Bavaria Holidays

Bavaria is Germany's biggest state, and it's got its own culture and cuisine to match its big-hitter status – the people here even speak a slightly different dialect to the rest of the country. Think film-worthy castles, steins full of beer and mountains rising up into the sky, and you've just about got the measure of Bavaria.

The jewel in Bavaria's crown is the capital, Munich. Grab a warm pretzel for a stroll through Marienplatz square, then climb up to the top of the Old Town Hall. On a clear summer's day, you can glimpse distant mountain peaks through the twin towers of the Medieval Frauenkirche church. Come September, the city echoes with the beer-hall songs and sloshing tankards of Oktoberfest.

Bavaria's last king, the eccentric King Ludwig II, left an impressive real estate portfolio in his wake. His most famous castles – Linderhof and Schloss Neuschwanstein – are now among Bavaria's most-loved attractions. The latter even inspired the Cinderella Castle at Disney's Magic Kingdom Park.

Bavaria's mountains are climbed in summer and used for skiing in winter. On Zugspitze, Germany's tallest peak, you can mimic the tracks of Olympians from the 1936 Winter Games. The Alps are dotted with sparkling lakes, too, which Bavarians flock to in the summer for swimming and watersports.