I'm 28 years old, traveling solo and I would like to fit in a bit of the Alps in my trip this August. What recommendations do you have of a place to experience them? I know Switzerland is extremely expensive so if there is some place I can get the experience and spend a little less money that would be great. I should be traveling from Austria through Germany to Paris. I'm still really flexible in my travel plans.
Thank you!
One of my favorite place in Germany, my first "back door" is a place in the SW corner of Bavaria, the Illertal in the Oberallgäu. The biggest town there is Oberstdorf, the 2nd ski resort in Germany. From there you can also get to the Kleinwalsertal, a little bit of Austria, isolated from it by mountains, only accessible from Germany. A great place to hike.
You get there from the town of Immenstadt im Allgäu, on the line between Munich and Lindau, on Bodensee.
Hi Kirsten,
A beautiful area to experience the Alps in Austria is the Zillertal. Mayrhofen is the largest town in the area and the Alps are simply spectacular from most everywhere in the Zillertal. It's about an hour SE of Innsbruck.
We LOVED our recent stay in Finkenberg in the Zillertal!
www.zillertal.at/urlaub_liftkarten.php
www.worldisround.com/articles/355538/index.html
Another favorite is Mittenwald, Germany. Simply a beautiful, postcard perfect Bavarian village with a mountain backdrop.
www.worldisround.com/articles/324763/index.html
Paul
From your direction of travel, Switzerland would actually make sense logistically, if not financially. The Bavarian and Tyrolian Alps are only cheap compared to the Swiss.
But here are some suggestions- Lee's suggestion, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (great hiking options), some of the villages in the mountains surrounding Innsbruck, Mittenwald and perhaps Bertchesgaden.
near Bergtesgarten in Germany...and Salzburg Austria!
We visited the Swiss Alps in 2008 and the Bavarian Alps in 2009. Switzerland was by far my favorite. In order to keep costs down, you might want to look into renting a small apartment and cooking part of your meals. The Bernese Oberland portion of Switzerland is beautiful beyond words... There are also some hostels in the area that would be less expensive.
Kirsten, did you see my response to your question about festivals? I highly recommend you consider Mürren/Gimmelwald, for the wonderful Dorffest they have in early August (August 6 to 8 this year).
You'll not find a cheaper place than the Chalet Fontana in Mürren Switzerland...right in the Swiss Alps. Yes, Switzerland in general is expensive, but finding places like the Chalet Fontana and shopping for picnic supplies in the local Coop Grocery store will save you lots and lots of money.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I've also received a couple in my personal mailbox as well.
Lola- I did get your message but I haven't had time to look into any of these yet. The festival sounds great. I would probably have to adjust my potential route a bit because I wasn't planning on being in that area yet on those dates. I'm definitely going to look into it though!
We stayed in Chamonix and can highly recommend it. My husband went to the top of Aguille du Midi and we both went to see Mer du Glace. It's a great small town with an excellent vibe and great food. I want to go back.
