Walking in Southern Bavaria
Experience Overview
Known for its world-famous Passion Plays, performed every ten years, it is impossibly picturesque; its houses are decorated with elaborate paintings known as Luftmalerei and prettily carved wooden balconies overflow with geraniums. Here, the locals embrace their rich history, where traditional Bavarian dress is often worn in recognition of their heritage and the custom of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and a generously sized portion of cake) is still an afternoon ritual.
The village is also an absolute Mecca for the walking enthusiast. From exhilarating mountain hikes with amazing views all the way to the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, to relaxed strolls through lush green valleys and wetland nature reserves, Oberammergau's wealth of well-signed paths and easy-to-follow trails make it a great choice for wonderfully varied walking. We provide a choice of both level 1 and level 2 walks for all days, using the highly efficient local public transport system so you can explore further afield - all guests receive a Guest Card that gives free transport on certain local buses and trains. You also have the mountain lifts to take the sting out of more challenging ascents.
Profile
— 7 nights 3-star hotel, all rooms ensuite — 5 days centre-based walking; 1 free day — Choice of routes each day — Altitude max. 1700m, average 1100m — Self-guided holiday. Min age 12 yrs
At a Glance
— 7 nights 3-star hotel, all rooms ensuite — 5 days centre-based walking; 1 free day — Choice of routes each day — Altitude max. 1700m, average 1100m — Self-guided holiday. Min age 12 yrs
Trip For You
Walking throughout this trip is on well-marked paths which are, at times, stony underfoot. Easier options are provided for the week. Anyone looking for a variety of walking, staying at a good quality hotel, with lots of opportunity for sightseeing would be perfect for this trip.
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. You are provided with route notes for each day, which begin with an overview of the walk and advice on lunch, followed by detailed instructions. The route directions contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotel is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.
You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference: http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf
Group Description
Although the minimum age of clients on this trip is 8 years, younger children may also be accepted on request; please enquire for details and child prices.
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. This tour is based at the same hotel for the week and is managed locally by the hotelier who will be on hand to assist you and highlight particular places of interest. The route directions contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number. In an emergency, the hotel is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.
Eating Drinking
All buffet breakfasts and 1 dinner are included.
Bavarian cooking is hearty and rustic, well-known for its wide variety of wurst (sausages), pretzels (breads), Knodel (dumplings), meat dishes, and of course its world-famous beers. The hotel can cater for vegetarians; please let us know in advance so we can notify the hotel. Before June, some mountain restaurants are open only at weekends.
Transportation
Transfers to start points will be using public transport; bus, trains and cable cars and are payable locally.
Joining Instructions
The trip itself normally begins at the hotel in Oberammergau on the evening of Day 1 of the itinerary.
Arrival and departure transfers are included* (for flight inclusive travellers) between Munich Airport and the hotel in Oberammergau (approx. 90 mins) at set times which coordinate with the standard flights. Please ask your Sales Consultant for times.
Arrival/departure transfers at non-standard times can also be arranged for you, (subject to prior arrangement).
*Please note: the above optional airport transfers are subject to prior arrangement, a supplement and at least 2 people (in total) booked on the departure. A supplement (payable in advance) may also apply if only 1 person travelling on a departure date.
Flights:
We can also book flights for you if you wish.
The standard flights we usually use are with British Airways from London Heathrow to Munich, departing 12:40, arriving 15:35 (transfer to hotel is approx. 90 mins). Return: Munich to London Heathrow, departing 16:25, arriving 17:30. Please note that the standard flights may occasionally change throughout the season so please enquire for up-to-date details.
Transfer Details
Transfers included from Munich airport at 15.35 and back to Munich airport at 12.45. (If booking inclusive flights)
Weather Information
Average temperatures in summer are in the region of 25-30oC. The warmest month is usually July whilst the coldest is mainly January. Every month has its share of precipitation on an average of 14 days per month.
Spending Money
Lunch is not included in the itinerary, please allow some spending money for this. We recommend approximately €5-15 per lunch.
You should allow approx 38€ per person for the use of the ski lifts for the level 2 walks and 20€ per person for the level 1 walks.
Before June some mountain restaurants and ski lifts are open only at weekends.
Highlights
— Centre-based walking in one of Germany's most picturesque regions — Impressive monasteries, regal palaces, onion-domed churches and pretty frescoed houses — Friendly, family-run 3-star hotel with beautiful frescoes and a contemporary restaurant — Well-signed paths and trails with a choice of walking levels every day — Chairlifts and cable cars leading to panoramic mountain restaurants
Trip Details
Product Code: 22753
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: locally.
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Exodus Travel
Supplier Code: W07OB
Starts: Oberammergau, Germany
Finishes: Oberammergau, Germany
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Unknown
Includes
— All buffet breakfasts and 7 dinners — All accommodation (see accommodation section) — Flights from London (if booking incl. flights) — Route directions and maps — Guest card for free local bus travel and discounts on the cable cards, museums and other local attractionsAccommodation
HotelThe Hotel Alte Post is a family run hotel located within the heart of Oberammergau's town centre. Dating back to 1612, it is one of the oldest inns in the town and has been run by the Preisinger family since the end of the 1900s. It is a traditional Bavarian style building, with white washed walls and beautiful frescoes painted on its outside walls. The rooms are ensuite, comfortable and of a good size and most rooms come with views onto the village. The hotel's dining areas are rustic yet cosy, with wooden pannelled walls and even an old tiled stove, whilst the newly renovated Kofel Blick café is stunningly modern with a nod to its traditional past. The hotel's terrace is also perfect for dining, whilst watching the goings on in the village square and admiring the view of the Kofel mountain. All prices are based on 2 persons sharing, so if there is an odd number of people travelling in your party or you are travelling alone, there will be a compulsory supplement for a single room for the tour duration. For a solo traveller there is an additional charge to cover transfer costs.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1,285 ($161 /day)
Itinerary
A transfer (90 mins) is provided from Munich airport to your hotel in Oberammergau (subject to a minimum of 2 people booked on a departure in total).
A perfect introduction to your walking week starts with a short (15 mins) ride on the little red train to Bad Kohlgrub. From here, you walk through the rolling Ammer Valley's string of sleepy farming villages. Unterammergau, in particular, has a splendid Rococo church. Then walk across to the Pulvermoos, a wildlife sanctuary and habitat for 60 bird species including Corncrake, Dipper, Whinchat and Snipe. 2 options: walking time 2.5hr, distance 9km/5.5km or walking time 4hr, distance 16km/10mi.
Start with a cable car ride to the top of the Laber (1685m) for panoramic views of Germany's highest mountain - Zugspitze (2962m) - and the Austrian Alps beyond. You then wind your way down through cool pine forests to the village of Ettal. After lunch, visit the amazing 14th Century former Benedictine monastery, an outstanding example of Bavarian Baroque architecture. Return on an easy path along the pretty valley, passing the Barenhohle cave where there's a figure of the resurrected Christ. Walking time 3.5hr, distance 12km/7.5mi or walking time 4.5hr, distance 14km/8.5mi. 2 options: walking time 3.5hr, distance 12km/7.5mi or walking time 4.5hr, distance 14km/8.5mi.
Staffelsee is one of the larger of the many picturesque blue lakes dotted around this part of Bavaria. This beautiful stretch of water offers easy walking along the shoreline with plenty of swimming opportunities. Stop off in the attractive riverside village of Uffing (the boat landing station is a fantastic place for lunch and offers magnificent views of the lake backed by mountains). In the afternoon, either relax in the sun on the panorama deck of the little lake cruiser (pay locally), passing hidden coves and the lake's 7 islands (one even has its own tiny chapel), or return on foot along the quiet side of the lake. Walking time 3.5hr, distance 12km/7.5mi or walking time 5hr, distance 18km/11mi or walking time 6hr, distance 22km/13.5mi. 3 options: walking time 3.5hr, distance 12km/7.5mi or walking time 5hr, distance 18km/11mi or walking time 6hr, distance 22km/13.5mi.
A day off from walking today. Maybe take the local bus to Mad King Ludwig's fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein with its breathtaking setting on a rocky outcrop. Or take the funicular to the top of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, and discover a 360 degree panorama of endless peaks spanning Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. Or, if you prefer to stay closer to home, spend the afternoon by the Wellenberg outdoor pool, where there is also a sauna, Jacuzzi and spa.
The Kolben chairlift whisks you up to 1270m, from where there's a choice of routes up to the spectacular Sonnenberg ridge. Your route down passes a succession of crashing waterfalls and the reconstructed 19th Century whetstone mill at Schleifmuhle, followed by a pretty path through the meadows. Walking time 4hr, distance 13km/8mi or walking time 6hr, distance 17km/10.5mi. 2 options: walking time 4hr, distance 13km/8mi or walking time 6hr, distance 17km/11mi.
Today's walk includes an unmissable visit to Schloss Linderhof, the gloriously over-the-top Rococo palace built by Mad King Ludwig in 1878, inspired by Louis XIV's chateau in Versailles. There are gorgeous French and Italianate terraced gardens and a golden fountain which erupts once every hour with a 30m plume of water. Return to the hotel along a tranquil path which winds back down the Linder Valley, through the village of Graswang with its beautifully preserved old farmhouses and pretty 17th century frescoed church. Walking time 1.5hr, distance 6km/4mi or walking time 3.5hr, distance 13km/8mi. 2 options: walking time 1.5hr, distance 6km/4mi or walking time 3.5hr, distance 13km/8mi.
The tour itself ends here after breakfast. A transfer back to Munich Airport is included (subject to a minimum of 2 people booked on a departure in total).
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Tour Operator
Exodus Travel
It’s all about adventure That is what Exodus was founded upon 50 years ago, and what the company is still all about. Discovering countries, cultures, environments, cities, mountain ranges, deserts, coasts and jungles; exploring this amazing planet we all live on. At Exodus, we know what makes you tick when it comes to holidays. It’s a desire shared by so many others. A yearning to visit new places and come home with a real sense of what they’re all about. This means delving into local traditions, cultures, cuisine, lifestyles – anything that contributes to its unique identity. At the same time, we always remember that we are only guests. So we travel courteously and respectfully, in smaller groups to minimise our impact, to ensure that every Exodus holiday is a beneficial experience for everyone involved. This is a philosophy we take with us around the world, helping you reach some incredible destinations on 500 itineraries across over 90 separate countries. We also strive to provide as much flexibility and choice as we possibly can, making it simple for you to experience a very different holiday. Exodus started life on 4 February 1974 when two friends got together to provide an overland truck to travel to the Minaret of Jam, deep in the heart of the Hindu Kush, the most inaccessible of the world’s great monuments. See our history page for more details about how we began and how we have grown over the past 50 years. Never travelled with Exodus before? Visit our New to Exodus page for some useful, first-timer information.
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