dossier

Bavaria - Munich to the Alps

Travel Information
First hotel: Starnberg.

Nearest Airport: Munich: 1.5 hour train journey by S-Bahn (suburban railway)from airport to Starnberg, changing once en route.

End of Tour: The tour ends on day 8 after breakfast at Fuessen. Return by train toMunich (2 hours) where you can change onto the S-Bahn to the airport (another45 minutes).

Season:Start any day in 2007 from May to early October, but unless you book far inadvance better omit starts during the Munich Oktoberfest in late September andearly October as there is heavy pressure on accommodation near Munich at thistime. Accommodation along the route can be heavily booked in high summer (lateJuly and August) - so book early!

Travel options: Scheduled flights are available to Munich.

Level of Difficulty
Grade:Moderate

Day Stages:Each day stage involves approximately 15 to 20km/9 to 12 miles walking, whichcan be shortened by using taxis or in some cases by the use of publictransport. Much of the walk is on gravel tracks or quiet asphalt lanes, butthere are also long stretches of footpath. The traverse of the Ammerschlucht(Day 4) can be difficult in wet weather but it can be bypassed by taking ourrecommended alternative route between Hohenpeissenberg and Rottenbuch.

Waymarking:The trail is easy to follow and mostly well waymarked with a specialdistinctive King Ludwig 'k' logo and signposts with distances in km. Onsome sections waymarks are scarce (it seems they make attractive souvenirs…)and it is necessary to pay close attention to the maps and route notes.

Accommodation & Meals
In guesthouses and hotels of a comfortablestandard. On most nights (apart from night 3 at Hohenpeissenberg) all roomshave private facilities. Bed and breakfasts only are included. Evening meals& lunches are available locally.

Night 1: Starnberg.This small resort town is attractively situated by the Starnbergersee (LakeStarnberg), with views up the lake to the distant Alps. The train station is onthe lakeshore and our first choice hotel is just across the square from thestation. It dates from around 1900 and many of the spacious rooms, now allfully en-suite, retain original features such as inner and outer doors.Breakfast is taken in a pleasant café, which is part of the hotel. Our alternativehotel in Starnberg is more modern and the rooms are less spacious, but stillwith fully en-suite facilities. This hotel is also close to the station andsome rooms overlook the lake.

On occasionssuch as the annual Munich Oktoberfest in late September and early Octoberaccommodation in Starnberg may be fully booked well in advance, but in thiscase we may be able to provide alternative hotel accommodation in thedelightful lakeside village of Leoni, which is only 1km/0.6mi from the start ofKing Ludwig's Way at Berg. Leoni has a ferry service from Starnberg, so it ispossible to reach even with baggage; however if the ferry is not operating youwill need to take a taxi from the S-Bahn station in Starnberg for the 7km/4mito Leoni.

Night 2:Diessen. There are 2 hotels that we use here, depending on availability. Thefirst is in the village centre in an older building that has been extended intraditional style. Rooms are equipped with shower or bath and WC, balcony,telephone and TV. The second a modern-style, low-rise building on the lakeshore, has its own large garden and offers seasonal specialties.

Night 3:Hohenpeissenberg. A small Gasthof (Pension) in this large village situated in acommanding posistion high on the south flank of Hohenpeissenberg hill. Formerlya coal mining village, it now attracts holidaymakers and walkers.

Night 4: Ator near Rottenbuch. Our first choice is a small hotel right by the historicgateway of Rottenbuch itself. Rooms have en-suite or private facilities.Downstairs is a cafe popular with day visitors for 'coffee and cake'. Eveningmeal is available at two nearby restaurants in the historic square of themonastic village close to the celebrated church. Our second choice is a smallcountry hotel in a farming hamlet 1.5km/1 mile from Rottenbuch. All rooms havefully en-suite facilities, TV, hairdryer and some have balcony. The hotel hasits own large enclosed garden and heated outdoor swimming pool. There is also a'Wintergarden' (conservatory) for guests' use. This hotel has its ownrestaurant for your evening meal.

Night 5: Eitherat Trauchgau: just outside this well-kept village with fine views over thevillage to the Alpine escarpment is this modern 'Sport-hotel'. There are 21rooms all with fully en-suite facilities, TV and ISDN phone connection. Thehotel has its own restaurant, indoor pool and sauna and indoor tennis courts;or (normally) 3km/4mi further onalong the King Ludwig Way at Buching-Berghof: in a quiet position away fromtraffic noise, this hotel particularly welcomes walkers, and offers fine viewsof the mountains and comfortable accommodation.

Nights 6 & 7: Fuessen. A comfortable hotel situated in the centre of thehistorical old town of Fussen. Each room has shower/bath, toilet, telephone andtelevision. The hotel is conveniently close to the train station for yourdeparture.

What's Included
The price is based on two people sharing a twin ordouble bedroom (does not include airfare), bed and breakfast accommodation inhotels and guesthouses. Rooms normally have en-suite or private facilities.Baggage transfers between hotels are included. Also included are walkers' mapsat 1:50,000 scale and route notes, as well as a book on King Ludwig's Way bySpeakman.

Not Included: Are evening meals, lunches,airfare, S-Bahn tickets from Munich airport to Starnberg (around 13Euros/approx US$15 for two), train tickets from Fuessen to Munich and/or itsairport (20 Euros/approx US$24 for two people traveling together after 9am orat weekends; but note that availability of these special cheap tickets maychange during 2007). Also not included are boat tickets on the StarnbergerseeLake (optional excursion from Starnberg to Leoni or Berg on Day 1) or on theAmmersee Lake (Herrsching to Diessen on afternoon of Day 2), other tickets andexcursions from Fuessen.

Extra Nights
A second night in Fuessen is already included in thetour. Extra nights can be arranged at the time of booking at any point alongthe route or in central Munich. Starnberg (night 1) is a very attractive placefor an extra night, especially if you will be recovering from a long flight,and provides easy access by S-Bahn to central Munich for sightseeing or even avisit to the opera (trains every 20 minutes until late evening, journey time 40minutes). For an extra night in a quiet village with possibilities of extrawalks we suggest Rottenbuch (night 4). Please enquire for prices of extranights which vary according to the actual cost of the rooms.

On Self Guided Tours we provide you with . . .
Route notes; highlighted route maps at1:50,000 scale; book on King Ludwig's Way by Colin Speakman; lake ferrytimetables.

*Research & Development: The tour starting on the 5 Mayhas been designated “Research & Development”. This means that the leaderwill be checking routes and possibly trying out new variations during the trip.Historically this has been done without clients in tow but we thought that someclients might like to take advantage of lower prices and join the trip with apioneering spirit and the acceptance that on occasion they may have to retracesteps to find the way or take a break while the leader checks out the route.