The Best Hotel in Ettal, The Bavarian Alps

This bright and breezy Alpine hotel may be run by the Benedictine order, as evidenced by the exquisite religious carvings and motifs that adorn the walls, but there's little monastic about it. Backed by rocky mountains, the hotel offers modern and comfortable rooms, suites, and apartments full of solid furniture (made, like many of the religious carvings, in the monastery's carpentry shop), as well as a wellness area with an indoor pool, saunas, and steam room. Enjoy sturdy fare and monastery-brewed beer in the vaulted Gaststuben for a rustic, Bavarian atmosphere, or out in the beer garden or sun terrace to soak up the sun. Café 1330, situated in the hotel's inner courtyard, is a pleasant stop for coffee and cake.