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Bavaria’s oldest pilgrimage site, Altötting lies on a hill near the right bank of the Inn River. A small, octagonal chapel with a central aisle, the Holy Chapel dates from 750. It was subsequently expanded by a nave. In the interior, a silver tabernacle set into a shell-lined niche on the eastern end contains the votive image of “Our Dear Lady of Altötting” – a revered Black Madonna (c. 1300) carved from linden wood. Another feature of interest is the panorama re-creating the view from Golgotha in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion, which is located in a domed structure east of the town centre. This is a monumental depiction of the Passion of Christ, with life-life figures in the foreground representing the stations of the cross.

Bavaria’s third-largest lake, Ammersee lies in a glacial basin from the Ice Age surrounded by forested moraines. Under clear skies, there is a glorious view of the Alps. Its shoreline is studded with many small towns, offering activities such as sailing, rowing, surfing, cycling, hiking, and much more.

The Au monastery, founded by the Augustine Canons in the 12th century, occupies an idyllic spot on a bend in the Inn River. It was reconstructed after a fire in the 18th century. The former library, decorated with frescoes, is a highlight of the complex, which is now also home to a restaurant with an attractive beer garden.

Located where the Isar River surfaces from an Alpine valley and flows into the sub-Alpine foothills, Bad Tölz is a popular spa and winter resort. On the right side of the river lies the picturesque old town, with its impressive Marktstraße lined with ornate st ucco-work façades, mot tos, and frescoes. Alpamare, one of Germany’s largest waterparks, is favoured by spa guests and fun-seekers alike. A big annual attraction is the Leonhardifahrt, on 6 November, a procession in honour of St Leonhard, patron saint of horses. It is one of the largest processions in traditional costume in Upper Bavaria.

Burghausen experienced its heyday in the Middle Ages when it was a centre of the salt trade and, occasionally, the Wittelsbachs’ second seat of government. The enormous castle, one of Germany’s largest, is fascinating. Built in 1255, it was added to and became a fortress at the end of the 15th century. Other highlights include the Gothic Jakobskirche, the 16th-century town hall, and the 18th-century Schutzengelskirche, all on the market square.

Popularly thought of as “Bavaria’s Ocean,” Chiemsee is Bavaria’s largest lake, with an area of 80 sq km (31 sq miles). Highlights include the islands Herrenchiemsee, with the Altesand Neues Schloss (see Herrenchiemsee Castle) and Frauenchiemsee, with an 18th-century monastery.

Set in the foothills along the Amper River, some 15 km (9 miles) north of Munich, Dachau is a small town built around a prominent palace – part Renaissance, part Baroque – which has an excellent restaurant. In 1933, the first Nazi concentration camp was set up here, now a place of remembrance – the KZ Gedenkstätte – one of the most frequented in Europe today. Refurbishment of the exhibition at the adjacent museum was completed in 2003.

The historic seat of a bishopric, the town is dominated by the cathedral and the bishop’s residence, situated on a hill known as the Mons Doctus – Learned Mount. Designed as a Roman basilica with five aisles, the cathedral was completed in 1205 and embellished from 1723 to 1724 by the Asam brothers, with stucco and stained-glass windows. Not to be missed are the Romanesque crypt and its famous Bestiensäule , a column elaborately carved with fabled beasts. Near the cathedral lies the former Benedictine monastery, Weihenstephan. Today, it is a brewery – arguably the oldest in the world – with a wonderful beer garden.

Lining its elongated town square, Fürstenfeldbruck boasts a town hall and historic houses in the Baroque and neo-Classical style, and a Baroque abbey by Antonio Viscardi. Its stunning interior includes work by the Asam brothers, among others.

This former Augustine Canons’ seminary, with its early Baroque abbey, was built by Gaspare and Domenico Zucalli between 1661 and 1690. The interior is decorated with lavish stuccowork.