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St. Bartolomä, Königsee



Regions of Bavaria with the three Franconian regions split


  • Augsburg — an important medieval city

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Get in

Train, air, or car. Bavaria is very accessible.

By plane


By train

The German rail company [2] often has cheap ticket deals. Overnight travel to many cities in Europe can be less than €30. You will need to book well ahead of time.

If coming from the Czech Republic, it's often cheaper to buy a Czech ticket to the border and then continue with Bayern-Ticket (see Get around).

If coming from Austria, it's often cheaper to use the Einfach-Raus Ticket, introduced August 2007, much like the Bayern-Ticket (see Get around) is used within Bavaria.

Get around

By train


If you're travelling within Bavaria, you can purchase the Bavaria Ticket (Bayern-Ticket)[3], which will give you all-day travel within Bavaria and even to the border towns of Salzburg or Reutte. The Bayern Ticket for one person costs €21. If there are two or more people travelling together, it would be cheaper to buy an up-to-5-person Bayern-Ticket, which costs only €29. Some locals look for other people to share a journey with to reduce costs. Some even sell their Bayern ticket for a discount after arriving at their destination to recoup some of their funds. In response, the German railway corporation, Deutsche Bahn, now requires you to write your name on the ticket in order to validate it, thus making it harder to sell the ticket to someone else once your journey is over.

You may not buy your ticket from the conductor.

By car


By foot



Most Bavarians speak standard German; however, in southern Bavaria, outside of Munich, Austro-Bavarian (east) or Swabian (west) is the native language of many. In the north Franconian is the traditional language but few speakers remain. In the cities (including Munich) standard German is the local language, but Austro-Bavarian,- and Swabian-speakers typically do speak standard Gemran as well (except possibly older people in the far south).



Bavaria has many family-friendly places, as well as those for the younger generations. Places to see include the walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Rothenburg o.d.T.), Schloss (castle) HerrenChiemsee - Ludwig II's unfinished castle based on Versailles and on its own island on the beautiful lake Chiemsee, the historical city of Nurnburg, the scenic city of Regensburg (visit St. Peter's cathedral, wgich you can't miss as it is the biggest building in Regensburg), Bodenmais (known for its fine crystal and known as the "Switzerland of Bavaria"), and of course the legendary Neuschwanstein castle often called the "fairytale castle"--the basis for the "Magic Kingdom" of Walt Disney.

Of course, for kids, there is Playmobil park near Nurnburg, Trampoline indoor funpark in Regensburg, and the town of Riedenburg on the Altmühl river that has a castle with daily Falconry shows.


It's sad to see tourists who pay too much money to see "tourist castles" when for the price of a rental car and a will to explore can yield many free or cheap sites sometimes better than the overpriced attractions that limit what you can see or do.





Bavarian cuisine is famous for “Schweinsbraten” roast from pig, “Bratwürstl” sausages, “Nürnberger Bratwurst”, probably the smallest sausage in Germany, “Weisswurst” sausage made from veal, “Leberkäse” meatloaf, “Schweinshaxe” grilled pork leg as well as a variety of different “Knödel” dumplings and “Kartoffelsalat” potato salad. Also in the Oberallgäu, the southwesternmost part of bavaria, the traditional food is “Kässpatzen”, made with much Bavarian cheese. Also, some Gasthaus's have various season specials based on what is available locally at that time. There can be specials like Truffle dishes in the southern mountain areas, specialty mushrooms in the Oberpfalz area, seasonal Salmon dishes on the Donau / Altmuhl river area, local trout specials in all small villages, and during hunting season there are occasional fresh wild boar and venison dishes - Bavaria is a gastronomic wonderland!



Bavarians love their beer. One of the most beloved is the "Weissbier", a cloudy, unfiltered beer brewed with wheat (it has a slightly sour taste) commonly consumed earlier in the day with a Weisswurst and sweet mustard. It's good to know that there exists a special ritual with this beer: Normally it will be served in a special glass, called "weissbierglas". But if you get the empty glass and the bottle of beer, you have to fill it by yourself: in one step without dropping the bottle. Weissbier is more carbonated than most other beers and produces a lot of foam so it is not easy to fill without spilling something.

Bavaria could opt for the title of "holy grail of brewing". Not only is it home to Oktoberfest but also the highest brewery density (in the world) is in the north of the state, in the Franconian region. There, you can find a brewery in almost every village (it is sometimes very small and maintained among a few families). You can find a lot of local beer specialities, as for instance the "Bamberger Schlenkerla" (a beer with a taste of smoked bacon), soalways try to stick with the local beers—-especially tasty (and supposedly healthy) are the unfiltered beers (served only in pubs).

In summer, you can generally find beer festivals everywhere: not only in the bigger cities but also in the smaller villages; be warned, however, that the beer there is often served in 1 L ceramic glasses called "Mass". The biggest certainly is the Munich Oktoberfest [4], followed twice a year by the Nuremberg Volksfest [5]. Also very nice is the Erlangen Bergkirchweih [6].

Bavaria’s beer garden [7] season starts in May and runs right through to October. The shade of ancient horse chestnut trees become a rendezvous for both young and old and locals and visitors alike: a place to enjoy a convivial glass of cool beer and some tasty Bavarian snacks. You can even bring your own picnic.


Germans generally make brandy out of everything; most common are the fruit brandies (Obstler) and the herb liqueurs (such as Sechsämtertropen form northern Bavaria). For a real Altbayerisch felling, try Bärwurz, Kräuterwurz, or Blutwurz.


The north of Bavaria is famous not only for its beer but also for its (white) wines that come in special bottles called "Bocksbeutel" (bottles with a big round yet flat belly). For a sweet treat, try Eiswine, made from grapes that are allowed to stay until the first hard freeze and then pressed and made into a very sweet wine.

Stay safe

Statistically, Bavaria is one of the safest regions (if not the safest) in Germany and probably Europe. The biggest threat to your wallet are the (perfectly legal) high prices.

Be aware that there is a big difference between the Bavarian police and the police from maybe Hamburg or Berlin. In Berlin, it might not be a problem if they find a few joints in your pocket (because you may carry it for your own needs). In Bavaria, it definitely is a big problem for you. Still, you won't have any problems if you drink alcohol in public as in all of Germany and Central Europe. Beer or wine is permitted if you are at least 16, spirits at least 18, but the law is loosely enforced.




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