Destinations

The Walchensee, with its deep-blue to turquoise shimmering water, is one of the most beautiful and largest mountain lakes in Germany. Framed by the Herzogstand and Jochberg, it is a popular destination for bathing, sailing, windsurfing and diving. From the Herzogstand the view reaches over the lake to the nearby…

The Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval near Sixt is one of the largest rock amphitheatres in the Alps: a horseshoe-shaped valley head over whose roughly 500 to 700 m high limestone walls dozens of waterfalls plunge in early summer. The area is part of a nature reserve with easy trails on the…

Mayrhofen is the best-known holiday resort in the rear Zillertal, with the mountains Penken and Ahorn. The Harakiri piste, with a gradient of up to 78 percent, is regarded as the steepest groomed run in Austria. In summer the village is a base for tours into the Zillertal Alps Nature…

The Chiemsee is the largest lake in Bavaria and, for its size, is called the Bavarian Sea. On the Herreninsel, King Ludwig II had the lavish Herrenchiemsee Palace built as a replica of Versailles. Boats connect the islands, including the idyllic Fraueninsel with its convent. Highlights Largest lake in Bavaria…

Évian-les-Bains on the French south shore of Lake Geneva is known worldwide for its mineral water and is an elegant Belle Époque spa town. The lakeside promenade, thermal baths and boat trips across the largest Alpine lake shape the town, with the Savoy and Swiss Alps greeting in the background….

Seefeld lies on a sunny high plateau above the Inn valley and is one of the best-known cross-country centres in the Alps, a repeated host of Nordic Ski World Championships and Olympic events. The mild plateau climate also makes the village a popular hiking and golf destination in summer. Highlights…

The Tegernsee south of Munich is one of the most popular and fashionable pre-Alpine lakes in Bavaria. Well-kept lakeside resorts, the former monastery with the ducal brewery tavern and the local mountain Wallberg shape the region. Bathing, sailing, boat trips and hiking lie close together here. Highlights Fashionable pre-Alpine lake…

La Clusaz is a tradition-rich ski village in the Haute-Savoie before the striking rock chain of the Aravis. Unlike the big purpose-built resorts, it has kept its Savoyard village character. The region is the home of Reblochon cheese; in summer, hikes and the nearby Col des Aravis beckon. Highlights Traditional…

Kufstein Fortress towers over the town on the Inn at the Bavarian-Tyrolean border and is one of the largest preserved fortifications in Tyrol. Inside it sounds the Heldenorgel, one of the largest open-air organs in the world, whose tones carry far into the valley each day. A castle lift and…

Ettal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded in the 14th century, whose magnificent baroque basilica with its mighty dome is visible from afar in the Ammer valley. To this day the monks produce the well-known Ettal monastery liqueur and beer. The abbey lies near Oberammergau and Linderhof Palace. Highlights Baroque…

The Riegersburg sits on an extinct volcanic rock, visible from afar over the eastern Styrian hill country, and is regarded as one of the mightiest castles in Austria. Inside, museums tell of castle history and witch trials; at the foot, a bird-of-prey centre and the well-known Zotter chocolate factory beckon….

Sölden in the rear Ötztal is one of Austria's best-known glacier ski resorts, with pistes up to over 3,000 m. The futuristic Gaislachkogl summit station houses the 007 Elements experience for the James Bond film Spectre, which was filmed here. In summer the Ötztal Glacier Road, Austria's highest panoramic road,…