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Bavarian Castles & Villages

The romantic landscapes of southern Bavaria
 
This is ideal cycling terrain and, since you cycle self-guided while your luggage is transported from one high-quality hotel to the next, you can pause to swim in the lakes and to visit the castles, frescoed villages and famous Wieskirche.
Bavarian Castles & Villages. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Bavarian Castles & Villages. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A cycling holiday in Bavaria

Dotted with fairy-tale castles and extravagantly decorated churches, the picturesque landscapes north-east of Füssen, the starting point for the long-distance Romantische Strasse ('Romantic Road') cycling route, embody the romance of the Bavarian Alps. Sparkling lakes and idyllic villages of ornately frescoed houses are set against a backdrop of wooded slopes and craggy limestone peaks, and lush meadows are filled with flowers in early summer. With plenty of designated trails and ever-changing panoramas, the cycling here is excellent, and there is great variety in the places of interest you can visit en route.
Featuring high-quality hotels of great character, our route takes in the UNESCO-protected Wieskirche, a important centre of pilgrimage; the picturesque lakes around Murnau, their warm waters attracting bathers and artists alike; the exquisite village of Oberammergau, whose houses are decorated with religious frescoes; and the most famous – and most romantic – of King Ludwig II’s castles, whimsical Neuschwanstein, set dramatically atop a cliff above a gorge.
 

2022 / 2023

Oberammergau is hosting its famous Passion Play in 2022. As this will draw a huge number of visitors to the region, we will not be offering the holiday in 2022, but will do so again in 2023.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    The best time for flowers is early July.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 3 5 7 12 16 19 21 21 17 14 8 4
    mm 105 114 145 137 181 203 202 200 158 115 117 120
  • Arrival in Füssen
    Night 1: at Altstadthotel zum Hechten (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night's accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of cycling.
  • Circular route from Füssen: 33km
    After collecting your bikes from the shop, a five-minute walk away, you head off on your first cycle ride, which is the perfect introduction to this captivating corner of Bavaria. Designated trails lead around the picturesque shores of Forggensee, affording beautiful views of the Alps. Allow plenty of time for the return leg, so that you can visit the two magnificent castles that you pass. Hohenschwangau is the Gothic castle whose elaborate murals inspired King Ludwig II’s love of the Middle Ages, while dramatically sited Neuschwanstein, with its fairy-tale turrets and opulent interiors, was actually designed by the king. To visit these, we strongly recommend you book online in advance.
    Circular route from Füssen: 33km
    Circular route from Fussen
  • Füssen to Bad Bayersoien: 40km
    You leave Füssen on the first leg of the 439-kilometre-long Romantische Strasse, passing through a string of traditional villages. The highlight is the approach to the Wieskirche – you emerge from woodland to see this brilliant white, UNESCO-protected church ahead. It is worth exploring the elaborate Baroque interior, with its fresco depicting Christ’s Resurrection, before continuing to your next base, the Parkhotel Bad Bayersoien.
    The approach to Wieskirche
    Füssen to Bad Bayersoien: 40km
    Green pastures between Fussen and Bad Bayersoien
  • Circular route from Bad Bayersoien: 44km
    The Parkhotel’s spa and panoramic indoor pool are hard to resist, but the impressive mountain views on our circular route through the rolling countryside of the colourful Allgäu – part of which is along the Romantische Strasse again – are equally compelling.
    Circular route from Bad Bayersoien: 44km
    Enjoy a leisurely lunch
  • Bad Bayersoien to Murnau: 27km
    Quiet country lanes lead past isolated farms and through traditional hamlets, where you may see cows being herded from one pasture to another. As you cycle, the mountains retreat and the landscape opens out to reveal Murnau, set between two beautiful lakes. This area is known as Das Blaue Land  (the Blue Land) on account of the blue light reflected from the azure waters and sky alike. You first reach Staffelsee then continue along the shore of Riegsee, passing a third lake, Froschhausensee, before heading into Murnau where you stay at the Hotel Griesbräu.
    Bad Bayersoien to Murnau: 27km
    Pause for refreshments
  • Circular route from Murnau: 31km
    Murnau’s splendid surroundings have long inspired artists, not least those of the Der Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) Movement which emerged here. To understand why, explore these landscapes for yourself on a route through Murnau’s protected marshes, home to a variety of flora and fauna.
    Circular route from Murnau: 31km
    Take time to enjoy your surroundings
  • Murnau to Füssen: 45km
    Take a 40-minute train (included) to delightful Oberammergau, home to the Passion Play, which takes place every ten years. There is time to appreciate the beautifully detailed frescoes of religious and rural scenes adorning many houses before setting off back to Füssen through the valley. You rejoin the Romantische Strasse, the glorious views of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschangau castles emphasising just how apt a name it is.
    Murnau to Füssen: 45km
    The route from Murnau to Füssen
 

Accommodation

You stay in family-run hotels, where you will find a warm and friendly welcome.

Occasionally, due to availability, we may offer an alternative hotel, as shown below. You will be informed of any change to the usual hotel (along with any price implication) prior to us confirming your holiday to you.

To make your holiday all the more special, opt for our upgrade hotel in Füssen. Please indicate your preference at the time of booking. Whichever hotel you choose, we recommend an extra night in Füssen to give you a full day to visit the two castles nearby.

Please note: most beds in German hotels are normally one large base with two mattresses/duvets. We refer to these as 'Austrian Twins' and they are locally regarded to serve requests for both double and twin bedded rooms. Separate twin beds or traditional double beds with one large mattress are rare and cannot be guaranteed.
 

Extend your stay

What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 3 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • high-quality bicycle
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 4 reviews
  • Mr M Curtis
    Bury
    18 September 2019

    Lovely scenery, especially lakes and mountains, viewed without a great deal of effort in this very cycle-friendly country. The towns and villages were delightful and the different styles of accommodation added extra interest.

  • Anon
    31 August 2019

    The scenery is beautiful and makes for an impressive ride, regardless of the weather.

  • Mrs A Pearson
    York
    02 August 2019

    This was our fourth cycle holiday with Inntravel and certainly one of the best. The cycles were great quality. The trip was classed as grade 1/2 and the cycling tracks were very good. My husband had a normal bike as he’s a keen cyclist and I opted for an electric cycle for the first time ever. What joy I had on the hills as I whizzed past my husband at the touch of a button. It made such a difference and I didn’t dread the hills! The scenery was wonderful. It took your breath away. I kept expecting to see Julie Andrews popping up over the hills. The cows all wore bells so there was much jingling en route too! There was so much to see. A great mix of towns, castles and interesting routes around lakes and through forests. The hotels were excellent. We’d upgraded to the Hirsch in Füssen and the food was excellent. Ended up eating there 3 nights but it felt like we were in different places as we ate in different restaurants and also outside in the beer garden. The Park Hotel is located in a lovely place with dinner taken outside overlooking the lake both nights and there was a lovely fireworks display one night too. Enjoyed the indoor pool at the Park Hotel too. Loved the brewery in Murnau too. Great atmosphere. I'd highly recommend this trip, even for guys who are worried about their fitness. Just grab an electric bike and you’ll get on just fine. The scenery is amazing. You’ll love it! 

  • Mrs M Law
    Ledbury
    29 July 2019

    The routes were fabulous -with spectacular views. The recommendations for places to visit and eat also very good. We didn’t take the train on the last day of cycling but cycled all the way -a fabulous fit strenuous day ! The hotels,in particular Park Hotel, were great - the wellness centre was very relaxing after a days cycling and the food was amazing.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If your holiday plans go awry because of Coronavirus, rest assured that we’ll do right by you. Since the start of the pandemic, our flexible booking policy and prompt issuing of refunds to customers who prefer not to defer their holiday have earned us high praise in the national press.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – cycling holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety, not least proving your vaccination status or taking a test in order to travel.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
    Entry requirements for non-UK destinations & for re-entering the UK >
  • Our chosen bike rental shop will provide you with a city trekking bike with 18 gears; a waterproof map case on handlebars; panniers/saddlebags; pump; puncture repair kit; and a lock. Electric bikes are available as an upgrade (see price panel), subject to availability, and must be requested at the time of booking.
  • No. We recommend that you bring your own.
  • Yes, we will provide GPX tracks for this holiday prior to departure so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. (We also provide maps and our tried-and-tested route notes, which remain the principal means of navigation).
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. On mornings when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation so that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.
  • You are responsible for damage to or loss of the rental bike while it is hired to you. Always be careful to lock it up, ideally to an immovable object, and remove all easy-to-steal accessories whenever you leave it unattended.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines (but not, currently, with Ryanair). As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out a policy with our recommended provider (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Germany, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The official language is German. The currency is the Euro. German time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 6/27/2022 4:02:14 AM