Unlock the Charms of Southern Germany: A 5-Day Itinerary for Discovering Natural Sights
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For your information, all these pictures were taken in January 2024.
Table of Contents
Some information about Southern Germany
Germany is a country located in central Europe and is bordered by Belgium, Austria, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland. This country is very diverse, like mountainous (Bavaria) or forested (Black Forest). But it has also has a few cities and towns with the biggest one being the capital, Berlin or other cities like Munich.
Germany has 16 states, whereas the southern part is called Bavaria. This state is the biggest land state of whole Germany. It’s a very popular place for tourism as it has different kind of things to offer, like Eibsee, Königssee, and Munich (with Oktoberfest).
How to get to Southern Germany?
Germany is located in western central Europe and borders Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Polands, Czechia, Austria, Switzerland, France and Luxembourg. As it’s pretty central in Europe and had a heavily visited capital, the country is quite easy to visit.
1 | With the plane
Bavaria has its own airport in Munich, called the Munich Airport. But there are many more in Germany all around, like in Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. So, there is always a way to get to Germany by plane.
The airport of Munich is an hour away by public transportation from the city center. This makes it ideal for a citytrip or if you want to make it your startpoint of your roadtrip through Bavaria.
2 | With public transportation
The train system is good equipped and is the most enjoyable way to travel around Germany! No matter the destination in the country, you will be there in no time!
Other public transportations you can take around Germany are buses and metros, but these are more used in the city center. In Munich, every few minutes there is a metro you can take. It’s such a pleasant way of traveling!
3 | By car
You can also come to Germany by car, but it would depend on which country you depart from. Like I said before, for me, it would be a 12-hour drive which I find reasonable.
How to get around Southern Germany?
I traveled around southern Germany with a campervan, and I think this is the best possible way to do it! It’s such an easy mode of transportation and as a bonus, you don’t need to book any hotels, which is a lot cheaper.
I decided to use Indie Campers for renting a campervan and it was the perfect choice! They rent out the most unique campervans for the best price.
Read more about Indie Campers in this review
Best time to visit Southern Germany
Germany is an all-year travel destination, but the peak season would be between June and August in the summer months. July is the busiest month in summer, because of the start of the summer vacation around Europe. The summer is so popular, because of the pleasant temperatures, and longer days.
I traveled in Germany during all the seasons, and I think that every time period has its own charm, depending on what you want! I never travelled in winter before to Bavaria and it has been a dream! And having a good vehicle from Indie Campers helped me a lot.
Southern Germany Itinerary Map
Southern Germany itinerary: Day 1
Total driving distance: 187 kilometers (116 miles)
When I arrived at the city center in Munich, I wandered around the city center for a while. After a morning stroll, I picked up the campervan and started my road trip immediately. I wanted to drive a long way so I could enjoy the whole next day.
1 | Short stop at Munich
I needed to pick up the Indie Camper van in Munich. So, I left all the way from Antwerp and took an overnight Flixbus to Munich, which took me about 10 hours. I decided to wander around the city center for a bit, before picking up my campervan for the next few days afterwards.
The pickup for Indie Campers is a bit out of the way, but it’s good reachable with a taxi or public transportation, which takes about an hour.
Munich is the capital of Bavaria and is a big city to wander around. It’s the perfect place to start your road trip in southern Germany!
Read more: 24h in Munich
2 | Driving to the Parish Church of St. Sebastian
After spending half a day in Munich (I already visited this city for much longer when I was on Erasmus in 2019 in Stuttgart), it was time to drive to one of the most southern places in Germany.
After driving for 2 hours, it’s time to stretch your legs at the Parish Church of St. Sebastian. This church has been built in 1512 under Prince Provost Gregor Rainer and is a mixture of Gothic and Baroque Revival.
There is a small parking lot close to the church to make a small stop.
3 | Ending the day at Hintersee
After a short stop at the church, it’s time for a last hike at Hintersee. It’s a beautiful lake to wander around with clear blue waters and beautiful mountain backgrounds. It’s also a perfect alternative for Königssee, which is a bit more expensive.
The trail is around 2.5 kilometers long and it takes around 45 minutes to an hour to complete the loop around the lake. The parking prices are €6 for 4 hours and €9 for a full day.
Camping for the night: Campingplatz Grafenlehen
Southern Germany itinerary: Day 2
Total driving distance: 197 kilometers (122 miles)
On the second day, it started to snow and it never stopped after that. But because of that, the views were not that good as I hoped it would be, but I still had some amazing views at this lake!
4 | Take a boat trip at Königssee
This lake has been on my bucket list for so long and it was finally time to take the boat trip to the Saint Bartholomew’s Church. The only downside was that you can’t visit Obersee, because that is closed during the winter. But you can still make a fun hike of about an hour around the church!
A return ticket for Königssee costs €22.5 per person, and it takes around 35 minutes to take you to the church. For a timetable, it’s best to check the website beforehand as it’s differs per season. Just know that you need to take the last boat or the water rescue picks you up for the price of €520.
Last thing to know if you want to bring your dog on the boat is that it needs to wear a muzzle. So, it’s best to bring one of your own.
5 | Make a small stop at Maria Gern
After spending some time at lake Königssee, it’s time to drive for 20-minutes to pass by Maria Gern. At this place, there is a pilgrimage church that is located in Berchtesgaden, which is located on a small hill. It’s a very beautiful location and very scenic to drive around.
After this small stop, I decided to drive all the way to the camping near Geroldsee to relax for another cold, but very eventful day tomorrow!
Camping for the night: Alpen-Caravanpark Tennsee
Southern Germany itinerary: Day 3
Total driving distance: 94 kilometers (58.5 miles)
The snow got worse and Germany truly transformed into a winter wonderland! It’s truly magical to see all these places in the summer, but also in these winter conditions.
6 | Wander around Geroldsee
After seeing this place on Instagram before, I had to see it with my own eyes. And I did! Now, with all this snow, it was even more magical. Even though I couldn’t really see the lake or the mountain range, which lies in Austria, it was still such a peaceful and beautiful place.
Make sure to park at the right spot as the lake is very closely located to a small village. And I read online that you get a fine if you park at the wrong place. It’s a very short hike from the parking location.
7 | Visit Linderhof, a beautiful palace
Linderhof is a one of the three smallest, but very beautiful palace built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. This was also the only one that was actually finished and lived in mostly from 1876.
You can wander around the palace gardens, but also visit the inside of the palace. In the winter period, it’s only possible to visit the inside of the palace for €9. On the other hand, in the summer period, you can also visit the park buildings for only €1 more. It’s best to check the website for opening hours.
Now that you need to have cash to pay for the parking ticket, which costs €5 for a day ticket.
Camping for the night: Campingplatz Bannwaldsee
Southern Germany itinerary: Day 4
Total driving distance: 143 kilometers (88.9 miles)
It’s time for some other beautiful spots in southern Germany! The weather hasn’t cleared up just yet, so that’s a bummer. Know that you could also find camping places closer to Eibsee of Partnachklamm, but I decided to be close to Neuschwanstein, in case the weather cleared up. Now that you need a vignette for entering Austria!
8 | Take a hike around Eibsee
One of the most famous things to do in Bavaria is Eibsee and rightfully so! I’ve seen this place three times (and hopefully much more times) and it’s beautiful every time.
Eibsee is a crystal-clear lake with a magnificent sight of Zugspitze mountain. The lake was so beautiful in this winter setting, but the only thing that bummed me out was that the sight of Zugspitze was missing.
The lake has a 7.4 km long circular trail to wander around and takes longer than 1 hour to complete. It’s an easy path that’s also accessible with strollers. In the summer period, Eibsee is also perfect for a swim.
There is a huge car park (€8 for 4 hours and €1 extra per hour) at the beginning of the lake, but know that it’s only for cars. I was with my campervan, but the height of the barrier was to low, so I needed to park at the car park for the Zugspitze cable car. It only takes 5 minutes to reach Eibsee from this parking spot.
You can also go up with the cable car to the top of the Zugspitze. I didn’t do it this time as there were to many clouds and I wouldn’t see a thing. And it costs €62 for a return ticket so it didn’t seem worthy for me.
9 | Visit the beautiful Partnachklamm
I never did a gorge in the winter and I finally decided to visit Partnachklamm. And let me tell you that I find it even more beautiful with the winter magic. Partnachklamm was declared a natural monument in 1912.
When I visited the gorge, it wasn’t fully opened because of the snow and slippery roads, so it only took me less than 1 hour to visit the whole place. But it was worth it nonetheless.
There is no direct car parking near the Partnachklamm, so you need to park near the Olympia Ski Stadium in Partenkirchen and walk for 25 minutes to the entrance. A ticket costs €7.5 and is open from 8AM – 6PM in winter (October – May) and from 8AM – 8PM in summer (June – September). It’s best to look up if the gorge is open, especially in the winter, as it can close last minute due to bad weather.
Camping for the night: Campingplatz Bannwaldsee
Southern Germany itinerary: Day 5
Total driving distance: 605 kilometers (376 miles)
Today is the day that I left southern Germany and drove closer to Belgium as my time with the campervan almost has come to an end. But first, there are some places left to discover!
10 | Enter the charming castle of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau
I went to this place three times over the span of 5 days, because the clouds were in the way of a good view. But, luckily for me, the weather cleared a bit on my last day in southern Germany!
Neuschwanstein was built as a way to escape the city life in Munich for King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The construction began in 1869 and was intended to be used as a private residence for the king, but unfortunately, he died in 1886. Shortly after his death, the castle was open for the public. Hohenschwangau castle was the childhood residence of the King, built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria.
Both castles are open for the public to visit these days. A ticket to enter Hohenschwangau costs €23.5 and Neuschwanstein €20.5 for an adult. It’s best to book your tickets beforehand online as they sell out very quickly, especially in summer.
Hohenschwangau is open from 23 March – 15 October between 9AM till 5PM and between 10AM till 4PM the other period. Neuschwanstein is open from 23 March – 15 October between 9AM till 6PM and between 10AM till 4PM the other period. Check the opening times here.
There is a huge car park at the base of the castle and it costs €10 for a full day. After the parking, you still need to walk for a 30ish minutes to the castle. There is also a viewpoint called Marienbrücke, but it was closed due to bad weather.
Learn more: Full guide to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castle (coming soon)
11 | Make a small stop at the Coloman church
Only a 6-minute drive from Neuschwanstein lies the Coloman church, so it’s definitely a necessary stop!
This church dates back to the 17th century, but there was an older church before this one. It’s named after an Irish pilgrim, because of its worshipping as a patron saint for diseases of man and cattle. The church was lastly renovated in 2012.
It’s a perfect shortstop and there is a small parking lot right next to the church, which is free. Normally, there are amazing mountains behind the church, but they weren’t visible during my visit.
12 | Drive to Sigmaringen
Can you imagine living in a town, where a castle dominates the skyline? No, me neither, but the inhabitants of Sigmaringen can. This castle is the princely castle and seat of government and is situated in Baden-Württemberg, instead of Bavaria.
The castle and museum can be visited throughout the year, but only with guided tours. It’s best to check the website beforehand. There is a free viewpoint over the castle, which is only a short walk from the parking lot.
13 | End your day at the viewpoint of Hohenzollern
One of my favourite castles is Hohenzollern castle, located in Baden-Württemberg. It’s an ancestral seat of the imperial House of Hohenzollern and is the third castle built on this hilltop.
The first castle, constructed in the early 11th century, was completely destroyed in 1423 after a siege by the free imperial cities. The second and larger castle was constructed from 1454 to 1461, but fell into disrepair as its lost its strategic importance. The third and current castle was built from 1846 to 1867 as a family memorial. Now, it’s open for visitors.
It costs €23 to enter the castle for the summer period and €10 (weekdays, as the showrooms are closed) or €22 (weekends) in the winter period. The opening times for summer (from 23 March) is 10AM till 6PM and for winter (1 February till 22 March) is 11AM till 5.30PM. The castle is completely closed during the month January.
There are a few viewpoint over the castle and you can find one of them here.
Camping for the night: Stellplatz Schloss Braunfels (Park4Night)
Southern Germany itinerary: Day 6
Total driving distance: 365 kilometers (227 miles)
Last day of my roadtrip, but there are still 2 more castles on the list, before dropping the camper of Indie Campers back of in the office of Brussels.
14 | Visit the Braunfels castle
I woke up at a parking lot (where staying overnight is allowed) with a view over the castle and it was a perfect morning. The castle Braunfels is located on a crest of a basalt rock in the state Hesse. Braunfels castle has been in the hands of noble lineage for 800 years and is still inhabited by the family as of today.
You can take a tour inside the castle for €9 and the castle tour takes around 50 minutes. It’s best to book this in advance as it needs to be arranged. Find more information about this castle on their website.
There is also a very lovely viewpoint over this castle. It’s best to park your car in the beginning of the street and walk all the way to this point as it’s forbidden to drive into this road.
15 | Last stop at castle Drachenburg and drive to Brussels
The very last stop of this trip is the Drachenburg castle, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. The castle was built between 1882 and 1884 and is one of the most important castles of the late 19th century.
A ticket for entering the castle costs €8 for an adult. The castle is mostly open at the afternoon and has different opening times for winter and summer season, so it’s best to check the website beforehand.
After my short visit at the castle, it was time to drive all the way to Brussels to drop of my campervan and take the train back home! Such a fun, but cold trip to Southern Germany!
You might also like: Discover the best castles in Germany (coming soon)
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Hello, I’m Ellen and welcome to this blog! I’m in love with exploring the world and hopefully I get to inspire you with these blog posts and pictures to feel the same. You will find detailed itineraries, hidden gems, tips and so much more!
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Length
1.6 kilometers
Duration
1 hour
Height difference
Not that much
Difficulty
Easy
