Travel
Information
First
hotel: Starnberg.
Nearest
Airport: Munich: 1.5 hour train journey by
S-Bahn (suburban railway) from airport to Starnberg, changing once en
route.
End
of Tour: The
tour ends on day 8 after breakfast at Fuessen. Return by train to Munich
(2 hours) where you can change onto the S-Bahn to the airport (another
45 minutes).
Season:
Start any day from May to early October, but unless you book far
in advance, it is best to omit starts during the Munich Oktoberfest in
late September and early October as there is heavy pressure on
accommodation near Munich at this time. Accommodation along the route
can also be heavily booked in high summer (late July and August) - so
book early!
Travel
options from the UK:
Scheduled
flights with British Airways from London Heathrow are available to
Munich, and the ‘Air Travel’ price in the Sherpa UK brochure
includes these flights.
Easyjet
also have flights to Munich which you can use in conjunction with our
land only prices.
Level of Difficulty
Grade:
Moderate
Day
Stages: Each day stage involves
approximately 15 to 25km/9 to 16 miles walking, which can be shortened
by using taxis or in some cases by the use of public transport. Much of
the walk is on gravel tracks or quiet asphalt lanes, but there are also
long stretches of footpath. The traverse of the Ammerschlucht (Day 4)
can be difficult in wet weather but it can be bypassed by taking an alternative route.
Waymarking:
The trail is easy to follow and mostly well waymarked with a special
distinctive King Ludwig 'k'
logo and signposts with distances in km. On some sections waymarks are
scarce (it seems they make attractive souvenirs…) and it is necessary
to pay close attention to the maps and route notes.
General Information
Baths:
it is not normal for your room to have a bath, the main reason being
that it takes up a lot of space, some hotels/guesthouses may have a
separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in
the main expect showers.
Breakfast:
in countries such as Germany and Austria they are usually
buffet style, please don’t offend your hosts by making up a picnic
lunch from the breakfast buffet unless you have asked and paid or it has been specifically
organised for you. It is important for you to tell
us if you have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so
that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.
Single
Supplements: are
payable on most of our tours. 1) The single supplement guarantees
the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be small and
in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as double/twin rooms. 2)
You are not just paying a supplement on the room but also higher luggage
transfer costs. The cost of moving 1 bag or 2
bags etc remains the same. On some of our trips it is possible to reduce
the cost of the single supplement if you happen to be a 3rd
person travelling, or have chosen a date when other clients are booked.
Language:
When travelling in
less frequented areas you will not necessarily come across people
speaking English. Remember you have left home to find things different.
Luggage:
When staying in
hotels, sometimes your luggage will have been taken to you room awaiting
your arrival. However don’t be surprised if your luggage is waiting
for you at reception for you to take it up to your room.
Accommodation & Meals
In
guesthouses and hotels of a comfortable standard. All rooms have private facilities. Bed
and breakfasts only are included. Evening meals & lunches are
available locally.
q
Night
1: Starnberg.
This small resort town is attractively situated by the
Starnbergersee (Lake Starnberg), with views up the lake to the distant
Alps. The train station is on the lakeshore and our first choice hotel
is just across the square from the station. It dates from around 1900
and many of the spacious rooms, now all fully en-suite, retain original
features such as inner and outer doors. Breakfast is taken in a pleasant
café, which is part of the hotel. Our alternative hotel in Starnberg is
more modern and the rooms are less spacious, but still with fully
en-suite facilities. This hotel is also close to the station and some
rooms overlook the lake.
On
occasions such as the annual Munich Oktoberfest in late September and
early October accommodation in Starnberg may be fully booked well in
advance, but in this case we may be able to provide alternative hotel
accommodation in the delightful lakeside village of Leoni, which is only
1km from the start of King Ludwig’s Way at Berg. Leoni has a ferry
service from Starnberg, so it is possible to reach even with baggage;
however if the ferry is not operating you will need to take a taxi from
the S-Bahn station in Starnberg for the 7km to Leoni.
q
Night
2: Diessen. There are 2 hotels that we use
here, depending on availability. The first is in the village centre in
an older building that has been extended in traditional style.
Rooms are equipped with shower or bath and WC, balcony, telephone
and TV. The second a modern-style, low-rise building on the lake shore,
has its own large garden and offers seasonal specialties.
q
Night
3: Hohenpeissenberg Unterbau. A small
Gasthof (Pension) in a rural setting 1.5km from the village centre. It
is on the lower southern slopes of Hohenpeissenberg hill.
q
Night
4: At or near Rottenbuch. Our first choice
is a small hotel right by the historic gateway of Rottenbuch itself. Rooms have en-suite or private facilities. Downstairs is a cafe
popular with day visitors for 'coffee and cake'. Evening meal is
available at two nearby restaurants in the historic square of the
monastic village close to the celebrated church. Our second choice is a
small country hotel in a farming hamlet 1.5km/1 mile from Rottenbuch.
All rooms have fully en-suite facilities, TV, hairdryer and some have a balcony. The hotel has its own large enclosed garden and heated outdoor
swimming pool. There is also a 'Wintergarden' (conservatory) for guests'
use. This hotel has its own restaurant for your evening meal.
q
Night
5: The
hotel is located near the village of Trauchgau. It offers an amazing
panoramic view. The hotel has large comfortable rooms, TV, swimming
pool, sauna and steam room.
q
Nights
6 & 7: Fuessen. A comfortable hotel
situated in the historical old town of Fuessen. Each room has
shower/bath, WC, telephone and television. The hotel is conveniently
close to the train station for your departure.
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Outline Itinerary
q
Day
1: Arrive Munich. Travel by train (S-Bahn
every 20 minutes from the airport with one easy change in central
Munich; journey time 1 hour 20 mins) to Starnberg where your hotel is
just across the square from the station and lakeshore. Those arriving early can take a boat trip to Leoni on the first
afternoon and walk the first 7km/ 4 miles of King Ludwig's Way back
along the lakeshore via Berg (where a chapel overlooks the point in the
lake where King Ludwig was found dead) to Starnberg. Overnight Starnberg (or, rarely, at Leoni).
q
Day
2: Walk from Starnberg via the Maisinger
See nature reserve and the Andechs church & monastery (famous for
its brewery) to Herrsching on the Ammersee lake. Ferry to Diessen on the
other shore of the Ammersee. Overnight Diessen.
q
Day
3: The longest day’s walk of the tour,
much of it level although with a steep ascent and descent near the end.
You start with an opportunity to visit the baroque cathedral (Marienmuenster)
in Diessen before walking through the forest and across meadows to
Wessobrun monastery. An opportunity for lunch at a wayside Gasthof in
Wessobrun. Continue via St
Leonhard-im-Forst (with a fine village church) to the summit of
Hohenpeissenberg hill (988m/3241 feet), the highest point on King
Ludwig's Way, with its splendid views. On the summit are a pilgrimage
church, an astronomical observatory and a café with a scenic lounge.
Then a steep descent across haymeadows to Unterbau village to
overnight.
q
Day
4: Not a long walk, but traverses the
wildest landscapes of the tour. From Hohenpeissenberg village you
descend into the depths of the romantic Ammerschlucht (Ammer Gorge). The
main trail through the Ammerschlucht is a delightful mix of forest and
riverside walking in a steep sided valley. There is also a longer
alternative climbing high above the valley.
Rottenbuch's
Augustininian Abbey, formerly a Stiftskirche (now a Pfarrkirche –
parish church), was originally a Romanesque basilica dating back to the
11th Century. It was extended in gothic style and between 1730 and 1750
it was decorated in the rococo style. The jovial nature of the style is
seen in its decoration with cherubs. Overnight at Rottenbuch.
q
Day
5: Carry on to Wies (also known as
Wieskirche), which boasts Bavaria’s most beautiful Pilgrimage church,
built in 1745-54 under the supervision of Dominikus Zimmerman. The name
means 'meadow' or 'meadow church', and the incongruously vast church is
still surrounded by hay meadows. After
lunch at the conveniently situated Gasthof you continue along the base
of the densely forested Alpine escarpment to the prosperous village of
Trauchgau. Overnight
accommodation near Trauchgau.
q
Day
6: The final day’s walk takes you via
the Pollath gorge to the castles of Neuschwanstein. Descend to
Hohenschwangau castle and the Alpsee, before walking on to the
historic town of Fuessen where you overnight.
q
Day
7: A day to explore the town of Fuessen
and its beautiful surroundings. Easily accessible are a large number of
walks and excursions, including the Tegelberg, a high level wonderland
for walkers at 1800m, reached by cable car. Also close to Fuessen are
the beautiful Alatsee and Alpsee (lakes), with delightful circular walks.
You can also take a boat trip on the Forggensee or nip across the
border into the Austrian Tirol (only just over a mile away, even closer
from Alatsee or Alpsee). Overnight
Fuessen.
q
Day
8: Depart by train (one train per hour,
journey time 2 hours, either direct or simple cross-platform change at
Buchloe) from Fuessen to Munich, where you can change onto the S-Bahn to
reach the airport (every ten minutes; journey time 45 minutes).
What's
Included
The
price is based on two people sharing a twin or double bedroom and
includes return flight from London Heathrow to Munich (if taking our
Air Travel price), bed and breakfast accommodation in hotels and
guesthouses. Rooms normally have en-suite or private facilities. Baggage
transfers between hotels are included. Also included are walkers' maps
at 1:50,000 scale and route notes, as well as a book on King Ludwig's
Way by Speakman.
Not Included
Evening meals, lunches, S-Bahn tickets from Munich airport to Starnberg
(around 13 Euros for two), train tickets from Fuessen to Munich and/or
its airport approx 20 Euros for two people travelling together after 9am
or at weekends; but note that availability of these special cheap
tickets may change. Also not included are boat tickets on the
Starnbergersee (optional excursion from Starnberg to Leoni or Berg
on Day 1) or on the Ammersee (Herrsching to Diessen on afternoon of
Day 2), other tickets and excursions from Fuessen.
Extra Nights
A
second night in Fuessen is already included in the tour. Extra nights
can be arranged at the time of booking at any point along the route. Starnberg (night 1) is a very attractive place for an
extra night, especially if you will be recovering from a long flight,
and provides easy access by S-Bahn to central Munich for sightseeing or
even a visit to the opera (trains every 20 minutes until late evening,
journey time 40 minutes). For an extra night in a quiet village with
possibilities of extra walks we suggest Rottenbuch (night 4).
Please enquire for prices of extra nights, which vary according
to the actual cost of the rooms.
Escorted Tours 2008
If
you have a group of 6 or more, we can arrange customized escorted
departures, please contact us for details.
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