Bavaria

Nearly 400 years ago, the town of Oberammergau made a promise to host a Passion Play every 10 years to fend off the plague. After a different pandemic delayed the latest production, this year's show is extra special.

Picture this: you’ve made it to the top of the mountain after a long hike through the Bavarian Alps.

Known largely to locals, these beer festivals all over the southern German state are among the biggest and liveliest in Europe in their own right.

Practically a country unto itself, Bavaria packs in more than most independent states of its size.

Is Bavaria the castle capital of Europe? With Disney-worthy piles, medieval masterpieces, evocative ruins and much more, the grand palaces of this southern German state run the gamut of styles, with the stories of kings, dukes and noble families who called these structures home rounding out the fairy-tale feel.

Snow-capped peaks, fairy-tale castles and charming mountain villages, the Bavarian Alps are a definite highlight of any trip to southern Germany. Every visitor to this dramatic corner of Bavaria should set aside time to explore the rugged landscapes of Europe’s premier mountain range.