at Salat and hike over the bar
to see the Obersee.

Don't stop at Obersee! Follow the path along the right side of Obersee to the other side of the lake. There, you will find a snack hut. Go through the gate to the right of the snack hut and take the gentle ascent up to a gorgeous alpine meadow. Enjoy hanging out with the cows (but watch your step) and cross the meadow to Röthbach Waterfall. Here's a YouTube video from someone who did it (minus cows): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjDj1fS-zzQ

A few other ideas around Berchtesgaden...

Start at the church (Pfarrkirche St Sebastian) in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden and then take a very easy (but pretty) hike through the Zauberwald to Hintersee, as this family did... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhNbEsaazXQ

Or, if you want more of a challenge... hike through the short Wimbach Gorge (Wimbachklamm) and on to Wimbachschloss like this guy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s8Ezz4JuE4

That hike is a little steep (but certainly manageable). It gets more steep if you hike beyond Wimbachschloss but the reward is very pretty views.

If you are going to be in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, then I recommend Gasthof Auzinger. Family run with old Bavarian flair. Really good traditional food, OK breakfast and almost in the National Park. You can get there by bus from Berchtesgaden. Their opening times can be quirky, so call ahead. You might get a music evening. The Hintersee is cold for swimming though.

They'll soon have to make their minds up about the Passion Play going ahead for 2022 and, if it does, whether it will be at a reduced capacity. I read that the football (soccer) crowds have been reduced recently. Who knows?

If the play goes ahead, coupled with the G7 meeting, the immediate area will be busy. Others have recommended the Berchtesgaden area and its highlights We always stay in apartments and are hoping to get back as soon as realistic for us. We will likely rent in Ramsau or Ruhpolding (I also like the little downtown area of Bad Reichenhall). Königssee is a special place for me: I'm not much of a photographer but some of my best shots are the the reflection shots I took at Obersee. To add to what has been said, Burghausen and Herrenchiemsee Palace/ Fraunworth Abbey are well worth a visit.

Lee mentions the Illertal and the Kleinwalsertal. We never made it to the latter but made a couple of day trips to Hörner-Dörfer and Alpsee regions when we were based in Füssen once. The attraction here is the scenery, the area full of hikers. There are cable cars, gorges and small waterfalls close by. There is a very nice, gentle walk by the river between Sonthofen and Fischen.

Thank you! I'm sold on Berchtesgaden at this point. :)

I have a new question given that re: the solstice fires; I'll post that as a new question since all the help here solved the one i asked about in this thread originally.