In planning my trip to Bavaria and Austria, I would like to experience true German life and culture. I am planning on staying in southern Bavaria for 4/5 days. During this time I would like to see Ludwig's Castles, stroll through a couple of the picturesque Bavarian cities and also make a day trip to Innsbruck.

My question is, which of these cities would be the best to make base for this 4/5 day period of my trip: Garmisch-Partenkirchen; Mittenwald; Oberammergau.

Thanks for any assistance that can be provided.

It will be good to know if you are going to rent a car, or have to rely on public transport.

Oberammergau will be the quietest place to stay, Mittenwald may be the most scenic, and Garmisch will offer more opportunities for "night live" (more restaurants, pubs etc) and shopping.

Garmisch and Mittenwald are both on the Munich-Innsbruck railway line, so that may be a plus if you are interested in taking the train to Innsbruck. Oberammergau has only a rail connection to Munich.

I took the same trip last February so I know you are in for a wonderful trip. That said, you may want to budget addtional time to sip a beer and enjoy a schnitzel with the locals. You'll find an approachable group in almost all beerhalls or gasthauses. We stayed at the military recreational facility in Garmisch so I can't recommend a local hotel/guesthouse but I would suggest you stay in Garmisch and take day trips to all of the spots you mentioned by train. (We rented a car at the airport in Munchen and drove to Garmisch but there is also decent train service available for this leg.) If time permits, you may want to add Saltzburg, the salt mines, and the Eagle's Nest to your to-do list when you head south. We took a train into Munchen and another into Innsbruck from Garmisch. You have to allow at least one day in the smaller villages and two days in the cities. Get a map and train schedule so you can maximize your time. Also, buy your train tickets at the local bahnhof.

Although it is technically correct to say that Oberammergau only has a rail connection to Munich, be aware that you do not need to travel all the way to Munich to make the appropriate rail connections to the other places mentioned.

You simply need to travel only as far as Murnau (about 14 rail miles) where you can easily change for Garmisch, Innsbruck, etc.

Hi Greekgazoo,

I spent a month in an apartment in Mittenwald this past winter and loved my time there -- without a car. It was absolute heaven. However, I do have to add that Mittenwald is primarily a tourist destination and that there were more apartments, pensions, & rooms to let -- for such a tiny village -- than almost anywhere I've been. So I don't think it will give you that authentic German daily life that you're looking for.

I took a few day-trips to GaP when I was there, of course. It's a lovely city, but a city. It's probably closer to the authentic German life you want.

Good luck!

s

Greekgazoo,

Witht he greatest of respect if it is IN Germany then it is authentic and part of "German life."

It may not fit the any stereotype but the fact that all of the places you have mentioned are tourist magnets means the resultant atmospheres are the part of German life you will see.

If you don't want to see a bunch of other visitors and wish to experience the German life which exists away from tourist towns then you should choose other venues.

Thanks to all for your suggestions.....this should help ALOT !!!

We loved Mittenwald; we drove thru G-P; but stayed in Mittenwald.

>true German life and culture
Well, we could name any beautiful Bavarian town without any tourists, but you won't go there. Why? Because you'll spent your holiday at places 99% of all tourists recommend. (Neuschwanstein, Fuessen, Rothenburg, Salzburg) They don't go anywhere else, so that's what is recommended. I once recommended Mindelheim here. It's only a few km off the beaten path, and nice and quiet, but you won't go there. When I say "Altmühltal" you might have heared about it, but you won't go there, whatever locals will recommend, because you (tourist) will only go to Füssen. (Acually it's not so bad, so the best places remain untouched by mass tourism )

This is the non-commercial website of Bavaria Ben, who posts here on Fodor's and is very knowledgeable about Bavaria:

www.bensbauernhof.com

We were just in this area in May. We stayed in Lermoos, Austria (near Garmisch) because we liked the smaller feel of it and cheaper prices. Garmisch was too busy for our liking. The views out our zimmer's windows were amazing. Zugspitz and other mountains were in each direction. Absolutely beautiful!

Hi logos,

> I once recommended Mindelheim here. It's only a few km off the beaten path, and nice and quiet, but you won't go there. <

We overnighted there at your suggestion.

"At Mindelheim, we stayed at the Hotel Stern (www.hotel-stern.org), which is much nicer than its website depicts. It is actually a 3* - 70E/nite dbl with bkfst. We recommend this for a nice place to stop along the Romantic Road.

Their beer is Memminger – VG. The dunkle is much like a UK bitters, and the Premium is VVG.

We had dinner (32E) on their terrace (much more pleasant than depicted):
Spargel with Venison steak, Spinach crepes in tomato sauce, salads, and a bottle of Austman Zweigelt 2004 – a very pleasant red, not unlike a Beaujolais.

After dinner, we wandered around the pleasant Old Town.

logos,

I love your attitude. Informative when you please, half-bitter like a good german beer most of the time, and a little pissy if someone asks for air conditioning in Munich.

Of course, you are spot on with your posts. Keep up the good work.

Hi,
In answer to which place to base for 4/5 nights I would have to say Mittenwald! Touristy...well, yes, but a beautiful village amidst gorgeous scenery.

One comment on Innsbruck as a day trip, and this is just my opinion, visit Hall in Tirol instead.

Paul

Just so you're aware - the places you're talking abut aren't cities - they've small towns, surrounded by farms and mountains - not a city like Munich.

We visited Garmisch and Mittenwald but not Oberammergua. I liked Garmisch but prefered the smaller towns like Mittenwald to it. It just had more of a city feel to it than the other towns in the area that we visited. The whole area is absolutely gorgeous though, so I don't think you can go wrong!

Tracy

We have just come home from Europe and while in Bavaria we stayed at Fux Penison B&B - http://www.firmafux.de while we were in Oberammergau which is about 6 Km from Ettal the beautiful local monastary, Linderhof, ( about 7 Km ) Fussen and Weis church which is along the way. Rent a car and get a good map when you get there - it is easy to find your way around. Skip the Zugspitz if it is a cloudy day. Good luck and enjoy!