Overview
Follow the King Ludwig Way, one of Germany’s most romantic footpaths, from Lake Starnberg and through beautiful Upper Bavaria to the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle. You will pass through small monastery towns, tranquil villages, past idyllic lakes and moors. Enjoy the fantastic panoramic views of the Ammergauer Alps, the Zugspitze summit and the Allgäu mountains just like King Ludwig used to. Stay in charming small hotels and guesthouses and experience the best of Bavarian hospitality.
- Lake Starnberg
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles
- Ammer and Pöllatschlucht Gorges
- Allgäu Alps
- Zugspitze
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Starnberg Lake
Your journey begins in beautiful Bernried by the lake. We recommend arriving in good time so you can take the ferry to Berg and visit the chapel where King Ludwig’s remains were found.
- Accommodation: Hotel Seeblick or similar in Bernried
Day 2: Andechs Monastery/Dießen | 21km
Short train ride to Starnberg to the start of the King Ludwig Trail in the Maising Gorge. Passing through pretty Bavarian villages with inviting beer gardens, you head to Andechs Monastery with its own brewery where you can quench your thirst. Through the gorge of the Kiental to the Ammersee to Herrsching, perched on the Ammersee Lake, and a nice boat trip to Dießen across the lake.
- Walking for the day: 5-6h, 21km, ↑250m ↓150m
- Accommodation: Seefelder Hof or similar in Dießen
Day 3: Wessobrunn/Paterzell | 13km
The King Ludwig Way takes you through Dießen with its charming alleyways, traditional houses and its imposing baroque church. Then walk through the peaceful Stiller forest and via hilltops with marvellous views to Zugspitze, until you reach the monastery at Wessobrunn.
- Walking for the day: 4h, 13km, ↑300m ↓150m
- Accommodation: Gasthof zur Post or similar in Wessobrunn
Day 4: Peiting | 18km
Today you will explore the Alpine foothills, very typical for Bavaria with its sleepy little villages and the remote moor areas. Prepare for a steep ascent to the Hohen Peissenberg mountain, a magnificent spot with breathtaking panoramic views over the Alps from the Großvenediger into the Allgäu region. Continue downhill to Hohenpeissenberg and then walk through forests and across meadows all the way to Peiting. From the summit, take the train (payable locally) to Peiting.
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 18km, ↑500m ↓450m
- Accommodation: Pfaffenwinkel or similar in Peiting
Day 5: Wildsteig/Bad Bayersoien | 14km
From Peiting, you walk through dense forest and the stunning gorge of the Ammerschlucht, Bavaria’s Grand Canyon and one of the highlights of the entire trail. Pass through the gorge via a network of steps, bridges and short climbs, giving you a real sense of adventure. Follow the path to Rottenbuch with its ornate church, enjoying the views of the Ammergau mountains. Today’s walk ends in the small farming village of Wildsteig.
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 14km, ↑400m ↓250m
- Accommodation: Zum Strauß or similar in Wildsteig
Day 6: Buching | 11km
From Wildstein through idyllic moor regions, you will reach the famous UNESCO world heritage Wieskirche, a baroque masterpiece of space and light with magnificent frescoes. Then walk via soft hilltops, through forests and meadows covered in colourful flowers to the Welfenmünster in Steingaden and by bus to your stage destination Buching.
- Walking for the day: 4h, 11km, ↑150m ↓250m
- Accommodation: Alpchalet Schwanstein or similar in Buching
Day 7: Füssen, Castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau | 17km
Passing across nature reserves Lake Hegratsried, you continue uphill, admiring the castles of Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and the impressive Pöllatschlucht gorge. Then walk along the Kalvarienberg into the historic market town of Füssen.
While the castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau can be visited during the walk on Day 7, we would rather recommend booking an extra night in the charming Füssen to have enough time to visit the castles, monastery and other attractions in a more leisurely manner. Regular buses and walking routes connect Füssen and the castles.
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 17km, ↑300m ↓300m
- Accommodation: Hirsch or similar in Füssen
Day 8: Departure
Departure on your own or extension upon request (highly recommended!).
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in a mix of 3-star hotels, country inns and traditional guesthouses. All places have been carefully hand-picked by us, and their quality is regularly monitored. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour. Please note that twin rooms cannot always be guaranteed. In such cases, the room will feature a double bed with individual bedding.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Seeblick (Bernried)
- Seefelder Hof (Dießen)
- Gasthof zur Post (Wessobrunn)
- Zum Strauß (Peiting)
- Alpchalet Schwanstein (Wildsteig)
- Pfaffenwinkel (Buching)
- Hirsch (Füssen)
Note that hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel (from the ones pictured above) is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal or higher value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. Packed lunches are available from your accommodation (order the night before), or you can stop on the way; there are plenty of beer gardens and small shops to satisfy your thirst and appetite. Dinners are available at all overnight accommodations or close by.
Difficulty and terrain
The walking sections require a good fitness level; there are no steep descents and ascents. You walk on walking paths or forest trails as well as on asphalted paths. Daily walking times are not more than 6 hours (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from early April till early October. Due to local transport schedules and transfer arrangements, departures are possible on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays only.
Although it’s well known for city breaks, Oktoberfest and Christmas markets, Germany’s multi-seasonal treats stretch far beyond these clichés. Germany’s climate is typically northern European, and you can read more about temperatures, rainfall and events in our blog, Best time to go to Germany.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
- From Munich, there are regular train connections (duration approx. 15-20min) with regional trains and the S-Bahn. For further information, visit the website of Deutsche Bahn for timetables and tickets. Munich is about 10h from London by rail (see more details).
- In Füssen there is a train station, and there are many connections to various other stations in South Germany, such as Munich (duration approx. 2h) or Augsburg.
- Free parking is available at the starting hotel. No reservation in advance possible/needed. Public parking spaces near the hotel, approx. EUR 3 per day.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 overnight stays as stated above
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on walking days(maximum weight of 20kg)
- Boat fare from Herrsching to Dießen
- Digital route descriptions, travel and tour documents
- GPS-data to use via our smartphone app
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Train fare Bernried – Starnberg, approx. €6 per person
- Train fare Peißenberg – Peiting, approx. €5 per person
- Bus fare Steingaden – Buching, approx. €6 per person
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Local tourist taxes
- Any items not specifically mentioned in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights in Bernried or Füssen
