A week driving in Bavaria
 

We will be doing a driving holiday in the end of October in Bavaria. We arrive in Munich and have booked to stay in Garmisch and Berchtesgaden before returning to spend 2 days in Munich before flying off. Done quite a bit of research but they seem to tell you about the same things of Castles, quaint towns and a scenic Alps and Lakes. Would any fellow Fodorites who has traverse these roads have any special nuggets?

Do you have something against castles, quaint towns and scenic Alps and lakes?

Berchtesgaden - I assume you've stumbled across Salzbergwerk, Eagles Nest, Konigssee and Berchtesgaden National Park?

Salzberg is an easy drive (or train ride) from Berchtesgaden as well

A highlight of Berchtesgaden for us was inadvertently ending up on the Rossfeld Hohenring Strasse, a scenic toll road that makes a loop from Obersalzberg to Oberau. It was a snow-covered day in December - the scenery was gorgeous.

It was also fun just driving between Germany and Austria on a near daily basis (you need to purchase a vignette for Austria).

Have you considered incorporating Mittenwald? Fussen (oops, castle). Oberstdorf? The Zugspitz (oops, Germany's highest mountain). Seefeld? Innsbruck? Schloss Linderhof (oops, castle). Oberammergau?

I would think that Neuschwanstein Castle would be a great stop. Also Oberammergau is near Garmisch and home of woodcarvers. Some lovely woodcarvings in that town. Also of course Dacchau is very near Munich, and important "to never forget", about 15 min on the train from Munich. If you stop in Innsbruck, Igls is just up the hill, a small village, lovely spot to spend a night, can go a tram car.

If there is any chance that you will have jet lag upon your arrival in Munich, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for at least your first night or two. Although many people are not aware of it, there is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and nothing you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit.

Well actually all the castles suggested are already in my itinerary. Mittenwald, Oberammergau, Fussen and Schwangau are all in the driving programme and also Konigsee, Eagles Nest, and Zugspietz and the Gorge near Garmisch.

I was just wondering whether there were some magical, off the beaten track , type of things to see and experience based on the collective experience of people in Fodors. I appreciate Melnq8's nugget on the Rossfeld Hohenring Strasse. May take that drive as well.

Thanks for the warning kja. But fortunately the flights have been designed for rest and the other driver in the group is able to sleep anywhere and everywhere! He should be bright and bushy by arrival!? Nevertheless we will take the necessary precautions.

More ideas here perhaps:

https://www.virtualtourist.com/trave...en-TG-C-1.html

https://www.virtualtourist.com/trave...ia-TG-C-1.html

Awesome! I'll be travelling from Prague and spending 4 days in Munich from the 27 to the 31st so I'll keep all of those stops in mind. I won't have a vehicle but I'm sure I can get to some spots by train and bus.

I'm planning a day trips to the Austrian border to see Zugspitze and to the East to the Upper Palatinate - Oberpfalz breweries. Some of the best in the world I'm reading.

> Upper Palatinate - Oberpfalz breweries. Some of the best in the world I'm reading.

Do you mean Oberfranken? There are good breweries in the Oberpfalz, but much fewer than there. Have a look at

http://bambergbeerguide.com/

Prost!

"Well actually all the castles suggested are already in my itinerary."

Our Anglo perspective identifies Neuschwanstein and Linderhof as "castles" but they are in fact palaces, according to Germans. In German, anything called a "castle" ("Burg") was built centuries before the residential palaces ("Schlösser") came about. So it's "Schloss Neuscwhanstein" and "Schloss Linderhof" in Germany.

If you want to see some "Burgs" check out...

Hohenwerfen - not too far from Berchtesgaden in Werfen, Austria: http://www.markmarissink.com/wp-cont...n/DSCF0697.jpg

Burghausen - http://www.burg-burghausen.de/englisch/main/index.htm

And the Castle Road between Prague and Mannheim (passes through Franken or Franconia in case you'll be there.) -

http://www.burgenstrasse.de/uk/Castles-and-Palaces.html

I'm glad to hear you have taken precautions, silverlex! In my ongoing effort to educate my fellow Fodorites, I'll add that microsleeps associated with jet lag appear to be due to two distinct factors: sleep deprivation <b>and</b> the mismatch between one's circadian rhythm and the local clock (and that mismatch is, of course, unrelated to how much sleep one has had). Just something to consider....

kja -

If I had a nickel for every time I advised jet lagged international visitors to New Zealand or Australia to not jump into a car upon arrival and drive 'on the wrong side', on unfamiliar and notoriously squiggly and winding roads...

Driving while jet lagged = driving drunk.

It took awhile for me to accept that fact myself, but accept it I did.

@ Melnq8 -- If <b>we</b> had a nickel each time and split it, we'd probably <b>both</b> have enough money to do a lot more traveling than we do! ;-) I'm glad you accepted it (I don't think I had anything to do with that?) and I still keep hoping to inform people -- I'm sure many people have no idea what a risk it really is. :-(

kja -

Indeed.

No, not your influence, but rather personal experience. It finally dawned on me - how could I possibly drive if I couldn't even form a coherent sentence?

@ Melnq8: ;-) If only coherence were a clear clue....

Something different from castles is a visit to the Documentation Center in Obersalzberg. I have visited twice for about 4 hours each. A very frank exhibit of the Nazi reign and close to the Eagle's Nest. Can be reached by bus from Berchtesgaden rail station.

Wow - what a wealth of insight. The thing about driving is you can't enjoy the beer as much I would like to. Small sips at most!! Thanks for all the input and the repeated warnings of microsleep which on an autobahn can be disastrous. Will keep to the right ( or left?? ) and watch the speed!

The insight concerning Castles and Palaces is very interesting. Never read that anywhere. Looking forward to the trip!