Things to do in Munich & Bavaria

In Munich, watch the Glockenspiel at the New Town Hall re-enact a 16th-century ducal wedding above Marienplatz, browse produce and Bavarian snacks at the Viktualienmarkt and tour the Munich Residenz with its Treasury and rococo Cuvilliés Theatre; science fans head to the Deutsches Museum on its island in the Isar and car lovers to the free showroom of BMW Welt. Walk up to the Monopteros in the English Garden and rest at the Chinese Tower beer garden, see the royal carriages of the Marstallmuseum at Nymphenburg Palace, then follow King Ludwig II to Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace in its alpine valley and the Herrenchiemsee New Palace on an island in Lake Chiemsee. In the Alps, ride the cable car or cogwheel train to the 2,962 m summit of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, or take the boat across the Königssee to the pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä, reachable only by water, where the crew plays a trumpet to show off the echo. Franconia and the Danube add the Würzburg Residence, the town wall and Plönlein of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bamberg's Little Venice, Nuremberg's Imperial Castle and the Deutsches Museum Nuremberg – Museum of the Future, and Regensburg's Stone Bridge; families can visit MINILAND at LEGOLAND Deutschland, and in the run-up to Christmas the markets of Nuremberg, Munich's Marienplatz and Rothenburg fill the old towns with stalls.

Good to knowNeuschwanstein Castle can only be seen inside on a timed tour that starts punctually, so book online in advance (the Hohenschwangau Ticket Center sells only leftover same-day tickets), and the Marienbrücke viewpoint may close in winter weather. In winter, Linderhof's Venus Grotto and most park buildings, Nymphenburg's small park pavilions such as Amalienburg and the Nuremberg castle gardens close, the Zugspitze railways close for maintenance in parts of November, and LEGOLAND Deutschland opens only on selected winter dates. The Viktualienmarkt is closed on Sundays, the BMW Museum is closed on Mondays and, like BMW Welt, does not accept cash, and on busy days arrive at the Königssee before 10:30 a.m.