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Southern Bavaria and the Royal Castles
This round trip from Munich takes you to the three castles of Ludwig II., which, together with the Royal House on Schachen, have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2025, and up into the mountains. On the Herreninsel in Lake Chiemsee, you visit Herrenchiemsee Palace, whose Great Hall of Mirrors, at 75 meters, is slightly longer than the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. From Garmisch-Partenkirchen, you ascend the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain at 2962 meters, and continue to Linderhof Palace in the Graswangtal, the only palace Ludwig II. saw completed during his lifetime. After Neuschwanstein near Füssen, the tour ends at Lake Constance in Lindau, before you return to Munich.
7 stops
Why This Route?
In one week, combine all three of Ludwig II's castles with lakes and high mountains, without long drives back-to-back. Reach the Zugspitze without a car by cogwheel train from Garmisch-Partenkirchen or cable car from Eibsee. For the stage via Linderhof in the Graswang Valley, your own car is practical.
Hidden Gems
- Fraueninsel in Chiemsee: car-free island with Kloster Frauenwörth, founded in 782, reachable by boat from Gstadt in about 10 minutes
- Partnachklamm near Garmisch-Partenkirchen: approx. 700-meter-long gorge, partly over 80 meters deep, accessible year-round during the day for an entrance fee
- Wieskirche near Steingaden: pilgrimage church built by the Zimmermann brothers, UNESCO World Heritage since 1983, a worthwhile detour on the way to Füssen
Getting there and back
Round trip, returning to where you started
- Arrival
- Train · München HbfMunich is the start and finish. To drive the full loop, collect a rental car there.
- Departure
- Train · München HbfFrom Lindau, you return to Munich, where the tour ends.
Itinerary
Stop 1 • 1 Night
Munich
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Munich is Bavaria's state capital and, with over 1.6 million inhabitants, Germany's third-largest municipality. The Isar River flows through the city for nearly 14 kilometers. The heart of the Old Town is Marienplatz with the New Town Hall, where the carillon chimes daily at 11 AM and 12 PM; a few steps away stand the two towers of the Frauenkirche.The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled from 1508 to 1918 from the Residenz, Germany's largest city palace, and created extensive grounds like Nymphenburg Palace and the English Garden. In Maxvorstadt lie the Pinakothek museums of the Kunstareal, and on an Isar island, the Deutsches Museum. Every year, starting the Saturday after September 15th, the city celebrates Oktoberfest on the Theresienwiese, an event dating back to Crown Prince Ludwig's wedding in 1810.
Start of the tour.
15 Sights
5 Restaurants
Culture and Lifestyle
The City of the WittelsbachsFrom 1508 to 1918, the Wittelsbachs ruled from the Residenz. King Ludwig I had the Alte Pinakothek built from 1826 and began the systematic urban expansion around Königsplatz in Maxvorstadt. Today, the Pinakotheken, Museum Brandhorst, and other buildings form the Kunstareal.Beer and Beer GardensDuke Wilhelm V founded the Hofbräuhaus in 1589 as a brewery for the court. Beer gardens are part of the Munich summer; the one at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden alone offers 7,000 seats.OktoberfestThe Wiesn dates back to the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in October 1810. It traditionally begins on the Saturday after September 15th on the Theresienwiese, lasting 16 to 18 days. Festival tents are run by the six Munich breweries (Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu); 7.2 million visitors came in 2023.
Stop 2 • 1 Night
Chiemsee / Herrenchiemsee
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Chiemsee is Germany's third-largest lake, after Bodensee and Müritz. On the 238-hectare Herreninsel (Gentlemen's Island), King Ludwig II had the New Herrenchiemsee Palace built between 1878 and 1886, modeled after Versailles. Its Great Hall of Mirrors, at 75 meters, is even slightly longer than the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. Since July 2025, the palace has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.Herreninsel is only accessible by water. Excursion boats from Prien am Chiemsee dock at the Old Palace, the former monastery building. On the smaller Fraueninsel (Ladies' Island), the Benedictine Convent of Frauenwörth has existed since 772.
Herreninsel is only accessible by ship, with passenger services from Prien.
3 Sights
Stop 3 • 2 Nights
Zugspitze
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The Zugspitze, at 2962 meters on its eastern peak, is Germany's highest mountain; the border with Austria runs over its western peak. A 4.88-meter-high summit cross stands on the peak, and below, on the Zugspitzplatt, lies the Nördliche Schneeferner, Germany's largest glacier.You can reach the top in two ways: The Bayerische Zugspitzbahn starts in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and reaches the glacier station at 2588 meters after approximately 45 minutes; the Seilbahn Zugspitze, opened in 2017, soars from Eibsee at 1000 meters directly to the summit.
Overnight in Garmisch-Partenkirchen; cogwheel train approx. 45 minutes to Zugspitzplatt or cable car from Eibsee.
2 Sights
Stop 4 • 0 Nights
Linderhof Castle
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Linderhof Palace, located in the Graswangtal valley near Ettal, is the smallest of King Ludwig II's three palaces and the only one completed during his lifetime. The palace, built in the Neo-Rococo style, was constructed from 1870 to 1886, with the park created from 1874 to 1880. Since July 2025, Linderhof has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.Surrounding the palace is a formal garden in the French style, whose fountain rises up to 22 meters high, solely powered by natural gradient. The artificial Venus Grotto, alluding to Wagner's "Tannhäuser," is again accessible since the 2026 season, following extensive restoration.
In the Graswang Valley near Ettal, smallest of Ludwig II's three castles.
2 Sights
Stop 5 • 1 Night
Füssen
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Situated on the Lech at 808 meters, Füssen is Bavaria's highest city. Above the old town, the Hohe Schloss, the late Gothic residence of the Augsburg Prince-Bishops, presides. Below it lies the baroque former Benedictine monastery of St. Mang, home to the city museum. In 1562, Europe's first lute-makers' guild was founded here.Füssen marks the end of the Romantic Road and serves as the gateway to the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. At the Lechfall, the river carves its way through a gorge; northeast of the city, it flows into Lake Forggensee. Regional trains connect Füssen with Munich and Augsburg.
Location for Neuschwanstein, with a detour to Wieskirche en route.
3 Sights
3 Restaurants
Stop 6 • 0 Nights
Neuschwanstein Castle
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King Ludwig II had Neuschwanstein Castle built from 1869 in southern Bavaria on a rocky ridge above Hohenschwangau; the Pöllat Gorge lies to its south. Of the more than 200 rooms planned, only about 15 were completed, including the Singers' Hall and the Throne Room. Six weeks after the King's death in 1886, the castle opened to visitors; today, around 1.4 to 1.5 million people come annually. Since July 2025, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.You can only see the interiors during an approximately 30-minute guided tour. Tickets for 2026 are sold online subject to availability; a daily remaining contingent is available at the Ticket Center in Hohenschwangau. The restoration of the magnificent rooms, for which the Free State spent around 40 million Euros, ran parallel to visitor operations and was largely completed by August 2024.
Guided tours only (approx. 35 mins); tickets on-site and online exclusively via Hohenschwangau Ticket Center.
3 Sights
Stop 7 • 1 Night
Lindau
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Lindau is the Bavarian town on Lake Constance, its old town situated on an approximately 0.69-square-kilometer island in the eastern Obersee. A road bridge and the railway embankment connect it to the mainland, on which trains travel to Lindau-Insel station.The landmark is the harbor entrance: On one side, the six-meter-high Bavarian Lion made of Kelheim marble, is enthroned; opposite stands the New Lighthouse, completed in 1856, Germany's southernmost. Also featured are the 12th-century Mangturm and the painted Old Town Hall dating from 1422.
Optional: Island old town and harbour entrance between the Lion and the Lighthouse, Bavaria's only one. Or, a second night in Füssen.
3 Sights
3 Restaurants
7 stops
Route Summary
Duration7 Days
Stops7 Places
TypeMixed
Best Time to GoLate March to mid-October, when Neuschwanstein operates with extended summer hours for tours; in spring, the Partnach Gorge may be temporarily closed during snowmelt.