The 12 Most Beautiful Towns in Bavaria, Germany

Set on an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, Lindau is practically in stone-skimming distance of the borders with Austria and Switzerland. Made a Free Imperial City within the Holy Roman Empire in 1275, the town was, for hundreds of years, a fishing settlement along the opulent trade route between Italy and the Duchy of Swabia. Over the years, Lindau has exchanged hands between numerous political groups and nations, and multicultural influences thrive today. So, how best to explore this fine town? Simply amble around, immersing yourself in the mazes of small streets and centuries-old houses, before wandering down to the harbour for views of the lake’s Austrian shoreline.

If you fancy a proper taste of the great Bavarian outdoors, make for Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a town, as its hyphenated name suggests, created from the merging of two villages for the 1936 Winter Olympics. Both places are set against a dramatic backdrop of Alpine peaks and each retains its own character, old-world and modern respectively. Here you’ll find some of the best hikes and skiing, right next door to Munich. The area works well as part of an itinerary taking in some of the grandest palaces belonging to the enigmatic ‘Mad King’ Ludwig II of Bavaria (born 1845, found drowned in Lake Starnberg, 1886). Among the finest examples are the nearby Schloss Linderhof, Jagdschloss Schachen and, for full-on Disney-esque Magic Kingdom fantasy, the magical Neuschwanstein castle.

One of the finest vacation destinations in southern Germany, Füssen has a history spanning 700 years, and has been on the map of must-visit Bavarian places for centuries. It’s at the southern end of the tourist-loved Romantic Road, which runs for 400km down from Würzburg, through picture-book scenes of beauty: lakes, vineyards and time-honoured half-timbered homes with window-boxes erupting in displays of floral pink. Until the demise of the industry in the 19th Century, Füssen was famed for its lute and violin-making – take a look at some of the finest historic specimens in the town museum. Check also what’s on at The Kaisersaal: concerts are part of the Füssen’s permanent cultural repertoire. What else? The romantic old town is famously lovely-looking, framed by dramatic mountain peaks and freshwater lakes, and perfect for visits to Neuschwanstein Castle.

This vibrant medieval town (and Unesco World Heritage Site) on the banks of the Danube is home to an impressive assortment of historic structures spanning two millennia – it was founded in AD179, during the rule of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Danube becoming essentially the Roman Empire’s northern border. The legion camp Castra Regina, aka the “fortress by the river Regen”, where it joins the Danube, was Regensburg’s very first footprint. In AD590 it became the first capital of Bavaria, playing host to numerous dukes, kings and bishops down through the centuries. Thankfully, Regensburg was spared the tragic devastation visited upon other cities during the wars, so today, it retains many architectural head-turners that illustrate how it must have looked during its zenith. Don’t miss the Roman City Gate, or Porta Praetoria, and the 12th-Century Old Stone Bridge, with its 16 arches marching over the Danube: a triumph of Medieval engineering.

Author Hermann Hesse once wrote of this town: “If I could choose my place of birth, I would consider Würzburg“, and the moment you clap eyes on it, it’s easy to understand why. It is an upbeat university town of outstanding beauty, rippling with Baroque facades in its elevated position on a hill amid landscapes of vineyards. The history dates back to 686, when it was a Franconian duchy and a pilgrimage point. Similarly today, the scenic town has much to offer to visitors. One of the high points is the Würzburg Residence, commissioned in 1720 by the Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn, who summoned architects from across Europe to build his palace. There are frescoes by the great Italian artist Tiepolo, no less. Würzburg remains one of the most prominent blossomings of Baroque architecture in Germany. Coincidentally, it is also right in the heart of the country’s wine-producing region, making it a superb place to sample local fruits of the vine – the local wine culture dates back to Roman times. Look out for Silvaner and Bacchus grape varieties, and toast your good fortune for finding this town.

With an unparalleled hilltop location along the Romantic Road, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a visual feast of medieval and Renaissance buildings that have survived the ravages of the centuries – and thrived. For obvious reasons it’s day-trip gold, with its web of photogenic cobbled lanes, classic houses leaning together as if on a tipsy bar crawl together, and its fairytale atmosphere that attracts thousands of tourists every year. The Medieval Crime Museum (Mittelalterliches Kriminalmuseum) is a bit grisly but otherwise, from the opera-set fountained town view known as The Plönlein, to the Renaissance might of the Town Hall, Rothenburg is rarefied indeed. The crowds swell particularly during the summer months and the Christmas period so book a hotel night or two – that way you can savour the true spirit of this magical place after the last tour buses have sailed off into the sunset.

You couldn’t get a much-more-perfect day trip from nearby Nuremberg than Bamberg, a fascinating town with an Altstadt (old town) that, sure enough, has been anointed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. It spreads over seven hills where numerous rivers and winding canals converge, a setting that explains why it is repeatedly voted among the most beautiful settlements in Germany. Bamberg’s narrow medieval streets are catnip for day-trippers, who idle away their time in its many pavement cafés, sampling local beer from its myriad city breweries. But there’s plenty of eye candy if you’re here to gain a historical perspective: the four-spired cathedral, the Baroque Residenz (residences) and the old Rathaus (town hall) will fill your Instagram feed faster than you can say “wunderbar“.

Where three rivers – the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz – meet, you’ll discover Passau. The Venice of Germany, as it’s sometimes called, is a picturesque town that has been shaped by water down through the centuries. It has always been a wealthy hub of commerce, known for trading Bohemian salt (Central Europe’s white gold), as well as its close ties to the Holy Roman Empire – a church has stood here since the fifth century. The quaint town was deemed incredibly prestigious long ago for being the largest bishopric in the land, exquisitely built by powerful princes and bishops to form the winding lanes, tunnels and grand archways, many of which still stand today. A perfect spot to visit for a day on a river cruise, Passau also appeals to avid cyclists for its abundance of long-distance routes.

More of a village than a town, this small alpine community is, from a distance, just another charming rural Bavarian town. However, Oberammergau is known across the country for its esteemed history in woodcarving, its beautiful fresco-painted houses and its NATO training centre. This place really punches above its weight once every 10 years, though, when the local population puts on their decennial ‘passion plays‘, enacting the death of Christ. Around 5,000 people live in Oberammergau, but passion play season has seen as many as half a million visitors flock to the village in the past. The tradition has been running since the 17th century, the plays now having a season once every 10 years, with local men growing their beards in preparation a year in advance, and most of the village coming together to put on the shows. You’ll have to wait until 2030 for the next production, but Oberammergau is worth a visit any time. Other shows run all year round, the village itself is a delight, and its well-placed position on the German Alpine Road makes it a convenient stop when visiting the nearby Linderhof Castle and Ettal Abbey. Recommended by Gethin Morgan.

There are predominantly three things bringing visitors to this spectacularly scenic resort town in the most southeasterly nook of Germany. The first is easy access to some of the country’s best ski slopes, not to mention nearby Austria’s. The second is that it’s the final stop on the aforementioned German Alpine Road, one of Europe’s prettiest driving routes. The third is Berchtesgaden’s historical significance. Perhaps as a result of reasons one and two, this unassuming town became a hub for holiday homes and mountain retreats among the very upper echelons of the Nazi party, with the likes of Goebbels, Himmler and Hitler himself all owning properties here. This naturally meant that Berchtesgaden became a key seat of political power, a place where meetings were held and decisions were made. It is also watched over by the infamous Eagle’s Nest compound, set atop Kehlstein mountain. The darkness of this town’s modern history contrasts so strangely with its peaceful nature and scenic surrounds – this is without doubt one of the most beautiful towns in Germany, but it’s also one of the most historically fascinating. Recommended by Gethin Morgan.

The historical town of Dinkelsbühl is located in Central Franconia on the northern stretch of the Romantic Road. According to many historians, it is the best-preserved medieval town in Germany, having remained totally unscathed during the World Wars, except for a broken window in the gothic cathedral of St. George. The unspoiled townscape harks back over 800 years and is filled to the brim with striking churches, proud townhouses and timbered cottages among its many winding lanes.

Shaped by hundreds of years of history, Mindelheim is a journey of discovery in the heart of the Unterallgäu district. Located 56 miles (90 kilometers) west of Munich, it is the perfect stop on the way to Lindau. The town’s earliest history officially dates from 1365, when it came into the possession of the Dukes of Teck-Owen, but it was soon passed into the hands of the Württemberg counts. Today, Mindelheim reflects the structure of a typical medieval settlement, with its partially standing city wall, its array of churches and the town hall arranged around the market square.