DaveS

Couple with two kids and their spouses (6 adults total) considering Germany 4/22 – 4/30, never been. We enjoy the outdoors and mountains so considering a few days in Munich then the nearby Alps. Not much into sightseeing, maybe one castle tour though. All enjoy hiking and need to be on the go, we don’t like a lot of downtime. Prior to really digging into it is this a bad idea that time of year? Fodor's Bavarian Alps guide says spring is a good time for hiking, but are we too early? We love the Rockies (especially Canadian), but wouldn’t consider hiking that time of year there.

Fussgaenger

The Alps are typically fogged over and the ground damp then.
This can be so elsewhere in Germany too, but more so in the Alps.

The Rheinsteig and Burgenweg (or "Castle-trail) hikes in Germany's Middle Rhine Valley might be a better choice:
http://www.romantic-germany.info/index.php?id=2940
http://www.romantic-germany.info/index.php?id=2942

"Not much into sightseeing, maybe one castle tour though."

Marksburg Castle in Braubach is on the Rheinsteig (guided tour.) St. Goar's Rheinfels Castle is on the Burgenweg (self-guided tour.) Both are genuine knights' castles that have overlooked the Rhine for centuries.

Marksburg: http://de.travello.com/f/p/2011/07/02/40760.l.jpg
Rheinfels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-c...FF80wORNQ#t=32


The Middle Rhine Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site;
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066

The MRV is a wine-production area filled with numerous scenic, old-world towns; Braubach, Bacharach, Boppard, Oberwesel, and Linz have some really nice half-timbered buildings and some old town wall remnants.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Middle_Rhine_Valley

If you want another natural area to explore, the Mosel River Valley is the Rhine's neighbor and offers lots of bike paths and hiking as well:
http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/17-...ights-englisch
Cochem is an especially delightful place:
http://www.der-takt.de/typo3temp/_pr...087e83a8d1.jpg
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066

Fussgaenger

I forgot to mention the annual Wine Witch Night festival (w/ fireworks, a parade, a big ceremony, a straw wine witch in flames, and lots of wine, in Oberwesel on April 30.)

http://www.oberwesel.de/en/wein/weinhex/

DaveS

Thank you for the feedback, sounds like this is a trip we should save for September some year. Back to the drawing board!

traveller1959

April is usually a month when the weather is quite unpredictable. We say, winter and summer are fighting and it changes from hour to hour who will win.

But, honestly, weather is never stable in Germany. You can have beautiful, sunny days in April, but also cool temps and rain. But it is the same in September.

April has the advantage that the mountain peaks are still snow-covered. Even in the Alps, you will find enough mountain trails which are open for hiking.

April is not a foggy season. Fog occurs when the ground and the lakes are warmer than the air, which is typical for autumn, not for spring.

Fussgaenger gave you a lot of advice, however for a completely different region in Germany. April is definitly a good time for München and Bavarian Alps.