7 Reasons to Visit Bavaria, Germany

When I thought of Germany before going there, I mainly thought of Munich, Oktoberfest, castles, and Hitler. I had NO idea how much beauty Germany holds. Bavaria is a state of Germany that comprises about 1/5 of the total land. Tour guides described to me that Bavaria is to Germany what Texas is to the United States today. Bavaria was in fact, its own independent kingdom from 1806 to 1918 and Bavaria today contains its own culture and traditions – including Oktoberfest!

1) Oktoberfest

The number one reason to visit Bavaria is of course the world famous Oktoberfest! For those of you who have been living under a rock, Oktoberfest is where people gather in large beer tents and drink beer, eat food, dance and be merry! Oktoberfest traditions have taken over the world reaching as far and wide as having fests all over the US including where I live today in Huntington Beach.

Those of course do not even compare to the official Oktoberfest in Munich. Oktoberfest began with the King of Bavaria marrying off his daughter and throwing a huge party with free beer for all. The next year, the kingdom pleaded with the King to throw the party again on the anniversary of the marriage and this time the King said he would but he would make the people pay for the beer and food that year and so Oktoberfest was born! 2019 Oktoberfest represents the 186th Oktoberfest!! That is pretty damn cool if you ask me!

Today, people travel from all over the world to go to Oktoberfest. There are 15 main beer tents that can fit up to 10,000 people each. The tables are all community style so you share a long table with your neighbors and you are packed in tight! This makes it easy to meet a ton of people and swap stories! The festival grounds are absolutely huge and look like a giant fair with carnival rides and games. This made a fun break from the beer drinking to go do some upside down roller coasters, Ferris wheel, and drop rides.

Oktoberfest is for everyone with tons of kids, locals, internationals, grandparents, etc. It did seem a majority of Germans who all dressed in traditional Bavarian outfits which in my opinion gave it the true genuine feel of Oktoberfest and not a sell-out festival to draw tourists and make money.

2) Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein (good luck remembering how to spell that!) is a castle made by Mad King Ludwig II. It means new swan castle in German. The Disney castle is modeled after this castle. The King grew up isolated and not allowed to fraternize with commoners making for a lonely childhood. He loved arts and culture and dreamed of building castles way before becoming King. He became King at the age of 18 and bankrupted himself to build his castles and he frequently borrowed from other royal families to continue his work, preferring to leave the day to day of a running a kingdom to others. When he died (a suspicious death), building the castle was halted so that it could be opened to the public to pay back his debts.

While today it is overrun with tourists, it is still a magnificent castle that is a huge draw to visit Bavaria. You can visit the country side at the foot hills of the castle to get serenity and amazing views away from all of the tourists. When you go up to the castle you have the option of doing a hike or taking the bus. The hike is a quick 45 minutes and passes numerous waterfalls that I highly recommend. When you get to the top of the hike, there are beautiful views of the Alps and Old Swan Castle. It truly looks like a dream! The inside of the castle is not finished, and although interesting, the main draw of the castle for me was the beauty and the hiking around the castle.

3) Lake Königssee

Otherwise known as Kings Lake in Bertesgaden, Germany. This was my FAVORITE in Bavaria. This lake I had imagined would be pretty, but it took me most by surprise out of anything in Bavaria by how beautiful it is. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I can appreciate a green and lush place. Bertesgaden in fact reminded me much of the PNW.

You can take a ferry boat on the water to two different stops that both lead off to hikes. At the second stop, you can hike to Lake Obersee which is a stunning emerald lake that looks so reflective in photos, you can hardly even see what is lake and what is not. You can hike around the lake to the other side where there is not another sole in sight.

The forest clears to rolling grass hills and one small dairy farm surrounded by a few cows grazing. At the dairy farm, they have a window where you can order fresh milk and breakfast. The girl was younger, blonde, and only spoke German. Never in my life have I been somewhere so peaceful and authentic. At the end of this hike, I sat there at a bench drinking the fresh milk and enjoying the view of the lake and the cows as it lightly misted. I could not hear a sound besides the cow chewing. I have never been so at peace.

4) Hitlers Eagle’s Nest

Ah, the dark history of Germany. For how peaceful and nice all of the Germans I met were, it is hard to picture someone as evil as Hitler ever living in and ruling such an amazing part of the world. If I went to Germany knowing none of the history, I wouldn’t believe you that it has this dark side. Hitler had a house near Bertesgaden up in the hills. He only visited a dozen times in his life but it was one of his hide outs during his Nazi rule. From the top supposedly on a good day you can see much of Bavaria and straight into Austria with a view of the alps. It is an interesting place to spend an afternoon and I would highly recommend doing a tour to soak in as much of the ominous history as possible.

5) Munich

Munich is a beautiful city with a wonderful culture. It is very safe and the people are friendly which can be hard to find in big cities! It maintained a feeling of quaintness. The best part about Munich is the beer drinking culture, people outside at communal tables conversing and enjoying the outdoors over a cold beer. Is there anything better? Munich has a lot to see and do besides hit up beer tents too, you can explore cathedrals, palaces, sites, and museums. The BMW museum is a pretty cool and different type of museum that I would highly recommend. If you have time, Dachau concentration camp just outside of Munich was the first Nazi concentration camp. While somber, I’ve heard it is worth a visit.

6) Salzburg

While technically in Austria, it is just across the border from Germany. In fact, when you drive across it, you can’t even tell where Germany ends and Austria begins. Salzburg is nestled in the Alps making it for a very scenic place. So scenic in fact that Sound of Music was filmed here and made the town rather famous! The hills are alive with the sound of music, anyone? Salzburg is also known for Mozart’s birthplace. While I’m not a huge Sound of Music or Mozart fan, I put Salzburg on the list because of its lovely place in the alps, the beautiful castle, and being another beer-loving city with friendly locals!

7) Beer Halls

Okay, while I mentioned beer in many of the places above, I want to call beer out on its own as a reason to visit Bavaria! I love beer and Bavaria is home to many like minded beer lovers! In Munich they even have a fountain (yes an actual fountain) that one day a year has beer pour out of it for a few hours until it is tapped out. The Germans are simple people really, good beer and simple food like meat and dumplings is all that is needed for a good time. It’s a great recipe! From Munich to Salzburg to Bertesgaden, there is beer halls both outdoors and indoors with locals just hanging out, playing cards, playing with their dogs, and sharing stories over a beer after work. I think we can all slow down a little and talk to each other a little more at one of these magnificent beer halls!