Situated in the southeast of the region of Germany, Bavaria is one of the largest states within the country of Germany. Bavaria is the economic capital of Germany, with many of the major businesses such as BMW, Audi and Adidas holding their headquarters there.

Neuschwanstein, Bavaria © Julia Hoefer-von Seelen

Bavaria is a very traditional state but is very independent in its religion. They wear a traditional national costume known as the Tracht on special occasions and there is a tradition of folk music often related to the Celtic masses. Food and drink is very important in the Bavarian culture and they have many festivals to celebrate, such as the beer festival. Here beer is served by the litre and it only has three ingredient in it, namely water, hops and barley. They also hold wine festivals where their locally produced wine is celebrated.

There are beautiful forests in Bavaria, showing a natural paradise and haven for wild flowers and creatures. One particular forest is in the deep valley of Wolfsteiner Ohe, this amazing forest is great to bring children and nature close together and to encourage their love of all things different and natural. The Bavarian castles are worth visiting and are very informative when taken as part of a tour. Bavaria is a mixture of old and new with the cosmopolitan business centres and the old towns with historic statues and traditional culture.

There are many fabulous hotels available in Bavaria and all at a price that is affordable to everyone, If you are travelling throughout Germany then following the famous River Rhine will give you many fabulous places to visit and many historic places to see.

River Rhine © roger4336/flickr.com

The river Rhine is situated in the Swiss Alps and flows to the north sea. It is one of the most important and longest rivers in Europe. It was vital in the past for carrying trade and food along the river allowing local people to trade and diversify. It was also used as a major defence for the neighbouring towns and the number of fortifications and castles situated along the river proves just how important it was and that control was vital. The Rhine flows from the Switzerland, through to Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany, it also flows through France and finally the Netherlands.

A cruise along the River Rhine is an awesome experience, there are tours that last from eight days to eight hours, catering for everyone`s. Most of the stops on the tour are at Germany ports so there is plenty to see and experience. Taking in the wonderful sights of the River and the historic buildings is something that you will remember for a very long time. Accommodation along the Rhine river is comfortable and affordable, but if you wish to be a little bit more extravagant then there are some luxury hotels near by.

Whether you are travelling around Germany and sampling the wonders of the Rhine river and Bavaria or staying in one of the many secret rooms London has to offer there is something for every ones budget and personality to enjoy.

Lake Schliersee is a natural lake in the Bavarian Alps located at a height of 777 metres (2,549ft) next to the small town of Schliersee about 51 kilometres southeast of Munich.

Schliersee © Julia Hoefer-von Seelen

Expanding 2.3 kilometres by 1.3 (1.4mi) kilometres (0.81mi) the lake has an average depth of 20 metres (66ft) and a maximum depth of 40 metres (130ft). The lake’s only island, Wörth Island, is located almost in the centre of the lake.

In summer you can go swimming and boating at Lake Schliersee, but the region is also great for Nordic walking, hiking, cycling or mountain biking. You can either hire electric boats, pedal boats or rowing boats or go on a trip with the mini cruiser between May and September.

One hiking tour I can highly recommend is the walk up to the remains of Castle Hohenwaldeck. The trail is signposted and even inexperienced hikers can manage, providing they wear proper hiking boots and maybe take walking sticks. You can walk up from the parking place ‘Unterleiten’ in Schliersee and down on the other side to Fischhausen. Then you can either walk back along the lakeside or just walk around the whole lake. From Castle Hohenwaldeck about 209 metres (686ft) above the lake you have a great view over the lake and the Alps.

Alps © Julia Hoefer-von Seelen

In the town of Schliersee you should visit St Sixtus Church which was built from 1712 to 1715 on the site of a medieval church. St Sixtus Church is one of the most beautiful baroque style churches in the area.

From Lake Schliersee it isn’t very far to other Bavarian lakes such as Lake Tegernsee or Lake Spitzingsee. And from Schliersee you can also take the cable car to Schliersbergalm sitting on a sunny hill. From there you not ony have a stunning view of the lake and the mountains but you can also have fun at the Holiday Park with Alpine Roller and giant trampoline. The 950 metres long summer toboggan run can then take you back down to the valley.

Nymphenburg Palace or Schloss Nymphenburg as it is called in German is a Baroque palace in Munich, Bavaria.

Nymphenburg Palace used to be the main summer residence of the Bavarian electors and kings and commissioned by the prince-electoral couple Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy to celebrate the birth of their son and heir. It was designed by the Italian Architect Agostino Barelli in 1664.

Nymphenburg Palace © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

From 1701 on the palace was systematically extended, two pavilions by Enrico Zucalli and Joseph Effner were added in the south and north of the original palace and the southern section was even further extended to form the court stables.

The massive Great Hall (Steinerner Saal) was beautifully decorated in Rococo style with ceiling frescos by Johann Baptist Zimmermann and F Zimmermann. Also worth a visit is the ‘Gallery of Beauties”, painted by Joseph Stieler for King Ludwig I.

Today the court stables are home to one of the most important museums of ancient carriagas, the Marstallmuseum, and also house a collection of Nymphenburg porcelain. The factory being founded by Maximilian III Joseph was also located in the palace complex. The handcrafted products of that factory were of legendary kind of quality and are comparable to Augarten andSevres.

Nymphenburg Palace view from park © Julia Höfer-von Seelen

The large 490acre (200hectare) historic park of Nymphenburg Palace and the Botanic Gardens invite visitors for a walk. In the park you can see a number of beautiful pavilions such as the Pagodenburg (1716-1719), Badenburg (1719-1721), Magdalenenklause (1725-1728), Amalienburg (1734-1739) and Apollotempel (1862-1865).

The palace as well as the park are one of the most famous and most popular sights of Munich and really worth a visit.

The town and island of Lindau, Bavaria are located on the eastern shore of Lake Constance. On the island you can find the town’s landmark, a lion sculpture, and Bavaria’s only lighthouse.

In Lindau you can see all kinds of fountains, as in ancient times they were the town’s water supply. Today they are still very popular with tourists and locals.

Town Hall © Stefan Munder/flickr.com

The most famous probably is the Lindavia Fountain at the Old Town Hall. The base is made of marble with a sculpture of the town’s patron Lindavia holding a lime twig on top. The basin’s sculptures show the former wealth of Lindau based on shipping, fishing, winegrowing and agriculture.

Another beautiful fountain is the Narrenbrunnen (fool’s fountain) with its sculptures.

About every part of the town has its own fountain and at Easter they are beautifully decorated.

But besides the fountains there are also the towers of Lindau. The most famous probably are the lighthouses at the harbour. The Old Lighthouse with a height of 37 metres was built in the 13th century. Its colourful roof dates back to the 19th century. At the entrance of the harbour there are the statue of the lion and the New Lighthouse built in 1856. If you climb up the 139 steps you have a stunning view of Lindau , Lake Constance and the Alps. You can even look as far as Bregenz, Austria.

Very popular at dusk is the promenade at the Pulverturm, the former magazine dating back to 1508. Standing on the western tip of the island, it was integrated into the town wall in the 16th century.
The Malefizturm or Diebesturm (thief‘s tower) was built during the Middle Ages and served as a prison. The coloured roof tiling dates back to the last century.

St Peter’s Church next to it is Lindau’s oldest church and was built around 1000 AD. Having been the town’s parish church until 1180 it has been a war memorial since 1928. Inside the church you can see frescos created by Hans Holbein the Elder at the end oft he 15th century.

There are a few more towers waiting to be discovered as well as the Stadgarten (town gardens).
And there are many more historical buildings to be explored as the historical town centre is well preserved.

The Old Town Hall was built between 1422 and 1436 and is the most impressive building in Maximilianstrasse. In 1496 the German Imperial Diet took place in the town hall which today is the home of 23,000 books of the Free Town Library that dates back several centuries. Besides the town hall there are also many patrician homes in Maximilianstrasse.

Lighthouse © vauvau/flickr.com

The most beautiful houses can be found at the market square. The former house of the Kawatz family with beautiful paintings on the front now is home of the Lindauer Stadtmuseum (town museum). Inside the building you can also see paintings and sculptures from the 15th to 18th century and collections of porcelain, tin and pottery.

And of course you shouldn’t miss out on a boat trip on Lake Constance. An excursion with on the MS Bayern is not only very informative but also a culinary trip. The ship is sailing from April to October and also around Christmas.
Swimming, surfing and sailing are of course only a few of the water related activities you can do at Lake Constance.

In the area you can also go cycling and even cycle around Lake Constance. Bett & Bike will provide you with accommodation and you can of course hire a bike.

Perfect destinations for a great day out with all the family also are Legoland and Connyland.

And Lindau has great shopping facilities to offer. You can buy regional foods on the farmer’s markets and also find old shops that have been there for many generations. Discovering them is like a step back in time.

Weissbier (white beer), also called Weizenbier (wheat beer) or even Hefeweizen, is a top fermented, unfiltered, bottle conditioned wheat beer with yeast sediment and a cloudy appearance.

Weissbier © Moe_/flickr.com

The typical Weissbier or Weizenbeer is a Bavarian specialty beer with a significant amount of malted barley being replaced with malted wheat. According to German law it must be made with at least 50% malted wheat, but most Bavarian Weissbiers contain 60 to 70% of it.

It is not quite clear whether it is called Weissbeer due to its paler colour or due to its content of wheat as both words are of the same origin. It is quite sweet and fruity with a full body.

You get special glasses for Weissbier and it should be poured smoothly not to produce too much head. When there is about a quarter of it left in the bottle, swirl it to lift the sediment and pour it into the glass. This will give the beer its cloudy appearance. Serve it chilled at about 6-8 °C.

Some people add a slice of lemon to a Weissbier but you will hardly see any Bavarians do this, as it ruins the taste of the beer and kills the head. It is more common to add lemon slices to Kristallweizen, the filtered version of Weissbier.

The Bavarian city of Bamberg is located in Upper Franconia on the River Regnitz and is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed during the Second World War.

Because of its authentic medieval appearance and the many valuable architectural monuments the old town of Bamberg is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Old Town Hall/Altes Rathaus © Qole Pejorian/flickr.com

Two of the most outstanding buildings are the Romanesque cathedral and the Old Bridge Town Hall, built in the middle of the Regnitz and accessible by two bridges.

The Bamberg Cathedral (Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg) is Bamberg’s most famous landmark and one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany. The late Romanesque building has four imposing towers and was founded in 1004 by Emperor Henry II. The magnificent marble tomb of the founder and his wife, Empress Cunigunde is considered to be the masterpiece of the famous sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider. It was carved between 1499 and 1513.

Another very famous treasure is an equestrian statue inside the cathedral called the Bamberg Horseman (Bamberger Reiter). Over the years people have tried to guess who the knight on horseback really was but as the sculptor has not carved his name on the statue, it isn’t even clear how old it really is. But it is now thought that the statue shows 11th century Hungarian King Stephen I.

Bamberg Cathedral/Bamberger Dom © liquidbonez/flickr.com

At a time the river was a boundary between the merchant and episcopal parts of the city, the old town hall was built on an artificial island in the middle of the River Regnitz, as according to the legend neither side could agree on a location.
Even though the façade of the town hall is painted in a baroque style, the core of the Gothic building of 1763 has still been preserved. The half-timbered Rottmeister House (1688) next to it seems to float on the river.

Also worth a visit is the row of neatly kept houses along the river known as ‘Little Venice’. Most of them are finely restored half-timbered fishermen’s houses dating back to the Middle Ages. Many of them have balconies and tiny front gardens with moorings for barges.

But Bamberg is also a beer city with 9 breweries within the town boundaries producing more than 50 different beers. You can not only try the smoked beer but join the Sandkerwa summer beer festival at the end of August, visit the Franconian Brewery Museum or one of the many beer cellars in town.

Bamberg boasts a total of 14 museums and you can learn about the history of Levi Strauss, who became world-famous because of his jeans, and many other things.

No matter what age you are, the toboggan runs in Oberstdorf, Bavaria offer a great day out for all the family.

There are two toboggan runs with a length of about 3 kilometres and a difference in height of about 450 metres, you can choose from.

Alps © Y/flickr.com

If you like it more comfortable you can take the Nebelhornbahn cable car to Seealpe station and take the toboggan run to get down again. There are even toboggans for hire.

Or if you want to combine toboggan fun with a nice walk you can choose the toboggan run leading down from Gaisalpe where you can have a meal after the walk in the magnificent landscape of the Alps. And after having walked up there, the way down on the tobogganwill be even more fun.

Or do you want to only watch your children have fun either skiing or going down a slope on the toboggan? Then you can go to Kratsbichl, enjoy the sun on one of the deck chairs and watch your children whilst enjoying a cup of coffee and cake.

But Oberstdorf not only offers toboggan runs but also downhill ski pistes and cross country trails. And of course there is the famous Schattenbergschanze where you can watch international ski jumping events.

There are different kinds of accommodation available to match every taste and budget.

Germany’s most famous Christmas Market is again going to be held from November 26 to December 24, 2010 in Nuremberg, Bavaria.

Nuremberg Christkindlesmakt © charley1965/flickr.com

The opening ceremony on the Friday preceding the first Sunday in Advent is always a great event for locals and tourists from all over the world. Trumpets are blown at 5:30 pm on Friday before the ‘Junge Chor Nürnberg’ starts singing Christmas songs. After the switch on of the lights the Nuremberg Christ Child standing on the gallery will recite her famous prologue. Having been a symbol for the Christmas Market for many decades the Christ Child is one of the city’s most important representatives. The Christ Child is a young woman (16 to 19 years old) from Nuremberg being elected for tow years.

The Christmas Market will be held on Nuremberg’s Main Market Square (Hauptmarkt) and at the about 180 wooden stalls decorated with red and white cloth you can get the typical spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, bakery goods, sweets, Christmas tree decorations, candles, arts and crafts, nativity sets, candles and of course toys. But of course food and drink are available as well such as the typical Nuremberg sausages and mulled wine.

This year the Munich Oktoberfest is going to celebrate its 200th anniversary. It will be held from September 18th to October 4th, 2010.

The Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fair and an important part of Bavarian culture. It traditionally takes place during the sixteen days in up to the first Sunday in October and is held on the so called Theresienwiese (or Wiesn for short) in Munich, Bavaria. More than 6 million visitors come from all over Europe, the US, Canada, India, Japan, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.

Oktoberfest Munich © flickr/digital cat 

The Oktoberfest was first held in October 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hilburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to join the festivities held at the Theresienwiese (Theresa’s field) outside the city gates and a horse race marked the end of the festival. The decision to hold a horse race again the following year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.

And still today you can see horses drawing the carriages on the opening day of the Oktoberfest. On that day the ancient brewery carriages and the horses will be magnificently decorated.

If you want to catch the officially opening ceremonies you should be in the Schottenhamel tent at noon on September 18th.  The lord mayor of Munich then will have the honour of tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. And once the barrel has been tapped, all visitors will be allowed to drink beer too.

Oktoberfest © flickr/sanfamedia.com

At the Oktoberfest not only about 70,000 hectolitres of beer will be drunk,  visitors will also eat huge amounts of typical Oktoberfest food such as Hendl (chicken), Schweinsbraten (roast pork), Haxn (pork knuckle), Würstl (sausages), Weisswurst (white sausages), Brezn (pretzel) and many more.

Since 1850 the statue of the Bavaria, the worldly Bavarian patron, has been watching the Oktoberfest. It was first sketched by Leo von Klenze, roanticised and ‘Germanised’ by Ludwig Michael Schwanthaler and constructed by Johann Baptist Stiglmaier and Ferdinand von Miller.

This year special events will be held to celebrate the anniversary of the Octoberfest. There will be a historical Oktoberfest with ancient fun rides and beer tents and a horse race will also take place. Even a special anniversary beer will be brewed. Normally every brewery has its own beer for the Oktoberfest but this year there will be a special beer brewed by all of them using old recipes that are slightly modified to match today’s taste .  Visitors interested in the history of the Oktoberfest can learn more about it in the Museum Tent.

The Franconian Switzerland is not only one of the oldest and most popular travel destination in northern Bavaria, but also the region with the highest density of private breweries in the world.

The region got was named Franconian Switzerland by Romantic artists and poets in the 19th century who compared the landscape to Switzerland. It is located between the cities of Bamberg, Bayreuth and Nuremberg.

Franconian Switzerland-Fränkische Schweiz © flickr/Marcus Meissner

And the Franconian Switzerland really has a lot to offer, there are soaring towers, small villages with half-timbered houses, medieval castles and more than 100 caves of all sizes. Not only of them are open to the public, but the biggest are. There are Devil’s Cave (Teufelshöhle), Bing Cave (Ginghöhle) and Sophie’s Cave (Sophienhöhle) which enchant the visitors with bizarre columns of limestone, skeletons of bears and stalagmites and stalactites of different shape and size.

The river Wiesent invites fly fishers, kayak drivers and canoeists and a complex network of hiking and cycling trails meets every level of athleticism.

Particularly interesting for families are the wildlife park of Hundshaupten, the wildlife park ‘Hufeisen’ in the Veldenstein Forest and falconry at Rabenstein Castle. And also the Franconian Switzerland Steam Railway (Dampfbahn Fränkische Schweiz) which is operating between Ebermannstadt and Behringersmühle on every Sunday and all holidays between March and October.

Burgruine Neideck © flickr/David Sedlmayer

A must-see for tourist is the basilica in Gössweinstein. The baroque church was built from 1730 to 1739 by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann. It was probably built on the site of an ancient chapel dating back to 1071. The basilica is a popular pilgrimage destination and part of the Way of St James.

If you come to the Franconian Switzerland you will find the fountains in the villages richly decorated, and during the year many events like church fairs and more take place. And with 72 breweries in the region beer plays an important role on every festivity.

But not only beer also the local cuisine with trout, zander, game or lamb from the local streams, meadows and forests and freshly-baked Schäufele (shoulder of pork) can be recommended. Every year in October the ‘Hot Weeks’ take place, and in many restaurants you can taste special dishes made with horseradish.