The Great Bike Holiday in Bavaria

You start your tour in Constance, Lake Constance’s biggest town. 600 years ago this was where the Council of Constance took place, the only council to elect a pope that was held north of the Alps. The Rhine leaves Lake Constance here and marks kilometer 0 on its way to the North Sea. Only a few minutes by foot from the medieval town centre is the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen with its lively harbour.

Take the car ferry to Meersburg and explore the historical town centre. When you have mastered the steep ascent to the picturesque castle, you will be rewarded with a fabulous view. You will cycle further along the lake, through Friedrichshafen, the birthplace of the Zeppelin and then to Lindau, the town located on an in island. The famous lighthouse and the harbour are a great destination for an evening stroll.

You will leave Lake Constance behind you and with a little luck you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the Alps. Your destination for the day is Oberstaufen which is a market town in Upper Allgäu. In the show dairy you can see not only how the tasty cheese is made but you get to try them, too. Enjoy the quiet atmosphere in these traditional places of the Alpine foothills in Bavaria.

You will cycle past Lake Großer Alpsee and through stunning valleys to Immenstadt. Green cow meadows, magnificent Baroque churches and crystal blue water characterise the landscape. After Lake Grüntensee you will reach Nesselwang. You can take the cable railway up to the peak of the Alpspitze mountain. Alternatively, you can marvel at the more than 2500 painted and decorated eggs at the Ostereiermuseum (easter egg museum).

An impressive mountain backdrop accompanies you to Füssen near Lake Forggensee. The picturesque landscape is crowned by Hohes Schloss, an impressive late Gothic castle. You will cycle further along the Romantic Road to Schwangau and soon you will feel like you’re in a fairy tale: The picturesque royal palaces Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are visible from afar.

You will leave the castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau behind you. En route to Murnau you will cycle through idyllic meadows filled with the romance of mountain pastures. You will pass the world famous Wieskirche, the church which embodies the Bavarian Rococo style. Set in a magnificent lake and moor landscape, Lake Staffelsee with its seven islands set against the backdrop of the Upper Bavarian Alps, comes into view.

You will first cycle to Lake Kochelsee and then further to Benediktbeuern. As early as the 8th century, a monastery was founded at the foot of the 1800 metre high Benediktenwand mountain range. Bad Tölz, the famous mud and saltwater spa, surprises visitors with colourful facade paintings. The extensive spa gardens offer a perfect opportunity to stop for a break. German novelist Thomas Mann was one of the most famous guests in the spa town.

Today's stage takes you along the edge of the Alps to Lake Tegernsee, probably one of the most famous lakes and home to one of Bavaria's most popular beers. Enjoy the wonderful lake panorama in the small town of Gmund before cycling on to Lake Schliersee. This also presents itself idyllically as a typical Alpine foothills lake and is best explored on board a boat.

First, the route runs along the shore of Lake Schliersee. It then becomes a little hilly along the way. The town at the foot of the Wendelstein is a well-known moor spa. Due to the mild climate and over 30,000 fruit trees in the area, Bad Feilnbach is also known as the Bavarian Merano. As today's stage is relatively short, you can enjoy Upper Bavaria from its most beautiful side.

You cycle through the largest Bavarian turf harvesting area. After crossing the river Inn, you reach Neubeuern, once an important shipbuilding town. Two crossed ship hooks, the coat of arms of the Inn market, can be found all over the town. You reach Lake Chiemsee via Frasdorf. As you are not cycling too far today, there is time for a trip to the Herreninsel or Fraueninsel islands.

Cycling around the Hochfelln, the local Chiemgau mountain, you will continue on along flat paths to Adelholzen, which is one of the oldest baths with healing waters in Bavaria. The Naturkunde- und Mammut-Museum (Natural History and Mammoth Museum) is located in Siegsdorf. The tour then leads you along the Roten Traun to the former mining village of Inzell which is now a spa town renowned for its clean, fresh air.

Up to now you were cycling along the edges of mountains, now the tour leads you through narrow valleys. In Schneitzlreuth you will reach the Saalach and follow the river to Bad Reichenhall, which to this day is one of the most important salt mines in Germany. Cycling along the Salinenweg route you will come Berchtegaden, which was an independent state up until 1803 and is dominated by the the well-known Watzmann mountain.

A beautiful circular route takes you to Lake Königssee in the Berchtesgaden National Park. Like a fjord, it is nestled between steep mountain slopes. Take the opportunity to take a boat trip on the lake. The route continues along the Ache river via Marktschellenberg to Salzburg in Austria. Hohensalzburg Castle can be seen from afar, leading you to the festival city via Hellbrunn Palace.

Today your bike holiday in Bavaria comes to an end and you begin your return journey home. We would, however, be more than happy to extend your stay in Salzburg.