Southern Bavaria scenic spot recommendation

The cable car trip up to the top of Zugspitze is scenic, to put it mildly.

Hi Jeff

Yes i'm thinking of zugspitze too but i heard that it could take a whole daytrip due to the queueing of the cablecar. I'd drive there so it'd eliminate the train issue as I also read it could be jammed too. Is it possible to make it as a half daytrip?
TIA

Yes, Berchtesgaden is in Bavaria. Take the bus out to Königssee (lake) and take a ride on the Jennerbahn or hike around.

Jennerbahn
View of Königssee

I concur with Königssee in the German National Park is a must on a beautiful day. One of my favorite areas and I never get tired of going there for the scenery and hiking.

It's been decades since I've been to Zugspitze, so I'd better let others with more current experience comment on the lines and traffic. But you may be able to combine Zugspitze, Oberammergau and Schloss Linderhof into a single day-trip.

For more accessible, if somewhat less dramatic scenery, my favorite daytrip from Munich is to take the S8 southwestbound to the end of the line at Herrsching. Walk a couple hundred meters to the lakefront and board one of the stately paddlewheel ships which cross the Ammersee to my favorite untouristed Bavarian village, Dießen am Ammersee. Walk through Dießen up to the baroque-rococo Marienmünster Abbey (1730). Return to Herrsching by ship and take a taxi or bus, or walk three miles up a forested trail, to Kloster Andechs, where Benedictine monks have been brewing great beer since the 15th Century. (Photos of Herrsching, Dießen and Andechs here)

My favorites for a good view (combined with beer and food):
Klosterreutberg (http://www.klosterbraeustueberl-reutberg.de/), like a mini-Andechs then head to the nearby Kirchsee for a swim.
Lunch then hike around Tegernsee (https://www.braustuberl.de/)
Riding the gondola up the mountain in Lenggries (http://www.lenggries.de/sommer/brauneck-bergbahn) and hiking to one of the huts like Tölzer Hütte (http://www.toelzerhuette.de/)
Walking/cycling around Chiemsee

DJ

Hi Jen, believe it not we are in Berchtesgaden at the moment, on holidays ( at least for another day, then move to munich) we have just spent 3 fantastic days looking around here. I think if you have a car its a great place to base yourself. We went up Zugspitze a week or so ago on a beautiful day, the cable car was out for maintenance so the cog train was available. great views on a good day. Having spent time at Oberammergau and looking at the castles. ( if you are doing Neuchwanstein and unless you desperately want to see inside, just walk up for free, assuming you don't mind the walk uphill, and walk around the castle to the right and head up to the viewing bridge, another 15 min etc. great views from the bridge) that way you miss the crowds don't waste time and no cost. the horse ride up was also in big demand, so better/quicker to walk up.

Depending on how long you have ? I think you may get better 'value' at Berchtesgaden area. For outright scenic views and plenty of options its hard to beat. If you can think about spending a number of days in a particular place rather than moving all the time. for example, we are here for 4 days and watched the weather and yesterday had a stunning day visiting eagles nest, Konigssee lake and finished it off with the Rossfeld road for a late afternoon drive( WOW) Yet today and tomorrow its raining, so into Saltzburg for a look around. eg: check the weather and go for it on the good days.

my apologies for miss spelling etc, I hope this helps.

Glenn

Hi Jen,

From your stay in Fuessen, you could do the Zugspitze trip in nearby Ehrwald, Austria. The trip is one cable car and takes just 20 minutes from the start to the top of the Zugspitze. Usually less crowded than the same trip in Garmisch. Both trips go to the exact same spot, the top of the Zugspitze, which sits on the border of Germany and Austria.

www.zugspitze.at

Berchtesgaden and the area is a favorite of ours. We've spent 18 nights over 5 trips so far and still have plans to go back.

Paul

We love the Berchtesgaden area...so very beautiful and much to see and do. We used it as home base for seeing Salzburg, the Eagle's Nest and the Konigsee.

We stayed at Mayringerlehen in Berchtesgaden, whose website you can view at www.mayringerlehen.de/

Great little B&B with awesome views!

Lynne

Hi again,

Just wanted to 2nd the Mayringerlehen in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. We've stayed 3 times (10/06, 10/07 and 9/09). During our late Nov. stays in 2010 and 2013 we stayed at the Guesthouse Friedwiese in nearby Schonau am Konigsee. Mayringerlehen was closed when we were there in late Nov. both places are simply,terrific and we'd be hard pressed to pick one over the other.

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

www.flickr.com/photos/pjbassplyr/sets

Paul

Yes, yes, and yes again to Jeff's favourite day trip from Munich!

Also loved Berchtesgaden. Spent a week there last fall and have been talking about going back ever since.

I would also suggest the Illertal (Iller river valley) of the Oberallgäu (southwest corner of Bavaria). Oberstdorf, at the top of the valley, is one of Germany's premier ski resorts. Oberstdorf is a quaint Alpine village which just happens to look naturally like Vail was built to look like. The Austrian Kleinwalsertal going south from there, accessible by bus, is the penultimate example of a high Alpine valley.

Oberstdorf is less than 2½ hours from Munich by direct or one change (Buchloe) regional train.

On our drive from Neuschwanstein to Zugspitze I followed Rick's guidebook and made a stop at Weiskirche. It was half hour ride or so from Neuschwanstein, beautiful spot for a stop:)

Hi All,

Thanks kindly for the inputs. It really helps unfortunately we have very limited time so could only do portion of what's advised here but I checked all your suggestions and all is great. I'll save it for the next trip:D

Hi Again Paul :)
Thanks so much for bringing up the Ehrwald side for reaching Zugspitze. That is one very helpful information! I just wonder if I drive there, what is the destination point for the GPS? I see from gmap the cable car point is called Obermoos? Also I find these prices from the Austrian website
http://www.zugspitze.at/zugspitzbahn/en/gipfelbesucher_sommer.html
what is the difference between Gipfel-Ticket "Erlebnis Zugspitze" Euro 40.5 ( Euro 38 w/ guest card) & Platt-Ticket "Kleine Rundreise"/ Round trip ticket Euro 52? I assume perhaps the Euro 52 one is from Germany one? Could we use our Germany guest card in Austria's cable car?

At the end we'd settle for Linderhof and Oberammergau on first day arrival after Rothenburg ODT. If time and weather permits, we would continue to Zugspitze. Still wondering from which side to go. I hear that from German side it's going to be more crowded & expensive but more scenic (heard this from a German so I want to hear other opinions too :D) Is the crowd worth it for the scenery?

then next day, we'd continue to Neuschwanstein and Zugspitze if it couldn't be done previously. If weather doesn't permit, we might stroll along in Garmisch Partenkinchen or Mittenwald's Altstadt or head straight to Berchtesgaden after Neuschwanstein.

In Berchtesgaden, we'd plan for Konigssee, Kehlsteinhaus and Rossfeld Panoramic Road. Which one is better visited first, Konigssee or Kehlsteinhaus as Kehlstein is much higher perhaps it tends to fog early in the opening hour?

we'd make side trip to Salzburg too from Berchtesgaden.

Cheers