German Alpine Road

Route description

Lindau, on an island in Lake Constance, has a harbour guarded by a stone lion and a lighthouse. From here the B308, the German Alpine Road, heads east through the Allgäu, with meadows, lakes and views of the Alps.

Füssen is a good base for Schloss Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II’s fairy-tale castle above the Alpine foothills; buy timed tickets online, and walk or take the bus up from the car parks below. From Füssen the route continues east to Oberammergau, where façades are covered in fairy-tale frescoes and the Passion Play is performed.

Linderhof Palace is 12 km from Oberammergau. The route continues to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, at the foot of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, and the Partnach Gorge.

The route then continues east past lakes and mountain villages to Berchtesgaden. It ends at the Königssee, a fjord-like lake below the Watzmann, where electric boats cross to the chapel of St. Bartholomä. The car parks at the Königssee are large but busy in summer.