Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Fairytale Bavaria

Text David Sandhu

From amazing turretted castles perched in picturesque alpine settings to the bustling metropolis of the Bavarian capital Munich, with its beerhalle and Weisswurst, Germany’s largest state has a varied and fascinating landscape, full of eccentric characters who have helped shape the region’s history

Walt Disney knew a thing or two about creating magic. So, the fact that he based his iconic Disneyland castle on Neuschwanstein, Bavaria’s most romantic building, should come as no surprise. This is a building straight off a film set: fairytale turrets in an alpine setting built by a legendary character, ‘Mad’ King Ludwig II.

You can almost imagine the young Prince Ludwig climbing the hills above his father’s more modest castle, Hohenschwangau, and dreaming up the ultimate castle. He had the power to make his dreams come true, so why not? Neuschwanstein was the amazing result – originally designed by a painter, before architects were allowed their say.

Although the castle looks medieval, building only started in 1869, making it the epitome of 19th-century Romanticism. Construction stopped with Ludwig’s death in 1886 (only one-third of the interior was finished) and within six weeks tourists were paying to visit.

Before my trip, all I knew of Ludwig was that he was mad, a word Bavarian tour guides are clearly instructed not to use any more. The preferred designation is ‘eccentric’. But you have only to scratch the surface of Ludwig’s short reign to discover ‘mad’ will suffice quite nicely.

Lunacy ran through the Wittelsbach family, forcing Ludwig’s brother into an asylum and his aunt (who thought she had swallowed a piano) into a convent. With Ludwig, it showed itself in delusions of grandeur that seized him as soon as he inherited the throne in 1864, aged only 18. As an increasingly tragic figure, he ruled Bavaria for 22 years until his death at the age of 40.

Although Ludwig spent 17 years building Neuschwanstein, he lived in it only 172 days. After being declared mentally unfit to rule Bavaria, Ludwig was taken away from his beloved creation. Two days later, he was found dead in a lake near Munich. To this day, historians debate whether the king committed suicide or was murdered.

During my 30-minute tour of Neuschwanstein, I walked up and down more than 300 steps, through lavish Wagnerian dream rooms, a royal state-of-the-19th-century-art kitchen, the king’s gilded-lily bedroom and his extravagant throne room. After the tour, I viewed a room lined with drawings of the castle plans and construction, as well as 1883 illustrations of Falkenstein – a wonderfully over-the-top, never-built castle that would have succeeded in making Neuschwanstein look conservative. And that’s no easy task.

I also climbed to Mary’s Bridge to marvel at Neuschwanstein from afar. This bridge was quite an engineering accomplishment 100 years ago and affords a magnificent view. The more adventurous can hike higher for an even more glorious panorama.

Standing below Neuschwanstein is the big yellow Hohenschwangau Castle, Ludwig’s boyhood home. It’s more lived-in and historic, and the excellent 30-minute tours offer a better glimpse of Ludwig’s life than those at Neuschwanstein. Originally constructed in the 12th century, it fell into ruins before Ludwig’s father, Maximilian II, rebuilt it in the 1830s.

If you want the total Ludwig experience, the Ludwig II musical is a spectacular opera/musical based on his troubled life and times. The grand lakeside theatre is charmingly located on Forgensee Lake with a distant view of floodlit Neuschwanstein.

Of course, it’s not just Ludwig’s legacy that makes Bavaria such an inspiring destination. From pine forests, magnificent lakes and spectacular alpine scenery (including Germany’s highest peak) to spa towns, beer-brewing 8th-century monasteries and the modern metropolis of Munich, this area of southern Germany is full of surprises.

Bavarians themselves are a friendly and warm-hearted people. They’re also proudly independent, and many speak a dialect incomprehensible to their fellow countrymen. This is Germany, but not as you might expect it.

For an authentic Bavarian experience, Oberammergau is a great place to start. This charming picture-postcard village – whose inhabitants present a passion play every 10 years in thanks for being spared the ravages of the plague in 1634 – is also home to Bavaria’s wood-carving school and many shops display samples of its craft. Nearby, Ettal monastery has a lavishly decorated church and its monks produce a richly flavoured beer and several aromatic schnapps varieties.

From here, we travelled to GarmischPartenkirchen, a renowned resort that is actually an amalgamation of two distinct towns. Garmisch, chic and cosmopolitan, contrasts with Partenkirchen’s oldeworlde Bavarian charm. The resort lies in an open mountain basin, beneath Germany’s highest peak, Zugspitze. Panoramic views of the Alps tempt most visitors to take a cable car to the summit.

Nearby Grainau, known as ‘Zugspitze village’, has a wonderful natural grandeur enhanced by the legacy of beautiful buildings left by farmers through the ages, with Zugspitze looming behind. The village also boasts two picturesque lakes: Badersee and Eibsee. The former is emerald green and has a statue of a mermaid hidden in its depths. The latter nestles high above Grainau and makes an excellent focus for a day’s walking. Grainau is also a stop on the Zugspitze train, which offers another opportunity to enjoy the spectacular views from the top of the magnificent mountain.

Also worth visiting is Berchtesgaden, a busy tourist town thanks to the remarkable variety of attractions on offer. A guided tour of the local salt mines includes dressing up in miners’ clothing and crossing an illuminated subterranean lake on a raft. Other local sights include Konigsee, a scenic mountain lake; Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s infamous alpine retreat; Berchtesgaden Castle right in the centre of the town; and the church of Ramsau, one of the most photographed churches in Germany.

Finally, Mittenwald, one of Bavaria’s premier resorts, retains a tranquil atmosphere. Visitors are intoxicated by the chilly mountain air and there’s an extensive range of hill-walking available for those in the mood. Towering over Mittenwald to the east is the imposing Westliche Karwendelspitze, whose sheer wall rises to 2,385m. The cable-car ride to the summit provides dizzying views across the Alps. Other temptations include Leutasch gorge and valley, a little explored tributary of the Isar, and the more-interesting-than-it-sounds violin-making museum.

Last, but certainly not least, we arrived in Munich, Bavaria’s capital. This sophisticated city has an enchanting, playful spirit and its inhabitants possess a singular sense of humour. This is the capital of gemütlichkeit, a barely translatable noun describing a supremely cosy state of wellbeing.

At the heart of Munich is the colourful Marienplatz, site of the magnificent gothic Rathaus, crowned with a working glockenspiel of jousting, dancing figures. The 19th-century architectural treasures that ring Marienplatz were commissioned by the Wittelsbach royal family, whose legacy is a city full of magnificent palaces, wide boulevards and grand statues.

Around the corner from Marienplatz is Viktualienmarkt (food market). Bavarians take their food very seriously: traditional fare consists of hearty pork dishes. If there’s any part of a pig that is inedible, the locals have yet to find it.

Local specialities include Weisswurst, a boiled white veal sausage often served with a pretzel and sweet mustard. Washed down with a Bavarian beer, such as Paulaner, Löwenbräu or Augustiner, in a beer hall (Hofbräuhaus on Platzl Platz is a good bet), this is a quintessentially Bavarian experience.

What better way to round off a visit to this unique region?

FR> Bavière féérique

Walt Disney a construit son château iconique de Disneyland sur le modèle de Neuschwanstein, le bâtiment le plus romantique de la Bavière. Il semble sorti tout droit d’un décor de cinéma avec ses tourelles de contes de fée dans un environnement montagneux et construit par une personnalité légendaire, le roi ‘Fou’ Louis II.

En contrebas de Neuschwanstein se dresse le château de Hohenschwangau, maison d‘enfance de Louis. Ce site est plus vivant et historique, et la visite de 30 minutes, parfaitement orchestrée, offre une meilleure vision de la vie de Louis que celle organisée à Neuschwanstein.

Ce n’est pas seulement cet héritage qui fait de la Bavière une destination tellement enchanteresse. Depuis les forêts de pins, les lacs magnifiques et les paysages alpins spectaculaires jusqu’aux villes thermales, aux monastères-brasseries du 8e siècle et à la cité moderne de Munich, cette région d’Allemagne réserve bien des surprises.

Pour un séjour bavarois authentique, Oberammergau est un point de départ idéal. Le village de carte postale abrite l’école de sculpture sur bois de la Bavière. Non loin, au monastère d’Ettal, les moines produisent une bière aux riches arômes ainsi que différentes variétés de schnapps.

De là, nous nous rendons à GarmischPartenkirchen. La station se trouve dans un bassin de montagne, en bas du plus haut sommet d’Allemagne, le Zugspitze. Pour la grande majorité des visiteurs, ces vues panoramiques des Alpes sont une invitation à rejoindre le sommet en téléphérique.

Le train de Zugspitze est une autre façon de découvrir ces cimes, il s’arrête à Grainau où resplendissent deux lacs pittoresques: Badersee et Eibsee.

La ville touristique de Berchtesgaden offre un large éventail d’attractions. Choisissez un tour guidé des mines de sel de l’endroit, visitez Konigsee, un lac de montagne avec vue, ou le Nid d’Aigle, l’infâme retraite alpine d’Hitler.

Enfin, mais ce n’est pas tout, il y a Munich. Dans son coeur, Marienplatz est le lieu de la gothique Rathaus (mairie), coiffée d’un carillon. Non loin, Viktualienmarkt, le marché, dégage ses effluves tentantes.

La cuisine est une affaire très sérieuse pour les Bavarois. Les spécialités locales incluent le Weisswurst, une saucisse de veau bouillie, que l’on accompagne de grandes lampées de bière. N’est-ce pas là la meilleure façon de clôturer la visite de cette région unique?

NL> Beiers sprookje

Walt Disney vond inspiratie voor zijn beroemde Disneylandkasteel in Neuschwanstein, het meest romantische kasteel van Beieren. Dit slot komt zo uit een filmset: sprookjesachtige torens tegen een achtergrond van besneeuwde berghellingen, gebouwd door een legendarisch personage, de “waanzinnige” koning Lodewijk II.

Wat lager dan Neuschwanstein ligt Slot Hohenschwangau, het kasteel waar Lodewijk opgroeide. Het ademt iets doorleefdheid en geschiedenis uit, en de uitstekende rondleiding van 30 minuten geeft een beter idee van Lodewijks leven dan die in Neuschwanstein.

Niet alleen Lodewijks nalatenschap maakt Beieren zo’n inspirerende bestemming. Dit deel van Duitsland zit vol verrassingen, van uitgestrekte dennenbossen, romantische meren en spectaculaire Alpijnse vergezichten tot kuuroorden, bierbrouwende abdijen uit de 8ste eeuw en de moderne metropool München.

Voor een authentieke kennismaking met Beieren is Oberammergau een goede uitvalsbasis. In dat pittoreske dorpje is de Beierse school voor houtsnijwerk gevestigd. En in het nabijgelegen klooster van Ettal brouwen monniken een overheerlijk bier en verschillende aromatische schnapsvariëteiten.

Vervolgens reisden we naar GarmischPartenkirchen. Het bekende skioord ligt in een open keteldal aan de voet van de Zugspitze, de hoogste berg van Duitsland. De meeste bezoekers nemen de kabelbaan naar de top voor weidse vergezichten over de Alpen.

Je kan de top ook bereiken met de Zugspitzetrein, die onderweg stop in Grainau met zijn twee betoverende meren, Badersee en Eibsee.

Het toeristenstadje Berchtesgaden heeft allerlei bezienswaardigheden. Breng een geleid bezoek aan de plaatselijke zoutmijnen, wandel aan het schilderachtige bergmeer Koningsee of bezoek het Adelaarsnest, Hitlers beruchte toevluchtsoord in de Alpen.

En tot slot is er natuurlijk München. Het hart van de stad wordt gevormd door de Marienplatz, waar het gotische Rathaus met klokkenspel staat. Om de hoek ligt de Viktualienmarkt, waar de etenswaren je met hun heerlijke aroma’s bedwelmen.

De inwoners van Beieren nemen hun voeding bijzonder ernstig. Probeer zeker de lokale Weisswurst, een gekookte witte kalfsworst, en spoel hem weg met een fris plaatselijk bier. Een ideale afsluiter van een bezoek aan deze unieke regio.

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