Munich

Neuschwanstein Castle

"Mad" King Ludwig II's dream castle, perched on a crag with lakes and mountains behind it. It's the one that inspired Disney, and even more theatrical in person.

What the day looks like

• Early: train from Munich through farmland and onion-domed villages to Füssen, then a short bus to Hohenschwangau village.
• Morning: your timed tour of Neuschwanstein (about 30 min inside: throne room, singers' hall, Ludwig's grotto).
• The view: walk to the Marienbrücke, the footbridge over the gorge that gives the famous postcard shot.
• Afternoon: lunch by the Alpsee lake, and optionally tour Hohenschwangau, the yellow castle where Ludwig grew up.
• Evening: train back to Munich (~2 hr).

Ways to do it

On your own: cheapest and flexible, but book castle tickets first and plan around the train times. Guided day tour: handles tickets and transport, and many add Linderhof Palace or Oberammergau. Easy and stress-free. By car: lets you add the Wieskirche church and Alpine back roads.

Salzburg

Mozart's birthplace and Sound of Music country: a baroque old town under a cliff-top fortress, with the Alps right behind. Much closer to Munich than to Vienna.

What the day looks like

• Morning: train to Salzburg, then walk across the river into the old town.
• Old Town: Getreidegasse with its wrought-iron shop signs, Mozart's birth house, the cathedral.
• Up high: funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress for the view over the rooftops and mountains.
• Afternoon: the Mirabell Gardens (the "Do-Re-Mi" steps) and coffee with a Salzburger Nockerl.
• Evening: train back, home for a late dinner.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen & the Zugspitze

The top of Germany without any climbing. A cog railway and cable car whisk you up to a view over four countries' worth of peaks. Below, Garmisch is a village of painted houses and flower boxes.

What the day looks like

• Morning: train to Garmisch, then up the Zugspitze: cog railway through the mountain, then a short cable car to the summit.
• At the top: the observation decks, a little chapel, and lunch with a view (if your head is fine with altitude).
• Down: take the big cable car straight down to the Eibsee lake for the other view of the mountain.
• Afternoon: stroll Partenkirchen's Ludwigstrasse with its painted facades, then coffee and cake.
• Evening: train back to Munich.

Gentler alternatives in the same valley

Partnach Gorge: a walk through a dramatic, misty river canyon. Oberammergau: the painted-house village famous for its Passion Play. Linderhof: Ludwig II's small, jewel-box palace, the only one he saw finished.

Nuremberg

A walled medieval city of red sandstone and half-timbering, crowned by an imperial castle. It's surprisingly close on the fast train, and big on history from every century.

What the day looks like

• Morning: fast train north, then walk in through the old city gate.
• Old Town: the Hauptmarkt square and its "Beautiful Fountain," St. Lorenz church, the river bridges.
• Lunch: Nuremberg's famous little grilled sausages, six on a pewter plate with sauerkraut.
• Afternoon: up to the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) and Albrecht Dürer's house.
• Optional: the Documentation Center at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds, or the courtroom of the Nuremberg Trials. Powerful, but heavy.

Berchtesgaden & the Königssee

An emerald, fjord-like lake squeezed between sheer cliffs, so still and clean that only quiet electric boats are allowed. Halfway along, the boatman plays a trumpet to show off the echo.

What the day looks like

• Morning: travel to the village of Schönau am Königssee.
• On the lake: boat to St. Bartholomä, the red-domed pilgrimage chapel, and lunch by the water (try the smoked trout).
• Optional: continue to the far end and walk 15 minutes to the Obersee, an even quieter mountain lake.
• Afternoon: Berchtesgaden town, or the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) mountaintop, open roughly mid-May to October.