Upper Bavaria

Majestically perched above the village of Eresing close to Lake Ammersee is the Archabbey of St. Ottilien. The 75-metre-high steeple of the three-aisle, neo-Gothic Abbey Church of Herz Jesu can be seen from afar.

Towering above the town between Lake Wöhrsee and the River Salzach is the 1000-metre-long Burghausen Castle. The Guinness Book of Records has confirmed it as being the longest castle in the world.

The German Hop Museum in Wolnzach will give you a whole new outlook on the subject of hops. The inspiring exhibition presents the world's largest special collection on the 1000-year cultural history of hops.

Schäftlarn Abbey, in the tiny municipality of Schäftlarn in the Isar Valley, has one of the prettiest rococo churches in Upper Bavaria. Its ornate stucco plastering and frescos are of great artistic value.

The Allianz Arena in the Munich suburb of Fröttmaning is one of the finest football-only stadiums in the world. The air-cushion facade with its bright, LED lighting gives the appearance of a spaceship coming into land.

Not only is the spa town of Bad Aibling Bavaria’s oldest peat spa resort, it is also Germany’s youngest thermal water resort. The town’s spa with its spacious bathing and sauna areas is renowned for its exceptional architecture.

At the foot of the 1838-metre-high Wendelstein Mountain lies the spa resort of Bad Feilnbach. Renowned for its peat therapies, the resort has a mild climate offering perfect conditions for fruit growing.

Bad Reichenhall is Upper Bavaria’s only spa town with the Staatsbad or ‘State Spa’ distinction. The alpine salt from Bad Reichenhall’s salt works is an important medicinal resource.

museum mobile at Audi Forum Ingolstadt, the car maker’s largest site, takes visitors on a fascinating journey through automobile history. The exhibition in the technical museum with its fully glazed facade comprises 100 vehicles.

The Abbey Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, designed by Antonio Viscardi and co-designed by the Asam brothers, with its opulent interior, is an impressive testimony to Baroque architecture.

The Amerang Farmhouse Museum in the municipality of Amerang in Upper Bavaria provides a glimpse of regional rural life in years gone by.

A thrilling time for the whole family can be enjoyed at the Visitors’ Park at Munich Airport. The best views can be had from the visitors’ hill.

Standing proudly on the banks of Lake Starnberg and surrounded by a nature park with artwork exhibits is the Buchheim Museum in Bernried. It is also called the Museum of Imagination.

Surrounding the Staffelsee – one of the prettiest lakes in Upper Bavaria – is this picturesque holiday region. It’s been the source of inspiration for many famous artists including Gabriel Münter.

Impressive mountains and lakes such as the Watzmann, Jenner and the Königssee in Schönau dominate the Berchtesgaden Alps National Park.

The Chiemsee-Chiemgau holiday region is one of Germany’s most idyllic. Those on a bathing holiday love Bavaria’s largest lake, while hikers are in their element in the picturesque foothills of the Alps.

The Brünnstein is located close to the rural community of Oberaudorf in the Bavarian Inn Valley, east of the Sudelfeld region.

Spa facilities, saunas, wellness and fitness offers, not to mention a Dead Sea salt grotto, are all united under one roof in the Chiemgau Spa in Bad Endorf.

Glistening in the sun on the northern edge of the Alps and surrounded by four, impressive mountains is the crystal clear water of the Tegernsee. It is accessible from almost all of its banks.

Surrounding Lake Chiemsee and stretching as far as the Chiemgau Alps is the popular holiday region of Chiemgau. The picturesque backdrop of the alpine foothills is a delight to all nature enthusiasts.

A visit to the Dinosaur Park in the Altmühltal valley will take you on an exciting journey through 400 million years of geological history. On the tour your will come into direct contact with 70, lifelike dinosaur models.

Let yourself be inspired by a stroll along picturesque facades, owner-operated stores, living tradition, countless favorite places for every taste and event highlights!

The Märchenwald Amusement Park in Wolfratshausen by Munich is the perfect destination for families. In this adventure paradise children can climb and play and listen to nursery rhymes at the touch of a button.

Elevated above the Altmühltal Nature Park is the baroque styled, cathedral town of Eichstätt. Being a diocesan town it boasts a number of magnificent abbeys and churches.

Between the two lakes of Staffelsee and Kochelsee in the village of Großweil lies the Glentleiten Open-air Museum. The Schwaiganger State Stud Farm is also close by.

The town of Vohburg an der Donau is famous for its traditional performances during the Agnes Bernauer Festival. According to legend, Agnes is said to have been imprisoned in a dungeon close to the Burgtor town gate.

An impressive collection of expressionist and abstract paintings are on display in the Franz Marc Museum in Kochel am See. Marc was one of Bavaria’s most important artists of the 20th century.

The Walchensee hydroelectric power station in Kochel am See is considered to be the birthplace of Bavaria’s energy industry. Today, it’s still one of the largest power plants of its kind in Germany.

In the Upper Bavarian Inn Valley, adjacent to Tyrol, lies the enchanting and award-winning "golden village" of Nussdorf am Inn.

The Kastulus Minster is Moosburg an der Isar’s prominent landmark. It was built in the 12th century and is home to an array of outstanding artworks. Ancient inscriptions are still visible on the richly ornamented Romanesque portal.

The Haus im Moos is an open-air museum in the village of Kleinhohenried and tells the story of the Donaumoos fenlands. There are also nature discovery trails to explore and an animal enclosure.

Arcades, onion-shaped domes and pastel-toned house facades characterise Rosenheim’s historic old town. Its major landmark is the Parish Church of St. Nicolaus.

Ingolstadt is considered to be the home of pure beer, because it was here that the Bavarian Beer Purity Law was decreed in 1516: only barley, hops and water were allowed to be used for brewing beer.

A stroll through the old town of historic Beilngries offers delightful sights at every turn: for example, the beautiful baroque buildings like the town hall and a number of churches and chapels with elaborate works of art.

Nestled among the Chiemgau Alps lies the woodcutters' museum Ruhpolding, which tells the story of the hard life led by the forest workers, called locally "Holzknechte".

North of the pilgrimage town of Altötting lies the historic old town of Neuötting. The heart of this popular shopping town on the River Inn is the attractive Ludwigstraße.

At the foot of the Hochfelln alpine skiing area lies the Bergener Moos nature reserve in the climatic health resort of Bergen. The largest litter meadow in the Chiemgau area is home to numerous plant and animal species.

The geographical centre of Bavaria is the town of Kipfenberg – or to be more precise: above Kipfenberg Castle, between the town centre and Lake Gelbelsee. This was calculated in 1979 by the state conveyors' office.

Visitors can bathe in the Trimini hot spring with an unforgettable view of the Alps and the lake in the climatic health resort of Kochel am See.

The Celtic-Roman Museum is located in the Upper Bavarian town of Manching. The museum presents unique archaeological treasures such as 450 Celtic gold coins, well-preserved Roman boats and colourful glass jewellery.

Ingolstadt's beautiful historic old town is located directly on the Danube. Thanks to the very well preserved fortress with its prominent towers and gates, it exudes open-air museum character.

At the edge of the Loisach-Kochelsee moor lies the Benediktbeuern monastery, which is considered to be the oldest monastery in Upper Bavaria and was owned by the Benedictines until secularisation.

The monastery in Scheyern is a Benedictine abbey at the ancestral seat of the Wittelsbach family. A guided tour leads visitors through churches and chapels, the cloister and the baroque sacristy.

Renowned for its healthy air, Kiefersfelden is known as the “Gateway to the Kaiser’s Realm” due to its location at the foot of the Kaiser Mountains.

The idyllic Upper Bavarian region of Hopfenland Hallertau is the largest hop-growing area in the world. Blossoming here for hundreds of years is the most Bavarian of all plants as it is the most important ingredient in beer.

One of the prettiest public areas in Upper Bavaria is the historic market square in Markt Neubeuern. Its colourfully decorated houses with facade paintings and geraniums are a sheer delight.

The clock tower of the Marienmünster Church is a prominent skyline feature in Dießen am Ammersee and is one of Germany’s largest Baroque churches.

The cultural landscape of Aying is a picturesque natural idyll. The area is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists with wonderful alpine views stretching as far as the Zugspitze.

Landsberg am Lech is a pretty medieval town located on the Romantic Road. Also popular with cyclists, this tourist route which runs right though Bavaria was the first of its kind in Germany when created more than 70 years ago.

The monastery church in Weyarn is also called the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The monastery dedicated to these two saints belongs to the Catholic community of the Teutonic Order.

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.

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.

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.

Two impressive cultural attractions in the town of Murnau am Staffelsee are the Münter House and the Castle Museum. Both display works by the artists of the ‘Blaue Reiter’, who were once active in the Murnau region.

Marktl am Inn is the birthplace of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and former Archbishop of Munich. The house where he was born and the Church of St. Oswald where he was baptised can be visited.

On display in the Campendonk Collection at Penzberg Museum are 300 oil paintings, watercolours and prints by the artist Heinrich Campendonk. It’s the largest collection of works by the expressionist artist worldwide.

The 860-metre-high Hocheck is Oberaudorf’s local mountain. The summit can be reached by cable car from where a panoramic view of other Inn Valley mountains can be enjoyed.

The small town of Pfaffenhofen lies in the scenic hop growing region of Hallertau. Its main square with an ensemble of historic townhouses is one of Upper Bavaria’s prettiest.

A real gem of the Renaissance is the town of Neuburg an der Donau, which enjoyed its greatest period of prosperity during this fascinating era. Its fully preserved old town is one of Bayern’s prettiest.

Located on the River Weiße Traun, close to Lake Chiemsee in South East Bavaria, is the Siegsdorf Natural History & Mammoth Museum.

Between the Chiemgau Alps and Lake Chiemsee lies the idyllic Achental holiday region. Particularly popular is the 3-km-long footpath around the Taubensee, Germany’s highest lake.

Two popular holiday destinations in Upper Bavaria are the scenic regions of StarnbergAmmersee and Pfaffenwinkel. Both regions feature an attractive moorland and woodland landscape.

The village of Oberammergau is famous for its passion play. Ever since 1634, villagers have been performing the play in their theatre at ten-year intervals.

The natural landscape is the Rupertiwinkel region’s most beautiful attraction. Besides the impressive mountains such as the Högl and Teisenberg, there are many delightful woodlands, meadows and lakes.

Nestled in the picturesque surrounds of a sculpture park next to the River Würm in the Munich suburb of Obermenzing is Blutenburg Castle. Today, the former hunting lodge is home to the best preserved castle chapel.

Sitting majestically on the largest island of Lake Chiemsee is Herrenchiemsee Palace. Known as the ‘fairy-tale king’, Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned its building in 1878.

The spa gardens in the small town of Tegernsee is where the Olaf Gulbransson Museum can be found. The famous Norwegian satirical artist lived in Tegernsee from 1929.

Linderhof Palace near the hamlet of Ettal was the favourite palace of the Bavarian ‘fairy-tale king’ Ludwig II. It was the smallest of his alpine palaces but the one in which he resided the most.

One of the largest royal residences in the Munich region is Schleißheim Palace in Oberschleißheim. The Baroque complex is made up of three palaces: the Old Palace, the New Palace and Lustheim Palace.

Schrobenhausen, the birthplace of Franz von Lenbach, the most famous portrait artist of the 19th century, lies at the heart of a large asparagus growing region with 600 asparagus farmers.

Located at the heart of the Wendelstein region with the scenic Wendelstein Mountain is the holiday resort of Lake Schliersee. Everything from sailing, windsurfing and fishing to canoeing and boating is popular here.

Dachau is a town with an attractive, wide-ranging offer of sights. Its old town is a delight with quaint lanes, historic townhouses and an art gallery.

Between the Rivers Isar and Loisach lies the Tölzer Land, a region that delights with idyllic woodlands, flowering meadows and fragrant herbs. The town of Bad Tölz is renowned for its healthy climate and picturesque old town.

The world's largest thermal spa is located in Erding near Munich, and the thermal water is extracted from a depth of 2350 metres. It offers unforgettable feel-good moments and 365 days of summer a year.

Nestled between woodlands and the foot of the Breitenstein Mountain lies the famous pilgrimage site of Birkenstein. Both hikers and pilgrims are attracted here.

The Roman and Bajuwaren Museum at the castle in Kipfenberg provides information about the Roman Limes World Heritage Site. The Limes Roman frontier passed through this area in the Altmühl valley 2000 years ago.

A ride with the Wendelstein railway will take you to the top of the 1838-metre-high Wendelstein, one of Upper Bavaria’s prettiest mountains for an excursion.

The Samerberg / Hochries region in the Chiemgau Alps is a paradise for hikers thanks to its unspoilt nature and a variety of footpaths.

Waldkraiburg has come a long way since the days of the Second World War when it was an explosives-producing facility with 500 bunkers. The industrial museum Bunker 29 allows visitors to relive the past.

Traunstein is the hometown of Pope Benedict XVI: Joseph Ratzinger grew up here close to Lake Chiemsee in the main town of the Chiemgau region. His local parish church was St. Oswald.

The Werdenfelser Land’s two prominent landmarks are the ruins of Werdenfels Castle, the region’s namesake, and Germany’s highest peak, the 2962-metre-high Zugspitze.

Surrounded by meadows, the Pilgrimage Church of Wilparting is visible from afar. With the alpine panorama in the background, Irschenberg’s small village church is a popular subject for photographs.

Altötting is a member of the Shrines of Europe, the most important Marian pilgrimage sites in Europe. The centre of the pilgrimage town is the small Chapel of Grace with its famous “Black Madonna”.

The Zugspitzland is part of the region of Werdenfelser Land and offers breathtaking views of the Wetterstein Mountains including the Alpspitze and Zugspitze.

Nestled between the Loisach and Isar rivers lies the rafting town of Wolfratshausen. Centuries ago, the combination of the two rivers and rafting as the most important means of transport helped it to prosperity.

Visible from afar, the Andechs monastery is located atop the "Holy Mountain" in the pilgrimage town of Andechs, the second largest in Bavaria.

A great way to get to know one of Bavaria’s prettiest lakes along with its seven islands is with a motorboat cruise.

Rising close to the historic old town of Freising is the famous Domberg hill with its Baroque cathedral. The former diocesan town is also a centre of brewing with the research facilities of the town’s university.

The village of Reit im Winkl is a favourite holiday region in the Chiemgau Alps along with its renowned district of Winklmoosalm. The latter is an alpine plateau and an extensive skiing and hiking region.

The holiday resort of Aschau im Chiemgau offers one of the most diverse hiking areas in the foothills of the Upper Bavarian Alps. The summit of the resort’s Kampenwand Mountain can be reached by cable car.

The idyllic natural scenery of the Berchtesgadener Land has been made famous by numerous films and television series. In reality it’s even prettier.

The top attractions of the holiday resort of Aschau im Chiemgau are the Kampenwand Mountain and Hohenaschau Castle. The summit of the 1669-metre-high Kampenwand Mountain can be reached by cable car.

The neo-Gothic pilgrimage church in Mindelstetten is the last resting place of St Anna Schaeffer and a popular pilgrimage destination.