Upper Bavaria: picturesque panoramic landscapes
The well-known Alpine region is home to the two highest mountains in Germany – the Zugspitze at 2,962 m and the Watzmann at 2,713 m. The mountains are a year-round delight for winter and summer sports enthusiasts. Via ferrata across rock faces over a thousand metres in height prove a tantalising draw for visitors to the impressive Berchtesgaden National Park – state-registered mountain guides lead you to the top. Hikers can also enjoy the distinctive cultural landscapes such as the rolling meadows known as “Buckelwiesen”. Dating back to the end of the Würm ice age, these natural formations of humps and hollows are a special feature that only exist in this form in the Alpine region. Since the eighth century, local people have mown the meadows by hand using scythes. In this way they preserve a valuable natural asset and the habitat of rare flora and fauna.
The wonderful countryside of Upper Bavaria won the heart of the Fairy Tale King Ludwig II, who chose to build castles here – Linderhof in the Ammergauer Alps and Herrenchiemsee on the island of the same name in the middle of Lake Chiemsee. The “Bavarian Sea”, as it is also called, is Bavaria’s largest lake. Every day, boats ferry visitors across Lake Chiemsee to the castle. Following in the footsteps of Ludwig II, they can still get a sense of the royal flair and marvel at the grand halls of “Bavaria’s Versailles”. Those who wish to find out more about the life of the Fairy Tale King are advised to visit the Bavarian State Exhibition “Forests, mountains and royal dreams”, which runs from May 2018 in Ettal Abbey.