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Bavaria

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July 11, 2016: Schmiedgasse street in the historic old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber during summer.
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Overview

From the cloud-shredding Alps to the fertile Danube plain, the Free State of Bavaria is a place that keeps its clichéd promises. Story-book castles bequeathed by an oddball king poke through dark forest, cowbells tinkle in flower-filled meadows, the thwack of palm on Lederhosen accompanies the clump of frothy stein on timber bench, and medieval walled towns go about their time-warped business.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Munich/Germany-September 8 2017:.Exterior of camp facilities with memorial sculpture and wall,  at Dachau Concentration Camp, Munich, Germany.; 
KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau

Shutterstock ID 760718488; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau

    Bavaria

    Officially called the KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau, this was the Nazis’ first concentration camp, built by Heinrich Himmler in March 1933 to house political…

  • 500px Photo ID: 141403461 - Photo by Savvy Gao

    Schloss Nymphenburg

    Munich

    This commanding palace and its lavish gardens sprawl around 5km northwest of the Altstadt. Begun in 1664 as a villa for Electress Adelaide of Savoy, the…

  • Residenzmuseum

    Residenzmuseum

    Munich

    Home to Bavaria's Wittelsbach rulers from 1508 until WWI, the Residenz is Munich's number-one attraction. The amazing treasures, as well as all the…

  • Münchner Stadtmuseum

    Münchner Stadtmuseum

    Munich

    Installed for the city's 850th birthday (2008), the Münchner Stadtmuseum's Typisch München (Typically Munich) exhibition – taking up the whole of a…

  • Residenz, Wurzburg, Germany

    Würzburg Residenz

    Würzburg

    The vast Unesco-listed Residenz, built by 18th-century architect Balthasar Neumann as the home of the local prince-bishops, is one of Germany’s most…

  • x-default

    Schloss Linderhof

    Bavarian Alps

    A pocket-sized trove of weird treasures, Schloss Linderhof was Ludwig II’s smallest but most sumptuous palace, and the only one he lived to see fully…

  • Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

    Alte Pinakothek

    Munich

    Munich's main repository of Old European Masters is crammed with all the major players who decorated canvases between the 14th and 18th centuries. This…

  • Isar Cycle Route, Monopteros in background, English Garden, Munich, Upper Bavaria, Germany

    Englischer Garten

    Munich

    The sprawling English Garden is among Europe's biggest city parks – it even rivals London's Hyde Park and New York's Central Park for size – and is a…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Gorgeous mountains, world-class museums and (yes) plenty of beer: Bavaria has it all. Here’s how to start exploring this southern Germany state.

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Things to Know

Plan your trip to Bavaria in southern Germany with these tips on money, etiquette, health and safety.

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