German Alpine Road by Motorhome
The German Alpine Road runs for 484 kilometers from Lindau on Lake Constance to Schönau am Königssee. As early as 1927, the first plans for the route, also known colloquially as the Queralpenstrasse, were made, making the German Alpine Road the oldest holiday route in Germany. It offers driving pleasure, grandiose views and connects the most famous sights of Bavaria with each other: This makes it one of the most popular travel destinations in Germany. From great views of Lake Constance to spectacular excursion destinations such as Neuschwanstein Castle to mighty peaks such as the Zugspitze, the route always offers new impressions and is never boring.
The German Alpine Road makes it possible to experience:
- the cultural and scenic highlights in Bavaria in one tour
- pure driving fun and grandiose alpine panoramas on toll-free routes.
Type of Route: tourist route
Theme: alpine panorama, culture, nature, driving experience
Start / Finish: Lindau / Berchtesgaden
Length: 484 km
Federeal State: Bavaria
Holiday Regions: Allgäu, Upper Bavaria: Ammergau Alps, Zugspitze Region, Tölzer Land, Alpine Region Tegernsee-Schliersee, Chiemsee-Alpenland, Chiemgau, Berchtesgadener Land
On two or four wheels
The route promises pure driving pleasure for motorists and motorcyclists: The section from Bad Hindelang to Oberjoch im Allgäu, for example, the "Oberjoch Passstraße", is the most winding road in Germany with 106 bends at an altitude of 300 meters. The Kesselbergstrasse, which connects Walchensee and Kochelsee, was the venue for car and motorcycle races at the beginning of the 20th century. The steepest section of the German Alpine Road is in the Chiemgau: from Unterwössen you drive up to the Masereralm with a gradient of up to twelve percent before you head back down to Reit im Winkl.
Definitely take your time and enjoy the trip! Try regional products of the highest quality: with a visit to a Bavarian country inn, a rest on the mountain pasture or a picnic by the lake.
Complete signage in both directions shows the way, which runs entirely on toll-free roads. Anyone planning to drive along the German Alpine Road can download the GPS data for the route from the website at www.deutsche-alpenstrasse.de and transfer it to their navigation device. There are also many other interesting tips and information there.
Landscape and Culture
There is hardly any other route where you can experience the landscape and culture so intensely. The contrast between the alpine meadows and hilly landscapes of the foothills of the Alps and the steep mountain peaks such as the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain at 2,962 meters, is particularly impressive. Over 25 castles, monasteries and palaces along the route bear witness to Bavaria's history. Quaint farming villages and historic towns line the route.
A trip along the German Alpine Road is the ideal cross-section of the most popular holiday resorts in Bavaria. There are a thousand reasons to make the journey a goal. Historic market streets, old farmhouses, house facades decorated with "Lüftlmalerei" are testimonies to bygone times. Choose your resting place among the numerous parking spaces and you are right in nature. Stop in one of the typical Bavarian inns. Try Bavarian delicacies, Allgäu cheese spaetzle or a crispy roast pork.
On arrival and departure, we recommend that you stop in Munich and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Bavarian capital.
Useful stops
The world-famous royal castles of Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof Castle can be found along the holiday route. The Ettal and Benediktbeuern monasteries, the historic town centers of Garmisch-Partenkirchen as well as Bad Tölz, Berchtesgaden with its Kehlsteinhaus, salt mine and national park and many other "Bavarian originals" are worthwhile stops along the way.
Today Neuschwanstein is one of the most visited palaces and castles in Europe. Around 1.4 million people visit "the castle of the fairy tale king" every year. In summer, an average of more than 6,000 visitors a day push their way through rooms that were intended for a single resident. In connection with the alpine climate and light, this leads to considerable stresses on the valuable furniture and textiles, which the palace administration is working hard to preserve.
Impressions
The Bodensee-Königssee cycle path
The Bodensee-Königssee cycle path runs almost parallel to the German Alpine Road. It avoids the busy federal highways and mostly runs along the edge of the Alps to avoid the steepest gradients of the German Alpine Road. It is 453 kilometers from Lake Constance in Westallgäu to Königssee in Berchtesgadener Land - or exactly the other way around.
The Zugspitze
At a height of 2962 meters, the Zugspitze towers over the whole of Germany to the southwest of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. You can climb the summit in a variety of ways. In addition to several hiking and climbing trails, the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn and the Eibsee cable car also lead to the highest mountain in the country. Although the flora and fauna don't look very impressive due to the altitude, the wide view more than makes up for it, especially in clear weather. There are also three of the five German glaciers in the Zugspitz region. This impressive natural spectacle is worth a visit at any time of the year!
Lake Tegernsee
Tegernsee has not only been a popular travel destination among celebrities for decades. The Alpine region of Tegernsee / Schliersee has had over 5 million day visitors for years and the rush is unbroken. For motorhome fans, too, the Tegernsee offers breathtaking views that invite you to take a short break or a longer stay. The lake is one of the cleanest lakes in Bavaria, of which there is no doubt when looking at the crystal blue water, especially on sunny days. It is advisable to book early in order to find a suitable parking space stress-free. Then nothing stands in the way of a few relaxing days at the lake.
Photo journey German Alpine Road
Route guidance with selected campsites and pitches
You can also find more information about the sights in our Explorer Map.
This information is a service offer from ALPINE in cooperation with FERIENSTRASSEN.INFO 
Bayerische Fernwege e.V.
Division Deutsche Alpenstraße
c/o Alpin Consult
Siedlerstraße 10
D - 83714 Miesbach
GERMAN ALPINE ROAD
