Where to Stay in the German Alps. 8 Days in Munich, Garmisch, Salzburg, Rothenburg. 4K Travel Guide

[Music] if you're planning a trip to Bavaria and are wondering where you should stay and what exactly you should do then this video is for you there are tons of options and it can be incredibly hard and stressful to really narrow it down I mean what is and is not really worth your adventure but as a professional tour guide a local to Munich and after shooting more than a hundred in-depth travel videos I think I can help you out to me it's all about picking the right base of operations and choosing if and when to go on incredible day trips from notable cities beautiful lakes and amazing food to the truly hidden gems you won't find mentioned anywhere else we have your back as near from home has created the perfect eight day Bavarian itinerary so come with me as we take the trip of a lifetime thank you [Music] our adventure begins with our first home base in Munich of course not only one of Germany's greatest cities but my home as well so yeah I'm a little biased but let me tour you around this city for the next few days and I'm sure I'll having you singing Munich's Praises too day one for me always consists of getting settled and a lay of the land I hate going too hard right out of the gate especially when we must consider arriving to the City by train and dropping off our bags at the hotel so today let's take it slow and go on a good walk before grabbing a wonderful traditional Bavarian dinner naturally we should start our walk by seeing all of the classic sites in Munich like the rat house and marianplatz our beautiful neo-gothic government building that so many confuse with the church but no our grand Cathedral is the throne sitting just next door notable for its twin onion Dome Towers a rather unique look when compared to the rest of Germany's Grand Cathedrals and now I could go on and just list all of their basic Trip Advisor stuff for you like the factualian marked and the English garden as so many other travel vloggers do but you don't come to near from home for the kind of things you can find everywhere else you come to us to travel a little more slowly and to learn about the real deep cuts and recommendations you can't get anywhere else so instead I'm gonna recommend you go to my favorite little Munich neighborhood I'll heidehausen if you want to know what it's really like to live in Munich to pretend to be a local in This Magnificent City if only for a little while then you need to go here grab a cold ice cream on a hot Summer's Day from true and 12 who have the best flavors in town take your cone on a stroll along the Glorious Izar River with a cheeky world-class Bavarian beer from the convenience store and really feel like a local later on in the day though let's head back into the quaint back streets of high housing towards my absolute most favorite Beer Garden in the world the hofbroy Keller um Vina Platz this place has the best Ambiance in the city no doubt about that it is perfection and not to be confused with the way too overly touristy hofbroy house that everyone else will recommend to you now don't get me wrong The Hofbrau house isn't bad if I were a little lazier or if I didn't know the city very well then I would definitely recommend it to you but as a local would I ever want to go there no way I'd much rather take the train over to heidhausen and finish my day off at the hofroy Keller as I have done many a time on this channel I would never recommend something to you at home that I wouldn't do myself and I really hope you guys appreciate that it takes a bit more effort but I think it's well worth it if those aren't enough recommendations for you though and if you want to know even more about where to dine and drink in Munich then you're in luck I've done tons of videos dedicated to just such a thing even one dedicated purely to their best desserts I've found over the past few years we've also got fully interactive travel guides and maps on their near from home website link on screen now and in the description below that can with an integration to Google maps that I'm really proud of point you in the right direction to my closest recommendations when you are out and about live in the city it's really cool and hopefully a fantastic travel companion because you can't exactly watch these videos when you're here can you and I really hope you like it however with dinner and drinks behind us we should really hit the hay because this trip only gets better and busier because tomorrow we're taking a day trip to zalzburg [Music] welcome to Austria if not only by a few kilometers so don't forget your passport because when we re-enter Germany later today there very well might be a border inspection so don't be spooked if the police walk the train checking IDs this day trip is one of my favorites to recommend not only because who doesn't want to visit the famous city of Salzburg but because I think it provides a brilliant contrast to Munich both feel old and both feel very opulent and they're beautiful in their own rights yet with salzburg's tight windy streets and the old castle looming above you Europe's medieval and Baroque history is on Full display here in Salzburg once we arrive in the city you'll be a short 15-minute walk away from the action however I recommend taking a five minute detour not to walk through the new city but instead along the river far too few tourists walk this scenic route and they're all the worst for it which I detail completely in my dedicated zadsborg guide some of the best views of the day will be found on this walk but with our detour over I usually stop for brunch at my favorite cake place in town Cafe tomaselli as it's absolutely incredible before we then get a little bit morbid and start touring the graveyards me and Camille have an ongoing disagreement about the best graveyard in town Camille's is quiet peaceful and full of some rather gruesome statues very goth however mine is nestled right against the dramatic Cliffs under the castle with some small catacombs dug into the rock face it is gorgeous hair we've never really managed to work out which is best so you'll just have to visit for yourself and let us know in the comments below now then I'm feeling a little bit thirsty so let's Summit the castle and grab a beer Atop The fortification walls with views of the valley the mountains and the town could you ask for a better beer with a view because I certainly can't you certainly could tour the museum but for me honestly I just love walking the ramparts before heading back down into the city Now's the Time to really walk those medieval streets if you haven't already ducking and Diving amongst the jitties and make sure to stroll past the house where Mozart was born it's actually a really cool Museum if you have the time but my favorite Mozart themed attraction is the Mozart kugel a unique chocolate to zalzburg invented right here in Cafe first you can find them all over the city but first has my favorites so you should definitely get them here now as the day winds down but before heading back to the train station I usually grab a cocktail at Darwin mostly for their cool Ambiance but also a lot out of nostalgia this is my brother's favorite bar in his favorite city and even though he can't always be here with me when I'm in Salzburg I always get a drink here and send him a picture to make him jealous after our night cap though it truly is time to board that train once more and head back to our home base in Munich but naturally if you need even more Salzburg if you're looking to dive even deeper into this amazing little city and follow along with some first-hand Impressions then definitely watch my complete day trip guide after you are done with this video of course day three at least in my eyes no matter who you are should be a glorious Lake day and here in Bavaria we have plenty of options for all types of Travelers and locals alike but to keep it simple I've narrowed it down in this video to just two Lakes Ahmad Zay and tegonze during my years of living here in Munich I found the lakes to be a big part of Bavarian culture but also one that so many tourists completely Overlook as they Rush after the more famous tourist sites but near from home always has your back and together we'll travel just a little bit slower so you don't miss out because in this travel guide's opinion no trip to Bavaria could possibly be complete without a lake day so let's start with tegonze which in my eyes is both the easier and harder of the two Lakes depending on what you choose to do we'll start by taking a regional B RB trained from the Munich halpernhoff for one hour south of the city and towards the Alps and once we arrive we're gonna head straight down towards the Lakeshore at least if we're looking to take it easy of all the lakes in Bavaria tegonzay's Lakeshore is my personal favorite dotted with beautiful little cafes serving some of the best coffee and cake of your life made only that much more special by the stunning views of the mountains and the lake itself I love it the town of tegunze is beautiful too and well worthy of a stroll with some exceptionally pretty houses and an awesome Waterway walking path that zigzags along the shore I'd also highly recommend going swimming in that brisk Alpine Water and warming back up in one of the best breweries and beer Halls that Germany has to offer the tegonze brewery if you love German beer then you need to try the tegonze helles it is abs absolutely fantastic and as the saying goes every bavarian's favorite beer comes from their Hometown but their second favorite that beer comes from tegonze now to me this is already a complete day trip itinerary and one that I've recommended to tons of people during my itinerary review sessions which you can book for yourself on my website if you ever want my help personally but for those of you out there looking to stretch your legs and go on a proper hike then we're not done yet so let's leave the town behind and head up into those amazing Hills we do have quite a bit of elevation to gain so I wouldn't recommend this hike to every person but if you've got reasonable Fitness and a desire to earn some great Mountain views then I'm sure you'll be fine we'll hike up through the forests and amazing Woodland leaving civilization behind for some peace and quiet until we suddenly pop out into a farmer's Meadow complete with cows but there's more than just live livestock because up here we have a Beer Garden restaurant and a stunning Viewpoint all rolled into one the food and beer here well it's worth writing home about and tastes that much better considering the work we put in to earn it if you are going to do this hike which I would suggest you do I would also recommend you do it before exploring the town but no matter which option you choose easy or hard tegonze will provide you with one of your most memorable day trips from Munich but what if neither of those options at turgonze felt just right it was either too easy or too hard you definitely want to earn that historic beer by going on a good hike but maybe not that much of a hike I mean you're on vacation after all right well never fear because I've got another classic day 3 Bavarian Lake option just for you this time we'll take the s6s barn all the way for also about an hour to the lake town of hershing so I can show you the secret paths to one of Germany's oldest monastic breweries hidden deep in the woods from the hershing train station you could just hop on a bus to Closter andex our Monastery Brewery for the day but personally I love to take the walk you'll start off by going through the village of hershing itself passing by Queen Little Village churches and one of the best coffee stands I've ever been to before ultimately plunging into those Bavarian Woods where we'll wind our way along a beautiful River until finally greeted with a decent set of Woodland stairs leading right to the monastery Gates this beer garden is incredibly traditional often even having local bands come by and perform for their guests which is a real treat the food is canteen style so you'll have to wander around a little bit to pick up everything you'll want to eat so make sure you've got at least one person to stay back and save your seats as this place gets really busy once you've had your fill though we aren't done with the day yet as I like to walk off that heavy meal by Hike talking back into town this time though making a beeline for the Lakeshore Ahmad Zay has even more shoreline for swimming than tegonze did and in general it has a more loose and family-friendly Vibe it's definitely way more relaxed the tree line Promenade looks incredible during sunset and last time I went one of the Lakeshore beer gardens had local musicians performing again on those cool little boats it was awesome a very musical day trip was had but when all is finally said and done grab that S6 back to Munich and hit the hay we've got even more to see tomorrow between the traditional outfits beer food and Hiking options I hope you can see how essential these Lakes are to the local culture you'll never get the feeling at these lakes that people are merely putting on a show just for the tourists like some sort of Disneyland production instead these are just bavarians doing what bavarians do the Traditions aren't being forced they're being cherished and not just for tradition's sake but because they're fun and worth doing and worth adding to your itinerary so all in all if you had to pick a first lake to go to then I hope you agree with me it should be one of these locals out there let me know what your picks would have been and which one of these two you would choose if you're on the fence though and can't quite pick between them well you could always add another day to your itinerary and do both or simply watch my complete day trip guides to see my first hand Impressions that should help you narrow it down and if you subscribe to near from home join the community and stick around then you'll find plenty of other Lake itineraries in my dedicated Bavarian Lake playlist thank you day four let's talk Ludwig as anyone coming to Bavaria for the first time will inevitably want to see the legendary fairy tale castle of Schloss Neuschwanstein an uncontroversial pick for a tourist itinerary but if you ask this tour guide I wouldn't actually recommend it personally I find the experience to be far too mannequined and busy to be worth it unlike our Lake day this does sort of feel like a Disneyland production which I suppose is what helped Inspire him in the first place that being said this is your vacation so do what makes you happy and if you want to go see that castle then do it today but at least make me proud by taking the train which I thoroughly explain how to do in my detailed Neuschwanstein guide now I won't lie walking the hiking trails around this Castle having it Loom overhead that's pretty dramatic and not unenjoyable even for this curmudgeon though most people agree that the tour is rather skippable as most of the castle is unfurnished and it was never really lived in either so my recommendation is to skip the tour and thoroughly explore the trails and paths instead on your way back down don't forget to visit the little yellow Castle often many people's surprise favorite and naturally you should visit the town of fussin too I genuinely like prison it's a little mini Salzburg complete with a Charming medieval feel gorgeous River and a castle looming overhead I mean what more would you expect so make sure you earmark some time to spend in the town you'd be surprised by how many skim over this absolute gem over the years Camille and I have made a number of videos on Neuschwanstein it's a Hot Topic but my favorite is the one where we tell you how to skip it I promise it isn't just a chromogeny rant instead we break down all of neuschwanstein's best bits and offer in-depth suggestions as to other sites you might like that offer a little bit more bang for your buck so if you are thinking about giving this fairy tale Castle a pass then you might want to check out that video too as naturally we cannot cover all of those suggestions in this video [Music] foreign next though we should also address the elephant in the room rodenberg obdet however one of Europe's most famous and picturesque medieval towns with stunning City walls and fortress-style Gates this place is incredibly atmospheric walking along the historic and wooden medieval ramparts it's magical and the authentic German Christmas Store open all year round is a mecca for bauble and trinket enthusiasts for this reason rottenburg gets shoehorned into a lot of Blazing fast itineraries but I'm afraid as amazing as this city is I cannot justify it as a day trip sure you can get from Munich to rodenberg super easily by train however doing that twice in one day would leave you with so little time that it just isn't worth it for a day trip if you can spare the night though then definitely go to rottenburg you will not be disappointed maybe take the train in the morning spend all day and night and then next day come back to Munich at your leisure with the buy-in train ticket you can take any train all day other than the Ice Express trains so you could just play it by ear and ride whichever train home that takes your fancy but only if you really really have time for it I'm probably gonna get a lot of in the comments for this but if you've already been to Salzburg and with all the little towns I've got planned for us coming up in the mountains you don't need rottenburg the fear of missing out will be strong but if you want to travel deeply and more slowly which is what I'd recommend then you're just gonna have to miss out on a few things here and there to make room for all of our other Adventures which Speaking of it's time for day five where we leave Munich behind and change home bases for the first or preferably only time this trip watch this city melt away as we take the train and resettle ourselves in garnish partnership my number one pick for a beginner's Alpine base of operations we've had our fun in the city but now it's time to get truly mountainous starting with a bang let's drop our bags off of the hotel quickly and board the cogwheel train to Journey up Germany's highest mountain peak the zugspitzer summiting this mountain can be really expensive but that's why we're combining it with our travel day as a little hack for you because Deutsche Bahn actually sell a combined Bayern and zugspitzer ticket this will cover all the travel from Munich to the top of Germany in one cheaper and more manageable package so if you want to go to the top this is the way to do it I absolutely love riding the cogwheel train up the mountain watching all the little towns meanderby as we journey into the valley but we've already spent a while riding the rails today haven't we so hop off the station at ibse and let's board the most impressive Gondola I've ever ridden it is huge and it will Summit this Mighty mountain in eight harrowing minutes the views are stunning especially in the winter but not for the faint of heart once we reach the top it's time to take in the views these are the best mountain peak views Germany has to offer hands down no competition and they can even be enjoyed from The Mountaintop restaurant which is surprisingly good it won't be the cheapest meal you ever eat but it might be the most dramatic with an epic view of the summit cross right from the window seats the zugspitzer is a year-round classic but my favorite time to visit is indeed in the winter the snowy Glacier will be brimming with powder for skiing and tobogganing and you can even visit the igloo hotel shockingly it never seems to be too busy even though it's one of my favorite places to grab a cocktail and if you do they'll let you inside to see the icy accommodations and sculptures but don't linger too long as the last Gondola is about to head back down to garmesh where you'll finally get some well-earned rest on what was a very long day foreign so let's take day six a little easier as we explore the twin towns of garmesh and patent plus it's a near from home video after all so let's throw in some stunning hiking trails just on the edge of town hartner clam Gorge and the woods of vedenfell's Castle starting in garmisch you'll find it to be the more modern and sporty Alpine town of the two with a beautiful downtown surrounded on all sides by fantastic mountains Harden Kirk in on the other hand only a 10 minute walk away is way more traditional with vibrantly colored buildings and murals the Two Towns complement each other beautifully but if you're anything like me you'll want to do more than just stroll the high streets so let's walk into the woods and stretch our legs on the way to vadenfel's Castle the ruins are a mere 45 minute walk away on the outskirts of town and this is the easiest hiking recommendation I have for you in all of Germany mind you I'm saying hike not walk there will be just a little bit of elevation I'm also constantly surprised by how few people seem to know about this Castle considering you can see it from the train but I suppose it's just hiding in plain sight nestled deep into the rock face my Pro tip for you would be to bring a picnic buy some bretzen and beer in town and make the once Great Hall of verdunfels Castle come alive once more another option for you would be to Adventure through partner clam Gorge it'll cost you a small entry fee but it is well worth it the mighty Roar of the river blasting its way through the mountain is just as impressive as the man-made walkway carved alongside a lot of people will just simply walk through turn around and walk back which wouldn't be a bad thing to do but here's the inside scoop after popping out the other side of the gorge turn left and Hike your way up into the hills as we pass back over the gorge completing a loot there are some truly wonderful beer gardens up here that I just cannot let you miss out on once you get up there reward yourself with a well-earned beer and relax for a while enjoying the beauty of the German Alps the whole time this is a quintessential summer day for me as a local heading out into the mountains visiting a picturesque town going on a good hike and spending some time in a lovely really beer garden yeah this is the best naturally I've got complete guides to both of these hikes that will show you step by step everything you need to know to experience a wonderfully authentic day even in a rather touristy town but I love it all the same so let's do it all again on day seven by taking a trip to the next most nearby town of middenwald if you enjoyed yesterday then you'll love today as this will be another quintessential day trip take the train from garmisch to middenwald which will be super easy as the trains leave hourly once you arrive go straight to the High Street as this is one of the most beautiful Alpine Town squares that I have ever seen grab a coffee or ice cream outside and just try to take in all the beauty around you before then moving on to visit this town's Charming little violin Museum mittenwold was instrumental in their perfection and spread of the modern violin helping sand down the rough edges in older designs and fine-tuning what it means to build a quality and capable instrument The Collection here is small yet astounding with so many different antiques in instruments showing you the changes in evolution of violin design over hundreds of years I love small little specific museums like this especially when they teach you more about their very ground that you're treading next up we've got some choices for you which you can choose based on what you've loved the most so far in this trip if you're a big fan of the Duke's pizza and you're eager for even more then you should Summit the Carbondale Spitzer it's definitely a more raw experience than the Duke Spitzer but that's all just part of the magic take a small Loop hike around the summit and grab one of the best Mountain meals I've ever had at the mountain peak restaurant or if you were blown away by partner clam then head just outside of town to visit the geister clam but don't just enter The Gorge via the ticket Gates like last time no no no take the hiking path up the hills beside the entrance up here is an entirely free multi-kilometer Long Trail entirely suspended from the walls of the George itself complete with see-through grates every step of the way now I'll be completely honest with you guys I was way too scared to walk this path at first but egged on by the camera and the desire to make a good video for you guys I braved the walkways and I'm so glad I did the views are out of this world and so unique middenwald is truly wonderful and by pairing it with the day after garmesh it allows us to dive deeper on the fly into more of our favorite activities so far an itinerary that really allows you to tweak things in the moment as you learn more about yourself and what you like I think that's key do more of what you love foreign foreign [Music] which Speaking of let's wake up early one last time for day eight and the world of castles indulge me just a little bit in my passion for ruins in history as we journey far off the beaten path to a town and attraction that none of your friends will have ever heard of as today we're gonna see four castle ruins all built nearby on the same plot of land for the same purpose in Austria's world of castles allowing you to Deep dive 500 years of architectural progress in the field of fortification all in one afternoon it's heaven to get there from the ureter train station you can easily grab a bus details on the world of Castle's website or even ask a nearby hotel to call you a taxi Austrian hotel concierges are the nicest in the world but if you know me and if I've got the option to walk then you know I'm gonna walk it it's just so much fun getting this stretch my legs and see the town and woods myself but now that we've finally made it let's get down to business right by the entrance gate just over the drawbridge you'll find a cute little Museum in the old guard towers it's great for kids and has tons of interactive elements I like the chainmail next we can hike or take the funicular up to the burgrina erenberg it's a stunning Castle ruin dating back to the 1200s built right up to the edge of the cliff looking out over the pristine Valley of all my years going to castle ruins this is the best one I've ever been to it's massive relatively complete and the Austrian Mountain Pass Penning it in looks incredible from these jaw-dropping ramparts it's so easy to imagine how a structure like this would be utilized to project power out over the valley you can see with your own eyes how it could support the gates below blocking traffic and levying taxes on those trying to cross the Alps which makes a lot of sense because this Valley in fact has been a popular trade route for thousands of years named by the Romans the Via Claudia Augusta so it really isn't surprising how much effort was put in over the centuries to protect this pass leaving Edinburgh behind though it's time to test your metal as we cross Europe's longest pedestrian suspension bridge to visit another ruin on the other side of the valley for many Highline 179 is the attraction of the day and it's not hard to see why Crossing this bridge is an achievement in and of itself making the geister clam from yesterday looked like just a walk in a Gorge and yes I did struggle a little bit to get over the bridge myself but I did it for you guys because don't just stop at the other end and walk back like everyone else keep hiking up further into the woods and you'll be greeted by a 1600s era micro Fortress I've never seen anything quite like this with Highline 179 practical working as a time machine where in mere minutes you can travel 350 years into the future letting us experience in real time the differences in architecture and how castles evolved take a good look at the walls of float Claudia they're so much smoother squatter thicker and ready to protect the Garrison from cannon fire something erinberg couldn't even imagine with its thin High walls built for arches back across the valley though we have one last castle if you think you can handle it as we've got three more kilometers to go and a decent bit of elevation to gain but this last ruin and the views it will provide they're going to be well worth it trust me welcome to schlosskopf the youngest of all in this world of castles and definitely the most imposing a multi-layered fortification complex dating back to the mid-1700s one of the last eras of great Fortress making I've never seen another soul up here other than one guy who was sat atop the ramparts reading his book I could spend the rest of the evening up here seeing the town of reuter where we were earlier the different Castles we've visited and watching people chicken out as they try to cross the bridge you can see everything from up here but with all the castles now unfortunately completed it's time to say a sullen goodbye to the world of castles and Austria as it's time to head back home to garmesh for our last night in the Alps as tomorrow we have to head home but what a trip it's been two home bases countless day trip opportunities with tons of flexibility built in this to me is the perfect beginner's German Alpine experience and it's been wonderful getting to share it with you in this itinerary format a first for the channel so if you've liked this video go ahead and give it a literal like by clicking the button below comment and let us know your thoughts on this new format and consider subscribing to near from home and joining the community for more deep insights slow travel and hidden gems we've got so much more to show you not only just in Bavaria but around the world as well so thank you all again so much for watching it means the world and I'll see you in the next video wherever that might be [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: NearFromHome | Slow Travel Experts

Views: 24,137

Keywords: munich, bavaria, travel munich, travel bavaria, bayern, germany, best travel, travel guide, germany travel guide, munich travel guide, bavaria travel guide, Munich travel guide, Bavaria travel guide, salzburg, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Munich food tour, Bavaria itinerary, Munich itinerary, German itinerary

Id: -0Q7ibEaNGA

Length: 32min 56sec (1976 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 05 2023