Walking in Germany?

I have the oppourtunity to go to Germany in the summer next year (my granddad has emigrated-don't ask). I don't know Germany very well at all-i'm arriving in munich-spend a few days with the family then i'm free... Got any suggestions of where is worth going or should i hit the guide books?

Cheers

Mark

When walking in Germany it's best to use a rather stiff legged gait, almost not bending your knees at all. You need to extend your straight leg until your foot is about 18 inches from the ground and at the same time bring the opposite arm across your chest.

Start off with short distances and work your way up to longerwalks until your stamina has increased, it's actually quite hard work.

Good luck in das Vaterland (and don't mention the war!

<Shakes head in disbelief>

Sorry Mark, never been to Germany.

Si

Thank you Ambassabor Croteen.

If you get good at it you can use the same technique in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, France, Holland... ad infinitum.

Damn, I have to run for my train now!

My brother lives near Stuttgart, which is sh*tload further south but there's edges there which never drop below 3000 feet, views of the Eiger on a clear day etc etc. If you're interested I'll try to find out just where that is.

I knew i could count on John to be funny! Whats with the picture of your finger?

Any ifo on walking in Germany would be great as to be honest i haven't got a clue!

I think imay have to make a trip to whsmith!

Cheers

Mark

The southern part (Bavarian Alps) would be my preference. This area is accessible within the day from Munich, as are the adjacent parts of Austria (good autobahn connections to Innsbruck and Salzburg).

The only English guidebook I have for the area is 100 Hikes in the Alps by Vicky Spring, which covers the whole of the Alps. I found the Swiss part a bit vague and out of date, but it's possible the German section is better.

If you're feeling bold, there are various Klettersteige (German word for via ferratta) in the area, for which the definitive guidebook is Klettersteig Atlas by Paul Werner (Rother) - only in German. There are loads of other books available locally in German, and I suspect any of these is going to be better than the English equivalent if your German is up to it. You could also try local tourist offices for info once you're there - this is generally good and often free.

It's also a great biking area, with many mountain tracks (Germans and Austrians take their biking a lot more seriously than we do), and it's easy to hire bikes once you're there.

And I do hope that's only John's finger.

Cheers Joan-very helpful! I think i will take a trip to amazon!

Thanks
Mark

Hi Mark. I've done more than my fair share of hillwalking in southern Bavaria and would recommend Oberstdorf, Berchtesgaden and Garmisch, in that order.

Oberstdorf has the lowest hills, ranging from 1,800m to about 2,600m, but I find that it has by far the widest choice, depending on what you want to do - everything from simple up and down hills, to ridge walks, long/high day walks, various levels of klettersteigs and hut tours. It's about 2 hours by train from Munich. Garmisch has some good hills, but not as many as Oberstdorf, although it has the Zugspitze (Germany's highest mountain), which might be appealing, if hell of a crowded with day trippers from the train. I find Berchtesgaden much more attractive than Garmisch and it has some good walks behind the Obersalzberg, around Koenigsee and particularly up the Watzmann. Having done all three areas, it depends how long you have. If it's just a few days, then any one would do, but Oberstdorf definitely has the edge for a two week holiday.

As far as guides go, I wouldn't really bother with anything that's available in the UK, as everything I've seen tends to be very basic. The best thing is to go to www.amazon.de (your details will already be there if you use amazon.co.uk) and search there. The books and maps are cheaper than in the UK even after postage and only take a couple of weeks. I would suggest that the "Kompass" walking guidebooks and maps are worth buying, as are the "Rother" walking guides. If you use a GPS, the Bayerisches Landesvermessungsamt 1:50000 maps have UTM grids. Search under "Allgaeu" for Oberstdorf, "Werdenfelser Land" for Garmisch and "Berchtesgadener Land" for guess where.

I could go on and on, as I love walking in Bavaria, but hopefully that's given you something else to think about.