Kiss winter goodbye and plan your spring vacation in Bavaria now!

Enjoy this relaxed vacation season and experience Bavarian culture at its best

Spring is an ideal travel season, especially for those who are not bound to the relatively short span of official spring- and easter-vacations. The high season for skiing is over and summer season has not yet begun. These are excellent conditions to get to know Bavaria in a more relaxed way because the slopes are no longer full and the beer gardens not yet. Now there are so many opportunities to do sports or relax, to revel in culture or go shopping that visitors will have it hard to make their choice - or enjoy a bit of it all!

As for skiers, they will still find perfectly groomed slopes and cross-country tracks in the Allgäu, Ammergau, Berchtesgaden and Chiemgau Alps and on the Arber in the Bavarian Forest. The ski season there lasts until April. Snow fans love to swish down the slopes and then take a bath in the already powerful spring sun. And once the chilliest time of the year is over, snowshoeing and sleigh riding can be more fun when temperatures are milder. Even the easter bunny loves to hobble in the snow! An easter egg hunt is taking place each year on Easter Sunday at 11:00 a.m. on the Kampenwand - something especially kids love.

For those who are not into skiing hiking and biking are now the right things to do. Enjoy the white caps of the mountains from the plains and take routes along the Bavarian Lakes, along the lower courses of rivers or the valleys of Bavaria. And once the last snow has vanished by the middle of May tours to the alps are a great experience as the pastures will be in full bloom by then.

Spring is also a good time for Bavarian culture. There are many Bavarian customs which are maintained during eastertide, for example the washing of the feet in many Catholic churches on Maundy Thursday or the famous Good Friday Procession in Lohr on River Main. Moreover, there are many pilgrimages on horseback, called 'Umritte' (Rides). The best-known of these is the Georgiritt (George's Ride) in Traunstein. It ends with a so called 'sword dance'. Men, dressed like historical lansquenets, dance with flower-adorned swords.

And of course there are many easter markets which are worth a visit. May is also a good month to join a traditional Bavarian festival. Many towns are celebrating their 'Maifest' now. Processions take place where locals dress in their traditional costumes and where Folklore Associations present their dances. The highlight of these festivals is the erection of the 'Maibaum' (Maypole). This is a very long pole, painted blue and white and decorated with plates displaying typical local crafts, which it takes a lot of patience, technique and luck to erect without breaking.

The Bavarian lakes are also attracting many visitors now as the Cruise Lines are resuming operation. Also, the first regattas of the years are held from end of April on and many spectators are joining in with the sailors and rowers to welcome the new water sports-season.

With all the activities offered in spring, Bavaria-tourists will be happy to find a sumptuously laid table. Restaurants and inns like to make use of regional products now, like asparagus from the well-known growing-areas Abensberg and Schrobenhausen. Wild garlic is a very popular herb that grows vigorously in Bavarian forests and especially close to lakes. It is used in many interesting ways and will delight gourmets. Moreover, there is fish from the clean and unpolluted lakes and rivers of Bavaria and poultry from regional farms. The spring dishes are not just delicious, the 'Bavarian spring diet' is also good for your figure!

Listed below, you will find some tipps for spring-events and for bike and hike tours:

Markets and festivals (most links are to German pages):