Bavaria

The romantic town of Marktbreit is renowned for its picturesque old town with its Renaissance town hall, striking Baroque houses and the impressive former noble residence – the Seinsheimscher Schloss.

Kochel by the lake is a picturesquely situated holiday resort in the Tölzer region. The imposing alpine scenery of Jochberg and Herzogstand form the backdrop to Lake Kochelsee.

Neuendettelsau was first mentioned in written records in AD 1298. Through the work of the pastor Wilhelm Löhe, the town underwent a profound change from 1837 onwards.

The 1994 Olympic skiing champion Markus Wasmeier opened his own open-air museum in the Tegernsee Valley in 2007. He is the town of Schliersee’s most famous son.

The historic shopping town of Mühldorf am Inn has a history spanning more than 1000 years. Due to its location on the River Inn, it developed into an important trading place during the Middle Ages.

Berchtesgaden's key attractions are the salt mine and the royal castle. The former hunting lodge of the Bavarian kings is now home to the castle museum with original furniture and valuable works of art.

This vibrant place of worship in Wigratzbad in the diocese of Augsburg lies in the district of Lindau and has been a popular place for Marian worship ever since the building of a chapel here in 1938.

Mellrichstadt in the Rhön Nature Park is one of the oldest cultural sites in Franconia. The town’s core is surrounded by six suburbs. Each one is a pretty Franconian village with special character.

The market town of Heroldsberg is renowned for its four castles and a vibrant cultural history. The names of the four former patrician castles are said to relate to the original colours of the castles’ shutters.

Buttenheim in the Pegnitz Valley is nestled between foot and cycle paths at the gateway to the Franconian Switzerland uplands. Levi Strauss, the jeans’ pioneer, came from here.

Memmingen has rightly been titled the ‘town of human rights’ as the first declaration of human rights – the Twelve Articles – was set down in writing here in 1525.

In the heart of the tourist region of Churfranken is Miltenberg, one of the prettiest medieval towns in Germany. It’s also referred to as the ‘Franconian pearl on the River Main’.

The Rivers Main and Regnitz are at the heart of Franconia’s river paradise – an area of European natural heritage. The Mainaue leisure area close to Kulmbach, known locally as the Kieswäsch, is a real gem.

Altmühltal nature reserve, the fourth largest in Germany, begins north of Ingolstadt and the Danube. It is characterised by low mountain ranges, towering cliffs and quarries.

The town of Massing is renowned for the Berta Hummel Museum and its open-air museum that explores the history of rural life in Lower Bavaria. In between orchards and fields, old farmyards provide an insight into farming life.